[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) announces a call for artists for Abandon / Abandoned, an online photography competition.
What comes to mind when you hear these two words? Though they have the same root, the meanings can be quite far apart. Is your first thought about things abandoned – like that empty building in the tenement section of town that has been left to the elements with broken windows and peeling paint, or is it the person abandoned by a family who needed to move to another location.
There is also the sense of “abandon” – that free-wheeling person, dancing or jumping for joy with arms stretched out, or the child on a playground ride like a see saw with hands in the air and sheer glee on his/her face.
The Abandon / Abandoned artist call is about those images that depict either interpretation. The field is far and wide and the choice is yours. Send your best and, as always, all 2D photography is welcome.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 20 July 2025
NYC4PA offers opportunities to participate in themed calls for photographers. Each call has a different theme and 50 images win. The prizes total $4,000. There is a grand prize, 3 first prizes, 3 second prizes, 3 third prizes, 20 juror’s selections, and 20 honorable mentions. All 50 winners are posted in a gallery on the NYC4PA website and included in an exhibition gallery. The call is open to any photographers worldwide and of any age, amateurs or professional. A professional photographer, gallery owner, or photography teacher is the juror.
About New York Center for Photographic Art
The mission of the New York Center for Photographic Art is to provide exhibition opportunities in the vibrant New York City gallery world to photographers around the globe. NYC4PA offers international, themed, open call competitions juried by recognized experts in the field of photography. Prizes include cash awards, online gallery, catalog, and New York City gallery exhibits.
For more information, contact nyc4pa@gmail.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] Decagon Gallery announces a call for artists for Places and Spaces, an online photography juried competition. What does it mean to belong to a place—or to feel out of place entirely?
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 30 June 2025
Decagon Gallery invites photographers worldwide to submit work for Places and Spaces, an online exhibition exploring the environments we inhabit, pass through, or imagine. From sweeping landscapes to quiet corners, and bustling streets to solitary rooms, this show seeks to highlight the ways spaces shape us—and how we, in turn, shape them.
All interpretations are welcome including documentary or conceptual, urban or rural, personal or political, and literal or abstract.
Juror: Matthew Christopher
Places and Spaces: Artist Benefits
- First Place: $500 cash prize and an online solo exhibition, promoted on the website and gallery newsletter.
- Second Place: $300 cash prize
- Third Place: $200 cash prize
- Juror’s Awards and Honorable Mentions
- All selected photographers will receive a digital award badge
- Selected work will be published in a printed exhibition catalog available for purchase.
- A short video presentation will be created and shared on the gallery’s YouTube channel and / or the gallery website and social media.
About Decagon Gallery
Decagon Gallery is an online photography gallery based in Brooklyn, New York, that specializes in contemporary photography. The gallery offers photographers several curated platforms to showcase their work and connect with art enthusiasts worldwide. The gallery maintains a robust online presence through its website and social media, as it aims to promote itself through email marketing, social media, and collaborations with other art organizations.
For more information, contact info@decagongallery.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] Visual Artists Association announces a call for artists for VAA Art500, a landmark initiative celebrating 500 of the most promising and visionary artists across the United States. In partnership with Artfinder, the leading online marketplace for original art, this opportunity offers national recognition, exclusive exposure, and career-accelerating support.
Whether you’re an emerging talent or an established creator, this is your opportunity to stand out in the contemporary art world.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 25 June 2025
Open to all visual artists based in the United States, working in any medium. Entry is free.
VAA Arts500: Artist Benefits
Receive the recognition and tools to advance your practice. Only 500 artists will be selected to benefit from this high-profile initiative. This is your opportunity to gain national recognition, exclusive resources, and career-accelerating support – all designed to elevate your profile in the art world. Whether you’re emerging or established, this initiative is your gateway to becoming a recognised force in contemporary art.
- VAA Preferred Artist Status: Formal recognition from the VAA
- Free Entry to the VAA Artist of the Year Awards: Be considered for one of the most prestigious honours in our network
- 6-Month Artfinder Subscription: Gain visibility through our Direct from the Artist programme
- The Artist CEO RISE Programme: Four transformative sessions to help you grow as a creative professional
- Feature in the VAA Art500 Industry Book: A premium, curated publication distributed to galleries, collectors, and art professionals nationwide
- Artfinder Artist Profiling: Homepage feature, Mailing list promotion to 500,000+ art buyers, Social media post to 89,000+ followers
Joining the VAA Art500 is more than just an opportunity—it’s a transformative step in your artistic journey. This exclusive membership offers unparalleled visibility, ensuring that your work reaches the eyes of collectors, industry experts, and potential buyers who appreciate and invest in emerging talent. Beyond exposure, it provides validation, affirming your artistic credibility and positioning you among a select group of creators recognized for their excellence. The value extends even further, with continuous support designed to help you navigate the art world with confidence.
About Visual Artists Association
What sets Visual Artists Association apart is their unique approach. They work closely with art galleries, art fairs, publishers, museums, universities, and art institutions to offer members exclusive access to exhibition opportunities, events, and affordable business education. By joining VAA, you gain greater agency over your artwork and enhance your credibility in the art world, helping you grow your practice and small arts business. VAA are here to break down barriers, open doors, to transform the landscape, fostering a culture where artists of all backgrounds are inspired and supported to reach their full potential. The VAA champion artists at all stages of their careers to succeed in the business of art.
For more information, contact hello@visual-artists.org
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The Carlsbad Oceanside Art League (COAL) and North Coastal Art Gallery announce a call for artists for the 73rd Fine Art Open Annual Awards Show.
The North Coastal Art Gallery/COAL is situated in the heart of historic downtown Carlsbad, California, attracting between 1,500 to 2,000 visitors monthly, including tourists and art enthusiasts. This prime location ensures that your artwork reaches a diverse and engaged audience.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 14 July 2025
The Fine Art Open Annual Awards Show Juror is Daniel Foster, well-known for his community participation in the arts all over Southern California. Cash awards in oil, acrylic, watermedia, mixed media, other media, sculpture, photography, digital, and textile.
The gallery promotes the exhibition through local media outlets and online platforms, including a video of the show with artist credits. The opening reception is attended by artists, local politicians, and community leaders, providing a platform for networking and potential collaborations.
About North Coastal Art Gallery
North Coastal Art Gallery stands at the intersection of tradition and innovation. They are not just creating art, but also reviving traditional art forms and breathing new life into them by blending them with modern technology. From classical techniques reimagined through digital tools to immersive multimedia experiences, the gallery’s work bridges the past and the future in ways that feel both meaningful and fresh.
At the heart of everything the gallery does is a commitment to equity and visibility. They showcase underrepresented voices — artists from marginalized backgrounds whose stories and styles often go unheard in the mainstream art world. By offering them not just a platform, but real opportunity, the gallery is building a space where diverse talent can thrive, be seen, and be celebrated. This mix of heritage, innovation, and social impact is what makes the gallery not just relevant — but vital.
For more information, contact ncagpresident@gmail.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] PleinAir Magazine announces a call for artists for their PleinAir Salon May Art Competition.
In the spirit of the French Salon created by the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, this annual online competition, with 12 monthly cycles, leading to the Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition, is designed to stimulate artistic growth through competition.
The competition rewards artists with $50,000 in all cash prizes each year with the winning painting featured on the cover of PleinAir magazine.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 31 May 2025
The PleinAir Salon $50,000 Art Competition is an online competition consisting of 11 monthly cycles of competitions and one annual competition. They award a total of $50,000 in cash prizes each year for this competition.
- Annual Grand Prize winner receives a check for $15,000 and is featured on the cover of PleinAir Magazine
- Additional awards totalling $11,050 to the annual winners
- Awards totalling $2,250 in the monthly competitions.
Each of the 22 monthly winners will be automatically entered into the Annual Competition. Each of the monthly winners receive cash prizes, promotion in PleinAir Magazine, both print and digital. Winners are promoted in the digital edition of Fine Art Connoisseur, a magazine for art collectors. Artists receive editorial coverage in newsletters and websites. The annual awards are presented live at the Plein Air Convention & Expo each spring.
“It is always so exciting to win something, and also such an honor. I really like participating in the Plein Air Salon Competition for many reasons, but one is that you are so great about sharing and promoting the award winners. It makes me want to keep painting the best I can and to enter every month.” – Sheryl Knight
About PleinAir Magazine
PleinAir Magazine is for plein air artists, enthusiasts, and collectors showcasing a wide variety of plein air paintings, articles on the top plein air artists of today and past, and the latest information on events and shows. The PleinAir Salon Art Competition has been awarding cash prizes and promoting artists for 12 years. The PleinAir Salon is celebrating their 14th year and was created by PleinAir magazine publisher, Eric Rhoads.
For more information, contact pleinairsalon@streamlinepublishing.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] Decagon Gallery announces a call for artists for Interiors: Spaces That Define Our Lives, an online photography juried competition. This competition invites you to showcase your unique perspective on the private and public spaces that define our everyday lives. Whether it’s the intimate corners of a home, bustling energy of a public space, or solitude of an abandoned room, Decagon Gallery is looking for work that captures the essence of interior spaces.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 7 June 2025
From minimalist compositions to vibrant, chaotic expressions, Decagon Gallery encourages entries that challenge perception and push the boundaries of photographic artistry. Show your unique vision – whether through experimental techniques, intentional distortions, or capturing the unseen details of the everyday.
Juror, Jennifer Schlesinger, is a curator, artist, and photography appraiser. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for AIPAD (Association of International Photography Art Dealers). In addition, she is an accredited member of the Appraisers Association of America specializing in photography appraisals.
Interiors – Artist Benefits
The exhibition will be posted in Decagon Gallery’s online gallery and promoted through social media, emails blasts, and arts organizations.
- First Place: $500 cash award and a solo exhibition on Decagon Gallery’s website.
- Second Place: $300 cash award
- Third Place: $200 cash award
Digital Badges will be given to all participating photographers.
About Decagon Gallery
Decagon Gallery is an online photography gallery based in Brooklyn, New York, that specializes in contemporary photography. The gallery offers photographers several curated platforms to showcase their work and connect with art enthusiasts worldwide. The gallery maintains a robust online presence through its website and social media, as it aims to promote itself through email marketing, social media, and collaborations with other art organizations.
For more information, contact info@decagongallery.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) announces a call for artists for Apparel, an online photography competition.
Shirts, pants, accessories, outfits, onesies, hats, gloves, booties, kimonos, saris, sweaters, and on and on. A part of everyone’s day includes the decision about what to wear, and, for many, how to dress the kids and the house pet.
For the Apparel call for artists, the emphasis is on how you, the photographer, capture these articles of clothing in a creative way. Does a uniformed officer create the mood in a picture of a crowd, is there a grouping of colorful blouses hanging in a shop, does a small part of a wedding gown catch your eye, or is it just fun to see a boot on a child’s foot splash in a puddle or a hoodie on a pup with the ears poking out.
Click here for the application / registration
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO: 15 JUNE 2025
As with all NYC4PA contests, send your best. All 2D photo processes are welcome.
NYC4PA offers opportunities to participate in themed calls for photographers. Each call has a different theme and 50 images win. The prizes total $4,000. There is a grand prize, 3 first prizes, 3 second prizes, 3 third prizes, 20 juror’s selections, and 20 honorable mentions. All 50 winners are posted in a gallery on the NYC4PA website and included in an exhibition gallery. The call is open to any photographers worldwide and of any age, amateurs or professional. A professional photographer, gallery owner, or photography teacher is the juror.
About New York Center for Photographic Art
The mission of the New York Center for Photographic Art is to provide exhibition opportunities in the vibrant New York City gallery world to photographers around the globe. NYC4PA offers international, themed, open call competitions juried by recognized experts in the field of photography. Prizes include cash awards, online gallery, catalog, and New York City gallery exhibits.
For more information, contact nyc4pa@gmail.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The LH Horton Jr Gallery, located on the campus of San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California, announces a call for artists for Visions In Clay. This art competition was founded by the San Joaquin Potters Guild in 2002, and has been presented by the Horton Art Gallery since 2010.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 23 June 2025
Eligibility
- Entry is open to artists residing in the U.S.
- Ceramic works of any thematic and stylistic presentation are accepted for entry. Clay must be the primary medium.
- Artwork that has been previously exhibited at the Horton Art Gallery is not eligible for entry.
- Artwork may not exceed 4ft. in any dimension.
- Online Entry Fee: $30 1-3 Entries / $45 4-6 Entries
- Selection Announcement by July 14, 2025
Exhibition Juror: Nancy M. Servis, ceramic artist, curator, author, and educator.
Visions In Clay Artist Benefits
Visions In Clay is one of the largest ceramic exhibitions in Northern California, with 50-60 works in each show. In addition to the Gallery exhibition, there is an online exhibition website with individual exhibiting artists’ webpage and links to their websites and social media sites. Gallery and online sales are promoted, with a nominal 20% commission to the Gallery, and 80% back to the artist. The exhibition is well known nationally and presents quality ceramic works by established artists selected by high profile jurors.
Gallery Exhibition: August 28 – September 25, 2025 (as well as an exhibition website with individual webpages for exhibiting artists).
- Gallery Awards: $800 | $600 | $400
- San Joaquin Potters Guild Founders Award: $300
- Regional Artist Award: Ceramic Demonstration Workshop for Delta College Students ~ $800
About LH Horton Jr Gallery
The LH Horton Jr Gallery is a fine arts exhibition and events program within the Arts & Multimedia TrAC at San Joaquin Delta College, and a venue of Delta Center for the Arts. The Gallery presents contemporary art exhibitions and associated visual arts events and workshops to:
- Support Student Learning Outcomes in the visual arts curriculum.
- Build knowledge in the aesthetic, technical, cultural and historical context of the visual arts.
- Exhibitions include an annual student art show, and biannual alumni and art faculty exhibitions, as well as the Gallery’s signature curated and juried shows, such as the annual Visions In Clay exhibition.
For more information, contact jan.marlese@deltacollege.edu
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] Visual Art Open announces a call for artists for Visual Art Open (VAO) 2025.
The VAO is a prestigious art competition celebrating creativity across all levels of artistic experience. Offering a £10,000 prize fund, this platform provides exceptional opportunities for artists, from emerging talents to established professionals. Participants gain global recognition through social media promotion, a finalist exhibition in London, and access to a network of art collectors and enthusiasts. The VAO fosters inclusivity with multiple categories, empowering artists from diverse backgrounds to showcase their individuality.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 12 March 2025
In collaboration with the Visual Artists Association (VAA), the competition ensures winners receive career-boosting support, including cash prizes, mentorship, memberships, and exhibition opportunities. As a not-for-profit initiative funded by registration fees, donations, and sponsorships, the VAO passionately supports artists while aiming to make art accessible and impactful. By entering, artists connect with a vibrant community, gain exposure, and embrace unique opportunities to advance their careers.
Artists can gain significant benefits from participating in the Visual Art Open (VAO) competition:
- Cash Prizes: The total prize fund of £10,000 includes financial rewards for winners, helping to support their artistic journey.
- Global Exposure: Winners and finalists receive extensive promotion across social media, exhibitions, and through a network of art collectors and enthusiasts.
- Exhibition Opportunities: Finalists showcase their work at a prestigious exhibition in London, offering a chance to connect directly with the art community.
- Career Support: Winners gain mentorship, Visual Artists Association (VAA) memberships, and guidance to advance their artistic careers.
- Community Engagement: Artists join a vibrant and supportive community, gaining inspiration and networking opportunities.
About The Visual Art Open
The Visual Art Open (VAO) stands out as an exciting and meaningful opportunity for artists at any stage of their career. It offers a platform for creative individuals to showcase their talent on a global scale, with the chance to gain international recognition and valuable exposure.
What makes it particularly intriguing is its holistic approach to supporting artists. Beyond the impressive £10,000 prize fund, the VAO provides career-advancing benefits such as mentorship, exhibition opportunities in London, and promotion across a network of collectors and art enthusiasts. Its inclusive categories encourage diversity and celebrate individuality in the art world.
Moreover, the competition’s partnership with the Visual Artists Association ensures ongoing support for winners, making it not just a contest but a career-boosting experience. The VAO also contributes to the art community as a not-for-profit initiative, adding a sense of purpose and impact. It’s a perfect blend of creativity, opportunity, and support!
For more information, contact info@visualartopen.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) announces a call for artists for Trees, an online photography competition.
“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.”
Joyce Kilmer wrote those words in 1915. They hold true today. Trees are all around us in cities, towns, and the country. They can be a striking visual, as a standalone in a barren landscape or part of everyday life in the yard with an old tire swing hanging from a low branch. Trees are as much a part of the animal kingdom, providing limbs for resting and nesting, as they are wonderful sources of food for many species.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 6 April 2025
NYC4PA offers opportunities to participate in themed calls for photographers. Each call has a different theme and 50 images win. The prizes total $4,000. There is a grand prize, 3 first prizes, 3 second prizes, 3 third prizes, 20 juror’s selections, and 20 honorable mentions. All 50 winners are posted in a gallery on the NYC4PA website and included in an exhibition gallery. The call is open to any photographers worldwide and of any age, amateurs or professional. A professional photographer, gallery owner, or photography teacher is the juror.
About New York Center for Photographic Art
The mission of the New York Center for Photographic Art is to provide exhibition opportunities in the vibrant New York City gallery world to photographers around the globe. NYC4PA offers international, themed, open call competitions juried by recognized experts in the field of photography. Prizes include cash awards, online gallery, catalog, and New York City gallery exhibits.
For more information, contact nyc4pa@gmail.com