[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The Human Impacts Institute (HII) announces a call for artists for the 2026 Creative Climate Awards (CCA), an annual celebration of the power of art to mobilize communities and ignite bold climate action.
This year, the theme, Collective Power, calls on artists everywhere to explore how unity, solidarity, and shared vision fuel transformative change. At a time when global challenges can feel overwhelming, this theme highlights a simple truth: meaningful climate action is never the work of one, but of many.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 2 February 2026
Through a month-long series of public exhibitions, performances, community conversations, and a film festival, the 2026 CCAs will showcase artworks that illuminate how people come together to create resilience, courage, and solutions in the face of the climate crisis. HII believes deeply in the role of arts and culture to educate, engage, and empower communities to reimagine what’s possible.
Use your creativity to join a global movement—one that celebrates collaboration, amplifies frontline voices, and inspires collective action toward a more livable future.
If selected, artists are responsible for the costs of shipping works to and from NYC. Performers must be able to perform in NYC between mid-April to mid-May
- Selections Announced: mid-February, 2026.
- Exhibit and performances: mid-April to mid-May, 2026
Creative Climate Awards Artist Benefits
- Have your work exhibited in NYC for one month.
- Network with curators, mentors, judges, and other artists to strengthen your community and find potential opportunities for collaborations.
- Have your work amplified on social media and have it be seen by our judges, and throughout our website.
- There will be a cash prize for the first, second and third place winners.
- Several participating artists will be selected for an in-person artist residency at Foundation House in Greenwich, CT.
- Artists may also receive an opportunity to lead and participate in workshops if they choose.
Testimonials
“I was delighted to see the number of events CCA organized. The variety of get-togethers, art events, panels, and more really highlighted the importance of community. Even though I couldn’t attend in person, the warmth and energy of the events came through clearly on social media. I also found the online networking session for artists to be a valuable addition, it was a pleasure to meet and connect with fellow artists.”
“It was a really unifying festival of ideas and action. I met wonderful people at events that I attended over the course of the month. It was just an incredibly positive experience I was really happy and grateful to be a part of.”
“I liked how being a part of CCA expanded my awareness, created an opportunity to meet like minded people. As a result, I feel so much more motivated in my practice and so much more inspired to connect and collaborate with people more. Thank you so so much”!!!
About Human Impacts Institute
Human Impacts Institute (HII) sits at the intersection of climate action, arts, and community power. They are a nonprofit organization that uses storytelling, research, and creative practice to translate complex climate issues into accessible, human-centered experiences that inspire collective action. Their work elevates underrepresented voices—particularly youth, Indigenous leaders, artists, and frontline communities—and connects them with platforms, resources, and networks to drive real-world impact.
What makes HII distinctive is their focus on collective power: they believe meaningful climate solutions emerge not from individual actors, but from communities working together across disciplines, geographies, and lived experiences. Through fellowships, public exhibitions, open calls, and community-led programs, they transform art into a catalyst for social good—building bridges between culture, policy, and action to reimagine a more just and climate-resilient future.
For more information, contact alvaro@humanimpactsinstitute.org
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center announces a call for artists to submit original artwork to the Rhythm: Movement In Art exhibition.
This exhibition will examine how artists capture, interpret, and evoke movement through visual rhythm. From the fluidity of gestures to the pulse of repeated forms, and from the suggestion of physical motion to the sensation of energetic flow, this exhibit celebrates artworks that embody momentum, dynamic flow, and cadence.
Kinetic sculpture and other motion-based works are encouraged, especially those that physically manifest the exhibition’s themes of rhythm and movement. Works may reference rhythm found in nature, the human body, architecture, sound, or purely abstract movement, but the central focus remains on how artists create the feeling of motion through visual means. Viewers will be encouraged to experience how visual art can reflect the beats, patterns, and motions that animate the world around us.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 5 January 2026
Artists benefit from exhibitions at Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center in a myriad of ways. Beautiful 1,200 square foot galleries show the work excellently, with natural light during the days that many other galleries don’t have. Shows are marketed in a wide variety of ways including individual show booklets featuring a page for each artist and a social media package for each exhibiting artist. There are scholarship opportunities, three cash prize juror awards, and a lovely opening reception.
About Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center
Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center is located in scenic Solomons, Maryland, where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay. The sculpture garden features a shady walking path that meanders through the woods past permanent and loaned sculpture, including over thirty works on loan from the Smithsonian Institution and the National Gallery of Art. Artists in the collection include: Antonio Tobias Mendez, Barbara Hepworth, Cesar, Robert Engman, Jean Arp, Kenneth Snelson and Fransisco Zuniga.
Young guests can frolic in the Fairy Lolly Creative Play Space and explore the many trails, including the Tree-mendous Trail. The award-winning Arts Building includes rotating exhibition space, the Nature Nook, the artLAB Creative Reuse Studio, the Annmarie Gift Shop, and lovely wrap around patios. Annmarie presents a variety of popular annual festivals, rotating exhibitions, family activities, and creative public programs. The Studio School offers classes for all ages and abilities – from pottery to dance – taught by professional artists and arts educators. Come explore this special place where art and nature meet!
For more information, contact exhibits@annmariegarden.org
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) announces a call for artists for Urban Suburban Rural, an online photography competition.
Urban, suburban, and rural: these are location choices we make for living, working, and vacationing. Each has its own visual characteristics that make it the best option. What was it about these locales caught your eye? Was it the crowded streets, public transport, or skyscraper silhouettes in the Urban Landscape? Did you capture hamburgers and hot dogs on a family bar-b-q? Maybe, it was the geometry of a street of well-groomed front yards, a strip mall, or other images representative of the suburban scene. Finally, were you caught up in the imagery of Rural Impressions – the farmhouses, the fields, the animals, the white farm fences, or rusted cars on front lawns?
Send your interpretations of rural impressions, suburban scenes, and urban landscapes. Lots to see, lots to photograph.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 4 January 2026
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] Oil Painters of America (OPA) announces a call for artists for the 35th National Exhibition of Traditional Oils, hosted by the Steamboat Art Museum in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on view May 29–August 29, 2026.
This exceptional exhibition will showcase the finest works in draftsmanship, color, and composition, featuring a diverse range of styles and subjects.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 6 March 2026
OPA membership required. Over $100,000 in awards, including a $25,000 Best in Show!
Joining Oil Painters of America connects artists across North America who are dedicated to excellence in representational oil painting. Members gain access to free educational webinars, exclusive discounts on art products, and opportunities for professional growth and recognition through workshops, exhibitions, and networking with fellow artists.
Entering the National Exhibition of Traditional Oils provides a prestigious platform to showcase your work, compete for over $100,000 in awards, including a $25,000 Best in Show, and exhibit at the Steamboat Art Museum. Participants gain national exposure among collectors, galleries, and peers, while elevating their skills and reputation in the oil painting community.
About Oil Painters of America
Oil Painters of America (OPA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the timeless art of representational oil painting. With over 3,500 members across North America, OPA connects artists of all levels in a vibrant, supportive community where creativity thrives. Members gain access to prestigious national juried exhibitions, inspiring online showcases, and the annual convention featuring a wet paint competition, paint-outs, workshops, and live demonstrations. Exclusive webinars, scholarships, and art-product discounts provide tools to grow and experiment, while networking opportunities bring together passionate artists who celebrate the beauty, skill, and tradition of oil painting.
For more information, contact lpusch@oilpaintersofamerica.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The Newton Free Library announces a call for artists for July – December 2026 exhibits. Artists must be from the New England region.
The Newton Free Library presents twelve art shows each year in the building’s Main Hall, featuring works by New England artists. As one of the busiest public library buildings in Massachusetts, this exhibit space is highly sought after and well-loved by library patrons.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 12 December 2025
Eligibility: The Library welcomes applications from New England artists showing two-dimensional works that are compatible with the Walker display system. Both individual and group shows are welcome. Each exhibit is on display for one month and uses the full exhibit space.
Free-standing sculptural pieces are not eligible.
The Library encourages artists from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences to apply.
Many artists seek to exhibit their work at The Newton Free Library because the location guarantees that their work will be seen by a large audience. The Library is visited by more than 45,000 people each month. Most visitors enter through the Main Hall and see the art exhibits as they arrive. Library patrons are keenly tuned into the gallery space – visiting and spending time appreciating the works shown. Given that free gallery space is difficult to come by, it is a boon for artists that, if selected, they show fee-free. There is no commission for work sold and there is no fee to apply.
About Newton Free Library
The Newton Free Library is a community center at the heart of cultural activity in Newton, Massachusetts, a city south west of Boston with a population of approximately 90,000. Residents enjoy the art exhibits in the Library’s Main Hall and eagerly await them each month. The highly-visible exhibit location is just off the main entrance door. Visitors walk by the Main Hall as they come into the building. There is competition for exhibitions where many award-winning artists have been featured.
For more information, contact artapplication@newtonfreelibrary.net
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] PleinAir Magazine announces a call for artists for their PleinAir Salon October Art Competition.
In the spirit of the French Salon created by the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, this annual online competition, with 11 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 October 2025
The PleinAir Salon 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.
PleinAir Salon Testimonials
“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
“PleinAir Salon has such a wonderful reputation for attracting world class artists that I was so impressed when I found out I was amongst the top 100 finalists. Then when I discovered I had won the Animal and Bird section I was completely speechless. I know I have worked hard over the last few years to really improve my craft, but this has been an overwhelming honor.” – Angela Parr
“Entering this contest on a monthly basis is something I have come to regard as both essential and enjoyable. It seems like every so often one of my paintings catches lightening in a bottle, so that’s a thrill. Thank you and the staff for all the work to promote artists and the arts.” – Christopher Forrest
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] The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) announces a call for artists for Animal Kingdom, an online photography competition.
Our world is filled with animals. Whether your first thoughts are about lions, tigers, bears, elephants working in the Asian lumber industry, or two/four legged pets, there are so many options. Don’t forget the fish tank and reptiles.
So, if life takes you on an exotic African safari, traveling in Southeast Asia, visiting a local zoo or aquarium, or just looking around in your own home/neighborhood, the animal kingdom offers huge photographic opportunities. Puppies that play joyfully, the migration in the Serengeti, your parakeet pecking at your glasses and dolphins gracefully jumping out of the ocean are just starting points. The finish line at a horse race, mice munching cheese, and a bee or butterfly collecting nectar from a flower – the possibilities go on and on.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 2 November 2025
As with all contests, submit your best. All 2D photo processes are welcome. Images awarded an NYC4PA prize within the past 2 years are not eligible. Images submitted that were not selected for a prize may be submitted at any time. NYC4PA uses a blind jury process. Do not submit images with signatures or watermarks on the submitted files.
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 Forgotten Architecture, an online photography juried competition.
Abandoned buildings are more than relics of the past—they are silent monuments to history, memory, and the passage of time. Their peeling paint, fractured walls, and quiet interiors hold stories that have slipped into stillness. In this juried exhibition, Decagon Gallery invites photographers to explore the strange allure and poetic resonance of architectural spaces left behind.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 31 October 2025
Decagon Gallery seeks images that engage with the theme of abandoned or neglected structures—buildings overtaken by nature, spaces weathered by time, or interiors echoing with absence. Both documentary and interpretive approaches are welcome. Whether your work is rooted in urban exploration, formal composition, or surreal reinterpretation, the gallery wants to see how you find beauty in decay.
The Juror, Andrew Moore, is widely acclaimed for his long term photographic series, which record the effect of time on the natural and built landscape. These series include work made in Cuba, Russia, Bosnia, Times Square, Detroit, The Great Plains, the American South, and most recently the Hudson Valley.
Forgotten Architecture Awards and Features
- First Place: $500 cash prize and an online Solo exhibition
- Second Place: $300 cash prize
- Third Place: $200 cash prize
- Juror’s Awards and Honorable Mentions
- All the above awards include a FREE exhibition catalog.
- All selected photographers will receive a digital award badge suitable for social media.
- Selected work will be published in a printed exhibition catalog available for purchase.
- A short video presentation will be created and shared on our YouTube channel and the gallery website and social media.
About Decagon Gallery
Decagon Gallery is an innovative online photography platform dedicated to making fine art exhibitions accessible to a global audience. What makes it especially interesting is its balance of professionalism and inclusivity: it hosts juried exhibitions with distinguished photographers while keeping entry fees affordable so emerging artists can participate. Each exhibition is thoughtfully curated, presented with professional catalogs, videos, and press materials, and shared widely to maximize exposure.
Beyond showcasing photography, Decagon Gallery fosters community, offering digital badges, artist features, and supportive communication. Its unique model blends artistic integrity with accessibility, creating opportunities for photographers worldwide to be seen and celebrated.
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 Reflections, an online photography competition.
As our life experiences mature, reflections become so much more than a copy of our own image. Virtually everything can be placed near a reflective surface and, as if by magic, you get to see two, or three and the possibilities are endless. From a skyline reflected in a park lake, to the flash of sunlight reflected on a steel pipe, pedestrians in a department store window, and waves of sunlight reflected off the ocean that show as playful lines on a child’s face.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 14 September 2025
This call is about all types of reflections. Images can show both an object/person/animal and its reflection, or it can be one with just the reflection, and that reflection can be a clear copy or distorted with ripples, oil deposits, or curved glass. As with all NYC4PA calls, all 2D photographic images 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] PleinAir Magazine announces a call for artists for their PleinAir Salon August Art Competition.
In the spirit of the French Salon created by the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, this annual online competition, with 11 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 August 2025
The PleinAir Salon 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