[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] Sea Art House announces a call for artists for the Sea Art House Residency 2025, in Varna, Bulgaria. Once a year, Sea Art House offers a residency completely free of charge. This year they are happy to invite two artists. The residency runs between August 25 and September 3, 2025.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 5 May 2025
This year, Sea Art House welcomes artists who are inspired to explore the relations between art and society, art and spirituality, or art as creating visions of possible futures. However, these themes serve as an open framework rather than fixed boundaries, encouraging creative interpretations and new perspectives.
The program includes a free accommodation in one of the double rooms and unlimited use of the studio and equipment (plus the opportunity to invite a friend). Art materials, travel, and food expenses are the responsibility of the artist. The result of the residency will be published and promoted on Sea Art House’s website and social networks.
The call is open to all those who wish to apply worldwide.
Artist Residency Benefits
The artists will get the opportunity to focus on their work in an inspirational environment, meet other artists from around the world, and share ideas. The city of Varna, Bulgaria, has a rich historical and cultural background – visit old christian monasteries, ruins from Ancient Rome and Greece, and unique places in nature, such as the Stone desert. Located close to the beach, the residency is great for plein-air sessions. Develop your own residency plan and focus on the creative process or the result, to have a break from your daily routine, and experiment with new techniques.
About Sea Art House
Sea Art House is run by artists for artists. Passionate about art, they understand how important focus and concentration outside a busy schedule are. For that reason, they have chosen a beautiful and peaceful place by the sea, surrounded by forests and greenery, to provide artists with an inspiring home-feeling space to focus on their art without any distractions.
Sea Art House works to nourish excellent conditions for all art forms in the field of visual art to be created and nurtured by providing a framework for building professional cooperation.
Residences are process-oriented and encourage artists to craft their creative time as they wish – as experimentation, research, by focusing on new subject matters, or as a creative dialogue and collaborative project with other artists. Thus, the residences can be organised and structured according to the artists’ intentions. Participants are free to negotiate (subject to availability) their own time of arrival and length of stay. However, Sea Art House welcomes up to five artists at any one time.
For more information, contact info@seaarthouse.com
...
[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
...
[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
...
[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] Embracing Our Differences announces a call for artists for their outdoor juried art exhibition.
Since 2004, Embracing Our Differences has used the power of art to promote acceptance. The centerpiece of Embracing Our Differences is an outdoor juried art exhibition featuring 50 billboard size images (12.5 feet by 16 feet) created by local, national, and international artists. The display reflects the artists’ interpretations of the theme, Embracing Our Differences.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 1 July 2025
The outdoor juried art exhibition will be on display mid-January through mid-April 2026 in two locations in Sarasota and Pinellas counties in Florida.
- Awards are given for Best-in-Show Adult, Best-in-Show Student, and People’s Choice categories, with the last chosen by visitors to each exhibit location.
- Adult winners each receive $2,000.
- Student winners receive $2,000, with $1,000 to be directed to the student and $1,000 to their school’s art program, if they worked under the direction of an educator.
The 2024 exhibition was viewed by more than 422,000 visitors, allowing the artist to have their work viewed by locals and tourists from around the world.
About Embracing Our Differences
Embracing Our Differences is a Southwest Florida nonprofit celebrating individuality and shared humanity through art and education. An annual juried exhibition features thought-provoking artwork from around the world, sparking conversations about understanding and acceptance. Additionally, comprehensive educational programs engage students of all ages, providing them with the tools to critically examine their own biases and build empathy for others. Through interactive workshops, teacher training, and curriculum development, Embracing Our Differences equips educators to create inclusive learning environments where every student can thrive.
For more information, contact exhibit@embracingourdifferences.org
...
[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The Art Renewal Center announces a call for artists for The 18th International ARC Salon Competition.
When talking about competitions dedicated to 21st Century Realism, the Art Renewal Center’s International ARC Salon ® is the largest in the world, receiving over 5,000 entries from 87 countries last competition. It is no wonder why artists are entering.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 12 June 2025
Categories include: figurative, portraiture, imaginative realism, drawing, landscape, still life, plein air painting, fully from life, sculpture, animals, and a special category for teens.
ARC Salon Artist Benefits
With over $130,000 in cash awards and international recognition through the ARC website, which receives over 2,000,000 visitors annually, the ARC Salon offers career changing opportunities through partnerships with prestigious magazines, museums, and galleries. Don’t miss your chance to compete!
- All winners, honorable mentions, finalists, and semi-finalists will have their entries accompanied by their name and artwork details displayed on the ARC website. Biography, photo of the artist, and painting descriptions provided during the entry process may be shown for all qualifying works.
- All winners, honorable mentions, and some finalists will be featured in the 17th/18th International ARC Salon Book, “International Realism”.
- In addition, all winners and honorable mentions will receive an award certificate suitable for framing.
Works do not need to be available for sale to win any of the awards other then Purchase Awards. Works do not need to be available to exhibit in the ARC Salon Exhibition for all awards other then FWSD Awards.
About Art Renewal Center
Leading the revival of realism in the visual arts, the Art Renewal Center ® (ARC), a 501(c)(3), non-profit, educational foundation, hosts the largest online museum dedicated to representational art and includes works by the old masters, 19th century, and 21st Century Artists as well as articles, letters, and other online resources. The ARC is the foremost and only vetting service for representational art schools ensuring that the teaching curricula and quality of teacher and student work meet strict standards to become ARC Approved.
The ARC runs the ARC Salon Competition, which is the largest and most prestigious competition in the world for realist artists painting, sculpting, and drawing today with eleven categories and thousands of works competing, culminating in a live exhibition of many of the winning works. The ARC works with other ARC Allied Organizations, artist groups, museums, and publications to become a central news hub for the 21st Century Representational Art Movement.
For more information, contact sabrina.foland@artrenewal.org
...
[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] PleinAir Magazine announces a call for artists for their PleinAir Salon February 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: 28 February 2025
The PleinAir Salon $50,000 Art Competition is an online competition consisting of 12 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 $9,200 to the annual winners
- Awards totalling $2,150 in the monthly competitions.
Each of the 23 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
“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
...
[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] Laguna Art-A-Fair announces a call for artists for the 2025 Laguna Art-A-Fair Summer Festival. In it’s 58th year, the fine arts festival will be open daily from June 27th to August 31st, 2025.
Laguna Beach, California, is an acclaimed destination for those interested in artwork of all types, with dozens of galleries. The three summer festivals located adjacent to each other along Laguna Canyon Road draw a high number of visitors, with Laguna Art-A-Fair located between the other two festivals.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 3 February 2025
Unlike the other two summer art festivals adjacent to Laguna Art-A-Fair, there are no residency requirements.
Over 50,000 attendees visit Laguna Art-A-Fair each summer. Laguna Beach is a very popular summer tourist destination for its beaches, coastline, restaurants, and art galleries. Juried-in exhibitors choose booth sizes from 1/2 booth (8 linear feet) up to 1 1/2 booth (24 linear feet). Booths are constructed with drywall walls for exhibitor use, making the displaying of artwork very easy.
Since all sales are processed through a central cashier, even if an exhibitor isn’t in attendance, sales opportunities are not lost. There is 24-hour security, which minimizes concerns of theft of artwork. The fair is aggressive in its social media promotion of the festival with over 300,000 Facebook followers and over 100,000 Instagram followers.
About Laguna Art-A-Fair
Laguna Art-A-Fair is renowned for the high quality and wide diversity of its fine art offerings. Laguna Art-A-Fair’s theme is a “Festival Without Borders”. Each year, artists from other states and even other countries exhibit in the festival. The art fair is consistently voted as the best summer art festival in Laguna Beach. The organization runs as a cooperative, with each exhibitor as a member who has a say in the festival’s operation, and a Board of Directors elected from the membership. Besides booth fees, exhibitors pay only a 20% commission on sales.
For more information, contact lagunaartafair@gmail.com
...
[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] KiteraSpace announces a call for artists for Perceptions Unscripted, an online international art competition. Perceptions Unscripted calls artists to explore the concept of transcending perceptual limitations, whether physical, emotional, cultural, or imaginative. It challenges creators to reflect on breaking barriers, crossing thresholds, and pushing past the edges of what is accepted as real.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 28 February 2025
2D and 3D works in all styles, media, and subjects are welcomed.
Finalists will have their work featured in the virtual galleries of Kitera.Space and Art.Space and will move on to the final round of jurying in consideration for cash awards and honors. Exhibition will be freely accessible through any device and viewable online.
Bring your work to life and the world. Promote your art in the Competition Virtual Galleries. Share freely, get instant visitors and sell your art directly. Enjoy a 3D-Virtual space to exhibit your art quickly and easily. Have more visibility in a respected, global virtual gallery platform. Network with worldwide curators, collectors, and art professionals. Inclusion in a milestone development celebrating emerging and contemporary artists through virtual exhibitions.
About KiteraSpace
KiteraSpace’s mission is to connect contemporary art with curators, collectors, art professionals, education professionals, and the general public world wide. The submission fees received go towards awards, funding the platform, and providing opportunities and free resources to artists and educators around the world. They support the production of free virtual exhibitions, enabling an independent platform dedicated to artists.
KiteraSpace provides online art curated collections in a familiar art gallery setting, with free movement and true scale. Unlimited by reality. Accessible for everyone. Visit 3D art exhibitions from the comfort of your browser. Discover new and interesting art to acquire directly from the artist. Experience more art than would ever be possible in reality. Whenever and Wherever.
For more information, contact art@kitera.space
...
[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) announces a call for artists for Street Photography, an online photography competition.
Street photography, as an art form, captures a special essence of life, not posed, not set up, but there in the streets, yards, and avenues we pass every day. The challenge is composing those photographs that set them apart from snapshots. Take your camera or phone outside with you and capture the odd juxtaposition of a passerby and a window decoration, special look, split-second moment of communication, or scene that conveys a message or feeling. The examples are too numerous and varied to list. All 2D photography is welcome.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 9 February 2025
NYC4PA offers opportunities to participate in themed calls for photographers. Each call has a different theme and 50 images win. The prizes total $4000. 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
...
[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The PASEO announces a call for artists for the 2025 PASEO Festival, an outdoor event in Taos, New Mexico. Works should be immersive, site-responsive, participatory, and/or will make a dynamic impact within the Taos Historic District.
The PASEO started in 2014 as an outdoor arts festival connecting the 40th annual Taos Fall Arts Festival in the Downtown Historic District of Taos, New Mexico. In its twelfth year, The PASEO has become the anticipated art event of the year, bringing out thousands of locals and visitors alike to fill the streets. Taos is a centuries-old Art Colony and home to Taos Pueblo, UNESCO protected and the oldest continually inhabited community in North America. Home to artists for centuries, The PASEO holds to the tradition of bringing artists from around the world to both inspire and be inspired.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 15 February 2025
The PASEO Festival features installations, projections, and performance art that can be installed, shown, projected, or performed outdoors for this two-day outdoor art festival. Installations must be designed for nighttime viewing. Artists must be on site sunset to 11 pm daily, September 12th and 13th. Artwork must be able to withstand the outdoor environment of the high desert of Northern New Mexico. Overnight security is provided.
Submissions must be of fully executed projects. All work must be original and created by or under the direction of the artist(s). Collaborations are welcome.
The PASEO Festival is seeking 20 installations for 2025. Stipends range from $500 to $3,000 (with larger projects funded at $5,000 – $15,000). Stipend is contingent on size, complexity, and anticipated festival impact. PASEO provides funds for the shipping of artwork, but artists are responsible for the installation of their work. The festival will provide staff and volunteers to assist.
About PASEO
Since 2014, the Paseo Project has brought projection, performance, and installation art to the streets of Taos, New Mexico with free, community events.
The PASEO was founded in 2014 as a project of Taos Fall Arts Festival. Its original purpose was to connect the multiple venues of Fall Arts’ exhibitions with street activities to keep visitors engaged and moving.
Over the years the event has grown, from one night to two nights, hosting dozens of artists regionally, nationally, and internationally. In 2016, the PASEO team took the leap into a more sustainable model and became a 501c-3 nonprofit, The Paseo Project.
The Paseo Project offers year-round programs and events in addition to hosting the annual fall PASEO festival.
For more information, contact paseo@paseoproject.org