[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] The Human Impacts Institute announces a call for artists for the Urban Environmental Health Lab (UEHL) Fellowship. Through collaboration with environmental health experts, artists, and youth leaders, fellows will engage in innovative projects aimed at tackling environmental health threats and promote pollution prevention tools.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 20 June 2024
Artist and youth fellows will be in-residence at local, New York City environmental justice organizations, learning about their work, communities, and needs for creative communications and engagement. Together, equal justice groups, youth fellows, and artists will develop a creative project (i.e. film, social media campaign, installation, performance) to deepen the cultural connection(s) between climate justice and community-based solutions.
These projects will be celebrated during Climate Week NYC 2024. The Urban Environmental Health Lab (UEHL) fellowship program is designed to empower underrepresented communities in New York City by addressing urban soil, water, and air challenges. Artists will receive a stipend of 1000 USD upon completion of the program.
Fellowship Focus:
- Environmental health awareness
- Pollution prevention
- Climate justice
- Community engagement
- Creative storytelling
The Fellowship provides artists a chance to build community and expand their network of climate experts and organizations.
About Human Impacts Institute
The Human Impacts Institute (HII) is dedicated to building a global cultural movement that inspires bold climate action through creative and community-driven approaches. They build collaborations between artists, scientists, policymakers, activists, and educators, as well as develop over 25,000 hours of creative climate programming to audiences across the globe. Since it’s inception in 2011, the HII has grown their reach and built an international team that is passionate about the role of art in climate. Through educational workshops, salons, and exhibits, HHI amplifies the voices of communities directly impacted by climate change.
For more information, contact community@humanimpactsinstitute.org
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[Sponsored Listing] The City of Elgin, IL Social Justice Collective is searching for a mural artist for Making Space, work with the community to design and install a permanent mural based on the business board ups that were put up in Downtown Elgin in anticipation of protests during the summer of 2020. The mural will be installed in Downtown Elgin in an historically significant location.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 22 Feb 2021
The artist(s) will work directly with the Elgin Social Justice Collective and the community to design and install a permanent mural. The mural will be painted by the community members with the help and guidance of the mural artist. The mural installation will serve as a space for the community to engage in conversation about social justice and using art as a creative outlet. The artist(s) will be assisted in the project by all of the partners and the City of Elgin.
About the Elgin Social Justice Collective
What space can we make to allow for further artistic expression? How can we create a lasting reflection of the activities of the summer of 2020? What space can we make to allow for peaceful and impactful gatherings of community members to engage? How do we elevate equity in our community? An ad-hoc group of community individuals (now known as the Elgin Social Justice Collective) came together and worked to identify a project that would address those questions. The project consists of four parts: a mural, a documentary, a Juneteenth partnership, and a scholarship.
For more information, contact culturalarts@cityofelgin.org.