kelise soixante-douze

– rhymes with reviews – art, the unusual, and out-of-the-way places –

Make your story

One way to bust artist’s block and keep yourself busy making art is to submit your work to the many juried events and exhibitions in the UK and beyond! A selection of competitions are listed below, many of them awarding substantial prizes for work in 2-D (painting, drawing, print-making, etc.), 3-D (sculpture, installation, etc.), film/video, photography, etc. Most charge a small fee to enter (which often covers administration costs), and should your work be selected, the rewards vary from cash to commissioned work along with the chance to join an exhibition and be included in critical write-ups.

Let me know if you think there are some opportunities that could be added to this list!

Also, click the link to read more practical info about applying to open calls

Selected annual/regular London-based art prizes, commissions, etc. (by deadline date)

Project/event name (click link for more info)Apply deadlineEvent dates
Jerwood Arts (commissions and events) check regularly check regularly
Jerwood Funding (grants and commissions) check regularly check regularly
Bloomberg New Contemporaries* Jan 2023 Jul; Nov 2023
Royal Society of Painters Open Portrait Prize Jan 2023 May 2023
Ashurst Emerging Art Prize* suspended 2021 suspended 2021
Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize Jan 2023 Nov 2023
Derwent Art Prize for Drawing Jan 2023 March 2023
National Portrait Gallery – Portrait Award NPG closed 2023 2024?
Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year Feb 2023 April 2023
Frieze Artist Award Feb 2023 October 2023
RA Summer Exhibition Jan/Feb 2023 May 2023
John Moores Painting prize at Liverpool Biennial March 2023 Sept 2023
Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open (biennial) 2023 Summer 2024
Young Masters art prize April 2023 October 2023
Chelsea Art Society Summer Exibition April/May 2023 June 2023
Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year April/May 2023 Summer 2023
Gallery at Green & Stone (summer exhibition) April/May 2023 Summer 2023
Griffin Award May 2023 open
Women in Art Prize June 2023 Summer 2023
Contemporary British Painting Prize June 2023 Sept 2023
Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize (formerly Jerwood Drawing Prize) June 2023 Sept 2023

Art for Youth

June 2023 Oct 2023
Ingram Art Prize* (for graduates/emerging artists) Summer 2023 Autumn 2023
Passion For Freedom festival (biennial) Summer 2023 Autumn 2023
National Open Art prize currently suspended currently suspended
London Open at Whitechapel (triennial) Autumn 2023 Spring 2024
Columbia Threadneedle Prize currently suspended currently suspended
Photoworks. (biennial) check regularly check regularly
Jerwood Developing Artist Fund Autumn 2023 2024

* NOTE: These events/open calls are for emerging artists such as those under a certain age, final year BFA/BA/MFA/MA students and/or recent graduates only.

** For the Ashurst Art Prize, early entries received can get feedback from their experts

Lists of Art Lists – open calls, commissions, prizes, and residencies

Project event nameLink
Art Quest – a-q – Opportunitieshttps://artquest.org.uk/opportunities/
Art Opps – Home of Creative Opportunitieshttps://artopps.co.uk/
Artist Residencies website – ResArtishttps://resartis.org/open-calls/
The O Lists – Calls for Artistshttps://theolist.oess1.uk/
Starving Artist Opportunities (Instagram)https://instagram.com/starvingartistsopportunities
UK Art Competitionshttps://www.moma.co.uk/uk-art-competitions/

Also keep an eye on these websites…

There are a number of art-related websites, too, where other opportunities are listed on a regular basis, including residencies, projects, collaborations, exhibitions, events, talks, and more.

Project/event nameLink
Art Asia Pacifichttp://artasiapacific.com/
Art for Youth – annual charity/fund-raising eventhttp://www.artforyouth.com/
Art Forumhttp://artforum.com/
Art Reviewhttp://artreview.com/
Artist Support Pledge (good one for social media)https://artistsupportpledge.com/
ArtQuest – a-qhttps://artquest.org.uk/
Arts Councilhttps://www.artscouncil.org.uk/our-application-portal-grantium
Arts Jobshttp://www.artsjobs.org.uk/
Art with a Heart (Greater Manchester)http://www.artwithaheart.org.uk/
Biennial Foundationhttp://www.biennialfoundation.org/
British School at Rome [BSR] – awards for humanities, visual arts, and architecturehttp://www.bsr.ac.uk/awards/fine-arts
The Gallery Holt (regular exhibitions open calls)https://thegalleryholt.com/entries/drawn-to-nature/
IBRAAZhttp://www.ibraaz.org/
ICA – Institute for Contemporary Arthttps://www.ica.art/
International Association of Art Criticshttp://www.aicauk.org/
Mall Galleries open callshttp://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/call-for-entries/open-exhibitions
Re-Title – Intl Contemporary Art Directoryhttp://www.re-title.com/
South London Galleryhttp://www.southlondongallery.org
Southbank Centre/Hayward Galleryhttp://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/venues/hayward-gallery
Tatehttp://www.tate.org.uk/
UAL alumni listingshttp://www.arts.ac.uk/alumni-and-friends/
UAL Showroom and other alumni opportunitieshttps://creativeopportunities.arts.ac.uk/
Whitechapel London Open (triennial)http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/

 

Art Fairs – let’s not forget those!

Biennials / multi yearLinksDates
Documenta – Kassel, Germanyhttp://www.biennialfoundation.org/biennials/documenta/5 yrs
Manifesta – European citieshttp://manifesta.org/even years
Qalandiya International Biennial – Palestinehttps://biennialfoundation.org/biennials/qalandiya-international-palestine-2/even years
Sharjah Biennale – Dubai, UAEhttp://www.sharjahart.org/odd years
Shubbak Festival – London, UKhttp://www.shubbak.co.uk/odd years
Venice Biennale – Venice, Italyhttp://www.labiennale.org/en/Home.htmleven years
   
AnnualsLinksDates
Affordable Art Fair – Battersea, Londonhttp://affordableartfair.comMar
Art Basel – Basel Germany; Miami; Hong Konghttps://www.artbasel.com/
Jun; Dec; Mar
Frieze – London, UKhttps://www.frieze.com/fairs/frieze-londonOct
London Art Fair – London, UKhttp://www.londonartfair.co.uk/Jan
Other Art Fair – London, UKhttp://www.theotherartfair.com/Apr
Parallax – London, UKhttp://parallaxaf.co/Feb
SOFA – Chicago, ILhttp://www.sofaexpo.com/Nov

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