Authors and artists are eligible for Sunspot Lit’s Rigel contest. Accepts all genres/forms starting February 1. Closes February 28. Entry fee: $5. Prize: $100 cash and publication. See guidelines and entry form, along with the journal’s other open calls, here: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit.
Multidisciplinary
Open Art Contest
Grey Cube Gallery proudly presents the seventh “Open” online art contest for the month of February 2026. Contest is open to all artists worldwide over 18 years of age. There is no theme, and submissions are open to all forms of visual art. Best of Show artwork will be on the poster of the show. Winning artists (Merit Award & Honorable Mention) will receive a digital award certificate. The deadline to submit entries is the January 29, 2026.
❄️ WINTER * $1,800.00 Innovate Grants for Art + Photo
WINTER 2026 OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS — Innovate Grant is thrilled to introduce our newly increased award amounts of $1,800.00.
Innovate Grant awards (2) $1,800.00 grants each quarter, to one Visual Artist and one Photographer. In addition, (12) honorable mentions (6 in art and 6 in photo), will be featured on our website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. Innovate Grant’s commitment extends beyond the grant cycle by promoting the work of selected winners and honorable mentions into the future. For more information and to apply visit https://innovateartistgrants.org
Innovate Grant supports artists and photographers through quarterly grants. We’ve simplified the grant process, so that artists and photographers can focus on making their innovative work. The work should speak for itself and our application reflects that.
Innovate Grant awards:
+ 1 x $1,800.00 Grant to a Visual Artist
+ 1 x $1,800.00 Grant to a Photographer
+ 12 x Honorable Mentions
Explore the work of ALL Past Innovate Grant recipients and read their interviews at https://innovateartistgrants.org
How to Apply: Visual Artists and Photographers 18 years and older, from all around the world, are eligible to apply. All media and genres are accepted. All applicants retain the right to the work they submit. Apply today at https://innovateartistgrants.org
Category: Multiple disciplines and genres accepted
Deadline: Thursday, March 19, 2026 – Submit by 11:59PM Pacific Standard Time
Region: US & International
Awards: 2 x $1,800.00 USD Grants // 12 x Honorable Mentions
Apply Online Today
https://innovateartistgrants.org
FACES & FIGURES | Monthly Art Challenge (Online)
Portraits, bodies, gestures, expressions, posture, the quiet story a figure can hold. Faces & Figures invites artists to explore the human form in any style, from realism to experimental, from intimate studies to bold narrative scenes. Selected works are featured in a curated online collection with your name, artwork title, and website link for lasting visibility.
Key dates
Deadline to enter: March 31, 2026
Results emailed: April 18, 2026
Award dispersed: April 23, 2026
Awards + recognition
Best in Show: $150 cash award, artist interview, The Moir mini spotlight feature, homepage feature, plus a free Blue Sky Artist Award entry
Runner Ups (Traditional & Photography): website feature, dedicated social media post, Art Journal mini spotlight, plus a free Blue Sky entry
Finalists (Top 15 to 20): permanent listing, digital certificate, social highlights
All Selected Artists: listed on the curated collection page with artist name, artwork title, and link
Shareable assets: badges and certificates for your website and socials
Entry fee
This challenge uses tiered pricing based on how many images you include in one submission: $18 for 2 images, $25 for 3, $36 for 4, $45 for 5, and $55 for 6 to 10 images.
Eligibility
Open worldwide to artists 18+. 2D and 3D works welcome, including painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography, and digital. You must own the rights to the work and imagery submitted.
How to enter + image specs
Complete the form with your artist details, artwork titles, and mediums. Upload JPG/PNG files under the posted size limits, with a minimum 2000 px on the longest side.
Judging criteria
Craftsmanship, presentation, interpretation of the theme, composition, creativity, and technical skill.
Apply here
https://tenmoirgallery.com/faces-and-figures-art-challenge-prospectus-march-2026/
Climate Storytelling Contest
For California middle and high school students. Entry Deadline: May 28, 2026, 5pm California Time
Climate change, caused by the burning of fossil fuels like oil and gas, is impacting communities in California and across the globe. Many feelings can come up when thinking about climate change and it’s easy to get lost in the data, graphs, and scientific literature. What if storytelling can help us understand those feelings and teach us something about climate change? The California Coastal Commission invites you to answer the prompt below through a podcast, photo essay, or narrative essay.
What are your feelings about climate change? How could those feelings lead to action?
Please visit our webpage for more contest guidelines and how to enter.
K-12 Coastal Art & Poetry Contest
This contest is open to California residents in grades K-12. Entry Deadline: January 29, 2026, 5:00pm (PST). Immediate family members of Coastal Commission staff are not eligible. Entries should be individual work, not group projects. There are five grade categories for awards in both art and poetry: K-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Entries must have a California coastal or ocean theme (for example, no tropical or arctic settings or species). Art does not need to depict specific places or species, but if it does, they must be California places and species. Meaning, sometimes a fish is just a “fish,” but if it’s a recognizable type of fish, make sure it’s one that lives here! (Learn about California native species.) And while you can submit a poem about “the beach,” please don’t submit one about Waikiki Beach, for example. Winners will be selected for art and poetry in each of the five grade categories; winners will receive a $100 gift certificate to an art supply store (art), courtesy of BLICK Art Materials, or a bookstore (poetry), and tickets to Aquarium of the Pacific, courtesy of the Aquarium. Each winner’s teacher (named on the Entry Form) will receive a $50 gift certificate for educational supplies from Acorn Naturalists. In addition, multiple honorable mentions may be selected. Please visit our webpage for more contest guidelines and how to enter.
