International Art Competitions for Artists and Photographers

Entering an international competition or open call is a way to show your work to a professional jury without a gallery or intermediaries. Most give international visibility and publication, and many also offer a cash prize or a physical exhibition. International art competitions for artists and photographers are updated every week.

NordArt 2027 — open call for an exhibition in Germany

NordArt 2027 — an open call for one of Europe’s largest contemporary art exhibitions, with a €10,000 prize

A show in 22,000 m² of industrial halls, a catalogue, insured works and a €10,000 prize. Free entry, all media …

Wellcome Photography Prize 2027 — a €12,000 photography competition

Wellcome Photography Prize 2027 — an international photography competition with three €12,000 prizes and no entry fee

Three €12,000 prizes and an exhibition from the Wellcome Trust. Free to enter, any level and any country, photos taken …

LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize 2027 — an international applied-arts prize with a €50,000 award

A prize of €50,000 and an exhibition in Europe for craftspeople. Open to creators from any country; applications are open …

International Day of Light Photo Contest — an international photography competition with a prize of $2,500

An international photo contest with prizes of up to $2,500 for photographers worldwide. Free entry, publication of the best works, …

2026

12 international competitions for artists and photographers in 2026

12 international competitions for artists and photographers in the second half of 2026 — prizes, exhibitions and open calls

International art competitions for artists and photographers with deadlines in the second half of 2026: open calls, awards and exhibitions …

Larnaca Biennale 2027 – Cyprus’s contemporary art biennial

Larnaca Biennale 2027 — open call for artists to an international biennale in Larnaca with awards and titles

The Cyprus International Biennale invites artists to explore the theme of ‘Metatopias’, take part in the exhibition, and compete for …

Eurostars Photography Award — a photography competition in Barcelona with a prize of €5,000

Eurostars Grand Marina Photography Award — international photography competition in Barcelona with a €5,000 prize

An international photography competition in Barcelona offering a prize of €5,000 for original photographic triptychs on architecture and the urban …

2026

12 International Art Competitions in 2026

12 art competitions in 2026 – international awards, exhibitions and professional exposure

International art competitions with prizes, exhibitions, and publications. Compare formats, track deadlines, and choose where to apply in 2026 …

No deadline

TERAVARNA — competitions and personal online exhibitions

TERAVARNA — international competitions, solo online exhibitions and offline exhibitions in Europe and the USA

An international platform for competitions, personal online exhibitions, and offline shows with a commercial competition model and an annual prize …

We publish new competitions and open calls almost every day and don’t always manage to translate each one. The full, up-to-date catalogue is on the main version of the site.

ALL COMPETITIONS

This page features current international art competitions and open calls for artists in 2026. The list is regularly updated: active programs remain in the catalogue, while completed ones are automatically moved to the archive. This allows you to track only current deadlines and use the archive to prepare future applications.

We manually select international art competitions and open calls for artists, focusing on transparent participation conditions and real opportunities for exhibitions and awards. The selection includes programs that allow artists to present their work, develop their portfolio, and participate in international projects.

The mark above the card shows when applications are open:
— A date — the deadline for a specific competition or open call, there won’t be another cycle.
— A date with an «∞» sign (e.g. «10.09.2026 ∞») — the competition is cyclical and the date is known: this is the nearest call, another cycle follows after it.
— «Deadline soon» — the competition is cyclical: applications have just closed and the next date hasn’t been announced yet — check back in the article for updates.
— «No deadline» — applications are open continuously.
— A frequency, e.g. «4 cycles/year» — the competition repeats several times a year, dates are in the article.
Plan ahead so you have time to prepare your portfolio without rushing.

Yes, the platform features international competitions and open calls for artists from different countries. We select programs open to a wide geography, including participants from Eastern Europe and Russian-speaking artists. All competitions go through manual verification of participation requirements.

Current art competitions and open calls for artists are published on the platform and regularly updated. We collect not only individual competition programs, but also add specialised resources and platforms where you can find new opportunities. This allows you to use the site as a single tool for searching and analysing international art competitions.

Many competitions and open calls are aimed at young and emerging artists. We highlight such opportunities in titles and descriptions to make them easier to find. This helps identify competitions with accessible requirements and start participating in international exhibitions and projects.

The platform features competitions and open calls for photographers, including international photography contests, awards, and exhibition opportunities. These programs often involve submitting series of works in documentary or artistic photography and provide opportunities to receive awards, participate in exhibitions, and gain professional recognition.

Yes, the platform features international competitions and open calls available not only to individual artists, but also to non-profit organisations (NGOs), collectives, and curatorial projects. We also include programs that support different groups, including women, LGBTQ+ communities, and social initiatives.

ArtCurator is a non-profit project that helps artists for free

The curator reviews hundreds of listings every week so only real opportunities make it into this list — no spam, no expired links. This work runs on donations from people it has already helped.