As applications open across the art world this October, the creative calendar is in full swing, providing numerous opportunities for artists looking for the next leap in their practice. With new residencies, prizes, and open calls launching around the world, this is your chance to turn ideas into opportunities and get your work seen.
From emerging artist platforms to major international showcases, these calls welcome bold voices ready to share their work and expand their reach. This month’s selection spans a mix of visual arts, photography, craft, and media, with open calls from Poland to Portugal. From Żabka and Loewe Foundation to residencies and photo festivals, here’s the curated selection of open calls inviting you to step forward.
Żabka’s Poster Competition
Deadline: October 31
The leading Polish chain of convenience stores asks both the artists and those interested in art to design a poster promoting Żabka and encouraging people to open a shop under its green sign. “We want the Żabka to be perceived not only as a proven way of doing business, but also as a space open to creativity. The poster competition is a unique opportunity for artists to reach a wide audience with their work”, says Marta Partyka, Development Director at Żabka Poland. “We believe that their imagination will result in works that reflect the idea of entrepreneurship in an original way”.
Who can apply: Open to all adults living in Poland. Both individual creators and teams can take part. Each participant or group may submit more than one entry to the competition.
How to apply: Projects must not have been previously published or awarded. The application must include the name of the work and, optionally, a brief description of the concept and material showing the background of the project.
Projects will be evaluated according to several criteria: compliance with the brief and theme, response to the brand’s needs, originality and graphic expressiveness, communication potential (legibility, ability to evoke emotions), as well as aesthetics and artistic technique.
Fees and awards: No application fee.
Cash prizes are up for grabs in the competition. First place will receive PLN 15,000, while second and third place will receive PLN 10,000 and PLN 5,000, respectively. In addition to the main prize, there will also be special awards.
The author of the best “Making of” material, showing the behind-the-scenes work on the poster, will receive Apple AirPods Max headphones. Another prize will be awarded by Żabka franchisees, who will select their favourite from among the ten best designs in an intranet vote. The winner of this poll will receive an iPad 11 tablet.
More information: https://www.zabka.pl/franczyza/konkurs-plakat/
Loewe Foundation: Craft Prize 2026
Deadline: October 30
Launched in 2016 by the Loewe Foundation, the international annual Craft Prize aims to showcase and celebrate the new voices, along with excellence and artistic merit in modern craft. Its aim is to celebrate and support working artists whose talent, vision, and will to innovate promise to set a new standard for the future.
Who can apply: All participants must be professional artisans 18 years or older. Entries may be made by an individual or a collective (as a “group submission”). Open to all nationalities.
How to apply: Complete the online registration in English, with 2 to 5 photographs of the work (or series) and, optionally, a video, and a brief conceptual statement about the work.
Make sure the work demonstrates artistic intent in addition to technical proficiency is an original piece, handmade or partly handmade is recently created (in the last five years), and one-of-a-kind, and has not won any prizes previously is innovative – it updates tradition falls within an area of the applied arts, such as ceramics, bookbinding, enamelwork, jewellery, lacquer, metal, furniture, leather, textiles, glass, paper, wood, etc.
Fees and awards: No application fee.
The Winning Prize is €50,000. The Prize for the works awarded with a Special Mention is €5,000. The works created by the Winner and Finalists will be included in the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2026 exhibition and its accompanying catalogue.
More information: https://craftprize.loewe.com/en/craftprize2026
Rodriguez Foundation’s Graduation Exhibition 2026
Deadline: November 2
The Rodríguez Foundation (formerly the Rodríguez Gallery) has been cooperating with the Magdalena Abakanowicz University of Arts Poznań for about a decade now. Its annual Graduation Exhibition is for the local graduates to showcase their work, introducing the new bold artistic voices to the wider audience.
Who can apply: Students preparing their bachelor’s or master’s graduation projects at the Magdalena Abakanowicz University of the Arts Poznań (UAP).
How to apply: Send your submission via email, along with a project description with several sample works (although the organisers understand that at this stage the full exhibition project may not yet be ready – a preliminary concept or earlier works would be sufficient then), a portfolio, and contact details.
Fees and awards: No application fee.
The chosen artists (up to 5 participants) will get access to the gallery space for the exhibition that will run for several days in June 2026, and will receive promotional support provided by the Foundation and a symbolic artistic fee of PLN 300 per participant.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1408504287646254
MeetFactory: Artists at Risk Residency 2026
Deadline: November 2
Founded in the early 2000s by the artist David Černý. Prague-based MeetFactory is a non-profit international centre for contemporary art that fosters a dialogue between genres, fields, and audiences, making the art scene more accessible to the public, and creating a space “where art is alive and artists are present”.
Who can apply: The applicants must prove a professional career of at least 2 years. The open call welcomes foreign artists currently living in Prague who have relocated to the Czech Republic for diverse reasons — such as war, social or political situations, or other personal challenges. The residency is designed for creators seeking a new space to pursue their work and to exchange their perspectives and experiences with both the local and international art community.
How to apply: Send the application to the curators of the MeetFactory residency program, Kateřina Pencová and Tereza Havelková, with an accompanying email to opencall@meetfactory.cz, with “REZIDENCE MEETFACTORY 2026” in the subject line. Include: a CV, a portfolio of max 10 pages, and a motivational letter, which will contain: 1. artist statement, 2. description of how the applicant will use the residency as part of her or his artistic practice; 3. an explanation of the circumstances that led the applicant to move from their country or place of residence to the Czech Republic.
Fees and awards: No application fee.
The residency includes a studio at MeetFactory, a monthly allowance for expenses of CZK 17,000, a production budget ot CZK 10,000, and international networking, curatorial, and production support. It does not include accommodation.
More information: https://meetfactory.cz/en/program/detail/open-call-artists-at-risk-residency
Art Hub Residency 2026
Deadline: November 2
As a network-creating institution, working actively to create and expand visual artists’ networks both nationally and internationally, Art Hub Copenhagen once again invites both newly qualified and other artists for whom the residency programme can make a difference in relation to spreading and establishing their practice.
Who can apply: Visual artists who are citizens of an EU/EØS country, have a permanent residence permit or are otherwise entitled to stay in Denmark for a continuous period of five months.
All professional visual artists can apply for participation in this residency. You must either be educated from the Jutland Academy of Arts, the Funen Academy of Arts, the Royal Danish Academy of Arts or have a similar professional visual arts education or background. It is possible to apply as a duo.
How to apply: To apply, you must complete the application form.
Fees and awards: No application fee.
The residency offers a studio, access to workshop facilities, a monthly fee of DKK 21,000, and a sparring and development programme based on the individual needs.
More information: https://arthubcopenhagen.net/en/event/art-hub-residency-2026/
ShowOFF 2026 by Krakow Photomonth
Deadline: November 5
As one of the largest cyclical events in Poland devoted to the visual arts, Krakow Photomonth Festival offers its audience a panoramic view of contemporary photography. Its ShowOFF Section premieres projects by emerging artists, allowing them to work with experienced specialists in the field of visual arts.
Who can apply: Debuting artists, whose application projects have never been presented in the form of a solo or group exhibition, at a leading art institution (i.e. museum or art gallery engaged in the promotion of artists).
How to apply: Submit up to 2 photography or film projects via the Picter application form. The submissions can tackle any subject, but due to ShowOFF being an international event, entries must be submitted with English descriptions.
Fees and awards: Application fees apply – €25 for one project or €35 for two projects for applications submitted until 22 October 2025, and €35 for one project or €45 for two projects for applications submitted between 23 October 2025 and 5 November 2025.
The prize for each of the 6 winners is an individual exhibition as part of the Krakow Photomonth Festival in the ShowOFF section during the festival in May 2026. The winner will receive a budget of PLN 3,500,000 (approx. ap.€800) to produce an exhibition and a separate exhibition space to present the project.
More information: https://site.picter.com/showoff-2026-by-krakow-photomonth
Foam Talent Call
Deadline: November 9
The Amsterdam-based international photography museum has been organising the Foam Talent Call since 2007, with the aim of being the starting point in an artist’s career. Its programme is centred around nurturing and supporting emerging work among its ever-growing photographic community.
Who can apply: Emerging artists – “someone in an early stage of their career, who doesn’t yet have an established reputation but is developing work with a distinct style”. Works by both individuals and duos are welcome.
How to apply: Submit an application form via Picter. You can enter 8–10 images per project, along with a brief description of each, and an abridged CV.
Fees and awards: The participation fee is €30. However, if you’re affected by conflict, disaster, sanctions in your region, extenuating circumstances, or any other reason that prevents you from entering the Foam Talent Call due to the fee, reach out to the organisers.
The selected artists get to: have their portfolio published in Foam Magazine’s Talent issue, network via the career-building opportunities, be exhibited across multiple Foam touchpoints and gain international exposure, and be added to the Art Collection Deutsche Börse. Also, there’s a compensation of €1,600.
More information: https://www.foam.org/talent/foam-talent-call-2026
European Media Art Festival No 39
Deadline: December 22
With its origins in a workshop for experimental films at the Department of Media Studies at the University of Osnabrück, the European Media Art Festival (EMAF) is one of the most influential forums for contemporary media art. The festival aims to be a place of experimentation, where extraordinary works are created and artists from across the fields enter into dialogue.
Who can apply: Media artists from around the world can now enter their works in the categories Film (experimental short and feature films), Installation (installative, interactive, spatial or sculptural media art works), and Expanded (performances, live events, or workshops).
How to apply: A maximum of 3 works per artist can be registered. Only works completed in 2025 or 2026 are eligible. For the Film section: all films up to 60 minutes in length will be viewed for the International Selection, all films over 60 minutes for the Features. For the sections Installation and Expanded, a comprehensive description, tech rider, cost calculation and visual materials must be included. If the original language of a work is not English, it must have English subtitles for the selection screening.
Fees and awards: No application fee.
Production costs will be paid by the festival. The artists whose works are selected via the open call will be invited to the festival. The invitation includes a free accreditation, accommodation, and a contribution to travel costs.
All films in the International Selection are equal winners of the EMAF Award and will each receive €400. A screening fee of €250 will be paid to films showing in the Features section. For the curated programmes, the screening fee is €80–250, depending on the length of the film. For installations and expanded projects – €500.
More information: https://www.emaf.de/
Contextile 2026
Deadline: March 7
Since its creation in 2012, Contextile – Contemporary Textile Art Biennial has become a unique cultural and artistic event, transforming the Portuguese Guimarães region into the centre of a process of interaction and connection between artists, creators, communities, industry, and territories. The international exhibition lies at its heart, bringing together creators from all around the world to explore the diversity of the craft.
Who can apply: All artists, both from Portugal and around the world, working in textile art.
How to apply: All interested artists may apply with new creations or recent artworks. The proposals and artworks submitted for the competition will have to be around the textile element, through its concept, theme, techniques, or materials, as well as relevant to the theme of the edition – By a Thread.
Fees and awards: There’s a registration fee of €20.
The Acquisition Prize is €8,000, and two Honourable Mentions are €2,500 and €1,000 each.
More info: https://contextile.pt/en/contextile-2026-open-call-international-exhibition/
