5 Free Open Calls for Women Artists in 2025
If you’ve ever searched for art opportunities online, you’ve probably noticed how quickly the words “application fee” appear. It can be discouraging, especially when you’re still building your career and every dollar counts. That’s why free open calls are worth paying attention to. They’re not just cost-free , they’re a chance to step into visibility without the extra weight of financial barriers.
For women artists, access matters. The art world is changing, but it’s still uneven in many ways. Free open calls make space for artists who might otherwise hesitate to apply, who are balancing work, family, or limited studio resources. They offer a fair starting point , one where your work is what’s being judged, not your ability to pay to be seen.
These kinds of opportunities aren’t rare anymore, but finding the right ones can take time. The best ones tend to do more than offer exposure; they give artists a real platform. They’re curated thoughtfully, supported by communities that value inclusion, and often come with tangible benefits like exhibitions, mentorship, or connections. When chosen carefully, free calls can move your career forward just as much as the paid ones.
Applying doesn’t have to mean chasing validation. It can simply be part of your practice , a way to share your work beyond your studio, test how it resonates, and keep yourself connected to the wider art community. Think of it less as competition, and more as participation. Each submission strengthens your ability to talk about your art and to see it in new contexts.
2025 is already shaping up to be a year of strong open calls aimed at supporting women artists. Whether you’re new to the process or returning after a break, it’s a good time to explore what’s out there. You don’t need a perfect portfolio or a long list of exhibitions , just a willingness to apply and share your perspective.
The five opportunities below are free, accessible, and thoughtfully designed to give women artists visibility without financial pressure. They’re practical, well-structured, and open to a range of styles and mediums. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to start putting your work out there again, this is a good place to begin.
Picter’s Women by Women – Global Open Call
Picter’s “Women by Women” is one of those rare global opportunities that invites women photographers to show how they see the world. It’s not about perfection or trend-chasing, it’s about perspective, identity, and voice. Whether you shoot portraits, street scenes, or experimental videos, your submission becomes part of a much bigger conversation about how women represent women. There’s something freeing about that kind of focus. It gives space to the profoundly personal, the quiet, and the unfiltered.
Applying here means tapping into an international photography network that actually looks at work seriously. Curators, editors, and agencies widely follow Picter and PhotoVogue, so your submission doesn’t just disappear into a void. It’s seen by people who care about stories told through images. Even if your work doesn’t make the final selection, it’s being considered by the right kind of eyes. That’s visibility that social media rarely guarantees.
The best part? It’s completely free to enter. There’s no hidden cost, no barrier that decides whose voice gets heard. That alone changes the tone of the experience. You apply because you have something to say, not because you can afford to say it. Free entry gives the process an authenticity that’s often missing in the art world, where so much depends on who can pay the fee.
Submitting also builds your portfolio narrative. Being able to say you’ve entered an international call like this adds weight to your professional record. It tells future galleries or residencies that you’re active, that you show up, that you take your practice seriously enough to share it. It’s a small but important marker in an artist’s trajectory. These are the quiet achievements that slowly build a long-term career.
And more than all that, this open call offers something emotional but real , a sense of belonging. It’s a space where women’s perspectives aren’t a niche, they’re the norm. You can show up as yourself, with your kind of gaze, your kind of story, and be part of a global archive of how women are seeing and being seen today. That kind of validation is hard to measure, but it matters.
Porto Femme “Invisibilities” Open Call
Porto Femme’s “Invisibilities” call feels like an invitation to pause and look closer at what’s hidden , the things we overlook in everyday life. It’s a show centered around visibility, identity, and presence, open to women and nonbinary photographers who want to interpret the unseen. If your work explores quiet emotions, domestic spaces, or untold narratives, this theme gives you the perfect lens. It’s a call that values depth, not loudness.
What’s unique here is the exhibition element. Selected works are physically displayed at MIRA Galleries in Porto, which means your photography doesn’t just live on a screen. It gets space, light, and real viewers standing in front of it, taking time to engage. Having your work curated in a professional setting changes how it’s perceived. It’s one of those affirmations that keep artists grounded yet motivated to go further.
There’s no fee to submit, which makes it accessible to emerging artists and those who may not usually consider international calls. You don’t have to calculate whether it’s “worth it” before you apply. That simple removal of cost means you can lead with creativity rather than hesitation. For many, that’s the push needed to finally take the step and show work beyond their home city or country.
Being part of a themed show also means being part of a collective voice. Everyone’s work revolves around the same question , what is invisible, and why? That context creates connection and conversation among participants and viewers alike. It’s an opportunity to see how your voice aligns or contrasts with others, and that kind of reflection can spark your next body of work.
And perhaps most importantly, this call reminds you that visibility isn’t just about being seen; it’s about being understood. When you contribute to a theme like “Invisibilities,” you join a dialogue about who gets to be visible in the first place. That alone makes this open call feel larger than a single exhibition. It’s art doing what it does best , asking questions that linger.
Women in Art Fair – Call for Artists
The Women in Art Fair open call is a space built to amplify women artists across mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and more. It’s not just another fair; it’s a platform with purpose, designed to rebalance how women’s work is represented in the art market. For artists who’ve felt sidelined or underrepresented, this is a chance to be seen, professionally and publicly, in a major art context.
What makes it special is the audience reach. Art fairs bring together collectors, galleries, curators, and media, all in one place. Being featured here exposes your work to people who can actually open doors. You can make connections that lead to future exhibitions, representation, or sales , things that are hard to create on your own. It’s a professional milestone disguised as an open call.
The submission is free, removing one of the biggest obstacles artists face when applying to big fairs. That matters, because most fair-related calls come with high fees, sometimes in the hundreds. Here, you’re invited to apply based on artistic quality and concept, not budget. It keeps the playing field a little fairer, which is exactly the point of initiatives like this one.
Even if you’re not selected, the act of applying places your name in front of curators and organizers who are tracking emerging talent. Many artists find that later opportunities , from pop-up shows to collaborations , come from people who first discovered their work in submissions like this. So even the process itself builds your visibility and network.
Being part of the Women in Art Fair also connects you to a wider movement. It’s about collective presence , women taking up space, both literally and symbolically, in places where their art has historically been underrepresented. That makes it not just an application, but a statement of participation in a growing cultural shift.
Katarzyna Kozyra Foundation – Female Artists Open Call
This open call from the Katarzyna Kozyra Foundation focuses on amplifying women artists across regions and generations. It’s less about competition and more about connection , bringing together voices that explore what it means to create as a woman today. The Foundation is known for thoughtful curation and meaningful engagement, so applying here connects you to a respected and intentional network.
One of the main benefits is access to curators and researchers who are genuinely interested in dialogue, not just selection. That kind of attention can lead to publication opportunities, inclusion in archives, or invitations to future residencies and exhibitions. It’s an ecosystem that values artistic thinking as much as production, which makes it ideal for conceptual and process-driven artists.
There’s no fee to apply, which reflects the Foundation’s mission to make art more accessible and equitable. That simple act of removing cost barriers allows artists to focus on the quality of their statement and portfolio, not on the financial hurdle of entry. It’s a reminder that art calls can prioritize inclusivity over profit, and still maintain rigor.
Even writing your artist statement for this call can be an exercise in growth. Reflecting on your place in the larger conversation of women’s art, its past, present, and future, deepens how you talk about your own practice. Many artists find that this process clarifies their next direction, even before results are announced. It’s as much introspective as it is external.
Ultimately, applying here connects you to a legacy. The Katarzyna Kozyra Foundation’s work revolves around promoting equality in art, supporting experimentation, and questioning representation. Being associated with that kind of institution adds credibility, but more importantly, it places your work in a lineage of artists shaping what contemporary women’s art looks like today.
