4 International Open Calls for Women Artists to Apply to Before the Deadline
Looking for your next opportunity to exhibit, publish, or gain recognition for your work? We’ve rounded up four open calls worth having on your radar right now. From international virtual exhibitions and art competitions to major publishing opportunities, these calls offer women artists at different stages of their careers a chance to put their work in front of new audiences, build their portfolios, and take the next step in their creative practice. Here are four opportunities to consider before their upcoming deadlines.
1. The Beauty of Still Life — Women in Arts Network
International Open Call for Women and Non-Binary Artists
Deadline: August 30, 2026
If you have been meaning to submit your work to The Beauty of Still Life, this is the last week to do it. The international virtual exhibition by the Women in Arts Network is inviting women-identifying and non-binary artists aged 18 and above from anywhere in the world to share their interpretation of still life.
The theme is intentionally broad. Your work can explore flowers, food, books, ceramics, textiles, treasured objects, domestic spaces, personal collections, or everyday objects. Traditional, contemporary, abstract, symbolic, minimalist, and conceptual approaches are all welcome. Artists working in painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, printmaking, illustration, digital art, collage, mixed media, textile art, and other visual mediums can apply.
Who Can Apply?
The open call is open internationally to women-identifying and non-binary artists aged 18 and above, at any stage of their creative practice. You do not need to be an established or professional artist to apply, making this an accessible opportunity for emerging artists as well.
What Do Selected Artists Receive?
Selected artists will have their work featured in an international virtual exhibition hosted by the Women in Arts Network and presented to a global audience of artists, collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts. Participation also gives artists professional online presentation of their selected work, a digital certificate of participation, and an opportunity to strengthen their exhibition history and portfolio.
There is also an optional Artist Interview Feature. For an additional $19, selected artists who choose the add-on can receive a dedicated interview published on the Women in Arts Network website, sharing their creative process, inspirations, and the story behind their work. The feature is also promoted across the network’s digital platforms and can be used as a professional online feature in portfolios, websites, CVs, or grant applications.
How to Apply
Artists can submit up to three artworks. The application requires your artist and contact information, artwork details, and digital images of your work. Submitted files should accurately represent the original artwork and meet the listed file requirements. Applications are reviewed through a juried selection process based on artistic quality, originality, technical execution, relevance to the theme, and overall presentation.
The application fee is $15 USD for the virtual exhibition, or $34 USD for the exhibition plus the optional Artist Interview Feature. The fee is non-refundable, and submitting an application does not guarantee selection.
The deadline is August 30, 2026 — so if you have a still life work that fits the theme, this is your last week to submit.
2. The Bennett Prize
Open Call for Women Artists in the U.S.
Deadline: September 19, 2026
If you are a woman working in figurative realist painting, The Bennett Prize is one of the major opportunities to have on your radar this year. The biennial prize supports women painters whose careers have not yet reached full professional recognition, with $75,000 awarded to the winner over two years.
Who Can Apply?
The prize is open to women aged 18 and above who live in the United States for at least part of the year and maintain an active U.S. studio practice. U.S. citizenship is not required. The applicant’s primary practice must be original figurative realist painting, and applicants must be pursuing or hoping to pursue a career as a full-time painter.
The work itself must depict one or more recognizable figures, although the figures can be of any gender or age and do not need to be photorealistic. Eligible works must be traditional paintings, with paint as the primary material; watercolor, gouache, and pastels are included. Mixed-media works are eligible when paint remains the primary material. Only original works completed within the past five years can be submitted.
There are also professional eligibility requirements: artists who have previously received a grant or award of $35,000 or more, or sold a single artwork for $35,000 or more, are not eligible.
What’s In It for You?
The winner receives $75,000, paid over two consecutive years, and will create a solo exhibition that will be presented at the end of the grant and travel to additional venues. One additional finalist receives a $10,000 runner-up award.
The prize also selects 10 finalists for a traveling group exhibition organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art. Being part of the finalist exhibition can give artists significant visibility and professional exposure.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted digitally through CaFÉ (Call For Entry). You will need to create a free CaFÉ account and search for “Bennett.”
Artists must submit 3–5 paintings, along with one detailed image showing their craft and technique, for a total of 4–6 images. You will also provide the title, medium, and dimensions of each work. A professional photograph of your artwork is encouraged, although it is not required.
The entry fee is $50. The deadline is September 19, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. MST.
3. Animal Kingdom 2026 Art Competition — Fusion Art
International Open Call for All Artists
Deadline: September 1, 2026
If animals are part of your artistic practice, this international competition from Fusion Art is open to a wide range of interpretations. Animal Kingdom 2026 invites artists to submit artwork and photography depicting domestic or wild animals, whether they live on land, in the sea, or in the air. Both representational and abstract approaches are welcome.
Who Can Apply?
The competition is open to artists worldwide aged 18 and above, regardless of location or experience. Both 2D and 3D artists can enter. Eligible work includes painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, photography, digital art, sculpture, installation, ceramics, textile work, and other listed traditional, digital, and 3D mediums. There are no size limitations, and the artwork does not have to be for sale.
Submitted work must be original and completed within the past five years.
What’s In It for You?
The competition awards Best in Show prizes in the Traditional, Digital & Photography, and 3-Dimensional categories, along with 2nd through 5th Place awards. Artistic Excellence and Honorable Mention awards may also be given depending on the submissions.
Award-winning artists receive a digital award certificate, an event announcement, and a copy of the press release for their portfolio. Their websites are also linked from the exhibition page, giving their work additional visibility among art professionals, collectors, galleries, and potential buyers.
The online exhibition opens September 5, 2026 and remains archived on the Fusion Art website for five years.
How to Apply
Artists can submit 1–2 images for $25 or up to 5 images for $40. The entry fee is non-refundable, and entering more than once is allowed if you have additional work you want considered.
Applications are submitted through Submittable, where you will upload your artwork images and provide the required artist information. Images should be JPEGs, no larger than 5MB, without frames, mats, or watermarks. A short artist biography or statement is also required.
The deadline is September 1, 2026.
4. Art & Woman: Edition 4 — Arts to Hearts Project
International Open Call for Women and Non-Binary Artists
Deadline: August 30, 2026
Art & Woman: Edition 4 is an international publishing opportunity for women and womxn artists aged 18 and above. The theme is completely open, so artists do not need to create new work around a specific subject. You can submit work that already reflects your own practice, interests, experiences, and creative voice. The call is open to artists at all career stages and from all over the world.
Who Can Apply?
The open call welcomes artists working across a broad range of visual mediums, including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, ceramics, textile art, mixed media, collage, digital art, illustration, installation, and more. There are no restrictions on style or subject matter, and collaborative works can also be submitted when the submitting artist identifies as a woman or womxn.
What’s In It for You?
Selected artists will be published in Art & Woman: Edition 4, becoming part of an ongoing international archive that has already featured more than 300 women artists across its first three editions. The book will be distributed internationally through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the Arts to Hearts Project Shop.
Selected artists also receive an Official Certificate of Publication & Recognition, written feedback from guest curator Liz Lidgett and the jury, and editorial promotion through Arts to Hearts Project’s website, newsletter, and social media channels.
There are additional awards for the top artists. The Top Winner receives $500, a four-page editorial feature in the book, a professionally written artist interview, an engraved crystal trophy, and additional promotion. First and Second Runners-Up also receive editorial features, trophies, and promotional opportunities.
How to Apply
Artists can apply directly through the Arts to Hearts Project submission platform. You select the number of artworks you want to submit, complete your artist information, pay the corresponding application fee, and then upload your artwork images, headshot, bio, and artist statement.
The entry fee is tiered according to the number of images submitted, starting at $21 for one image and going up to $100 for twenty images.
The deadline is August 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST. If you have a piece that feels true to your practice but never quite fits into a themed open call, the open theme of Art & Woman: Edition 4 gives you the freedom to submit it as it is.
Don’t Miss These Upcoming Deadlines
With deadlines coming up quickly, now is the time to take a closer look at these opportunities. If one of them feels right for your practice, don’t wait until the last minute to prepare your submission. These deadlines are close, so make sure you don’t miss out.
