CALLS FOR WORK
We regularly hear from individual artists and non-profit organizations inquiring about calls for work and other artistic opportunities. This is a collection of those opportunities and their deadlines. NOTE: If you have specific questions regarding calls for work outside of Arts Services Inc., please directly contact the organization requesting the artistic work. If you have an art submission deadline, please submit your information to [email protected] and we would be glad to add it to our listing.
Additional resources:
Join our impactful, juried online art exhibitions, where emerging and established artists from all corners of the world are welcome to share their work. Art Fluent’s Call for Art is here!
Imagine your artwork reaching a global audience! Each exhibition features a unique theme, offers cash prizes, and provides artists a permanent spot in our online art gallery.
Our journey, which began in 2020, marks the inception of our commitment to empower the arts. We allocate a portion of our entry fees to support the arts and artists through donations to dedicated nonprofit organizations.
We can’t wait to see your artwork!
Deadlines: Rolling (Multiple, themed opportunities available simultaneously)
Interested in helping your fellow creatives? Volunteer to lead a workshop, panel, or talk for the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library’s Indie Author Day 2026!
Indie Author Day is part of a nationwide celebration connecting independent writers with their local libraries and writing communities. This year, Indie Author Day will be Saturday, November 14, 2026 at the Downtown Central Library (1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY 14203).
We’re currently seeking programming submissions from local and/or indie professionals with experience in successful publishing who are interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise with fellow creatives, including:
- Authors
- Editors
- Literary agents
- Publishers
- Booksellers
- Writing coaches
- Book designers
- Book illustrators
- Local bookstore representatives
- Literary influencers, advertisers, and marketers
- …and more!
Deadline: August 15, 2026
The Buffalo Arts Studio team is in the process of hiring a new curator. We will be pausing submission review during this transition period. We expect this pause to continue through April 2026 as our 2026 exhibition calendar is set.
Buffalo Arts Studio is accepting applications for the 2027 exhibition cycle that reflects the belief that artists and curators can effect change through collaborations that balance community needs with artistic insight. All programs will take place in and around Buffalo’s East Side and all are curated with the intent to support contemporary art and artists, spur dialogue between varied audiences, and promote social, economic, and representational justice. Buffalo Arts Studio engages the diverse WNY community and works to effect change across the spectrums of gender, race, class, and physical and developmental disabilities by partnering with grassroots organizations whose work encompasses economic, social, and ecological justice efforts.
In support of Buffalo Arts Studio’s curatorial goal of economic and representational justice, we are providing a $1,300 honorarium to solo exhibiting artists for the 2026 exhibition calendar with $500-$1,500 in material and installation support is available as well. Additionally, shipping and travel costs, including food and lodging per diem, may be included in project proposals made by artists living and working outside of the WNY region. This is made possible, in part, through the generous support of the Andy Warhol Foundation and the John R. Oishei Foundation, among many other sponsors. Buffalo Arts Studio is committed to supporting emerging and established artists while nurturing future leaders of the arts community. Direct submissions of artwork are integral to our curatorial process and local, regional, and national submissions are encouraged.
For the 2027 season, Buffalo Arts Studio is developing programming that considers the following questions:
- How might artists, curators, and cultural critics hold social, political and cultural institutions accountable for systemic oppression and disregard for environmental health?
- How might curators, artists, and collecting institutions present art that acts as a counter-narrative to the questionable claims of “progress” surrounding notions of development and expansion?
- How might artists, curators, and grassroots community activists frame these conversations in new and diverse ways?
Deadline: Rolling
Buffalo Art Wall provides a free online display platform for contemporary artists in Buffalo, NY. Artists galleries are generated upon submission. When site visitors roll a cursor over your art, your name appears below; with one click, they enter your personal gallery. Viewers can contact you or your gallery for purchase. Site is designed for display only; no sales.
Deadline: Rolling
Buffalo Latino Village is looking to establish a Latino art gallery and is in search of exhibition material. Images contributed or donated will be:
- Displayed on their online website with headshot and bio
- Listed with places where the work is currently exhibited
- Linked to where people can purchase your work
- Published (one time per year)
Deadline: Rolling
The Social Justice Festival is a three-day celebration of stories from multiple disciplines that build community, manage conflict, and explore identity. This highly experiential festival is an academic ritual at Buffalo State and includes workshops, performances, and art exhibits that challenge, teach, and explore diverse social and personal justice topics.
The Anne Frank Project invites you to submit a proposal for our annual Social Justice Festival. The theme for AFP 2026, Where Change Begins, invites presenters to explore those starting points. We seek session proposals that identify a place to begin, a skill to develop, a conversation to initiate, or a strategy to activate meaningful personal, professional, and social change. Together, we will examine how individuals and communities can move from awareness to action and from intention to impact. Social Justice Festival Dates: October 6th – 8th, 2026
Deadline: August 1, 2026
Artists are invited to submit up to two artworks for display in the Rotunda Gallery. Maximum size 2D: 3’Wx3‘H | 3D: 3’W6’Hx3’D
AUGUST EXHIBITION THEME IS JOY! The CAC is seeking artwork which represents joy. This can be through subject matter, methodology and medium, or just a piece that made you happy in it’s finished form.
Art drop off: August 1, 2026 (12PM-4PM)
CEPA Gallery is pleased to announce our 2026 Members Show. This year’s show will run from August 14, 2026 through September 28, 2026. All current, new, and renewing CEPA members are invited to submit one artwork for the exhibition which will be located in the CEPA Project Space. To submit, please fill out the online submission form which can be found here. All participating artists must be a registered member through the opening of the show, August 14, 2026. If you are not currently a member, please renew your membership before or at the time of artwork drop-off. If you are unsure of your membership status, please contact [email protected] or call 716.856.2717.
Artwork Drop-Off Deadline: August 7, 2026
The EcoVoice Project is excited to announce its second annual call for scores. The “Birds in Plight” call for scores encourages composers to submit new choral works about or inspired by birds, especially bird populations in decline. Five finalists will be chosen for the “Birds in Plight” performance in October 2026 in Chicago. The performance will feature professional singers from The EcoVoice Project, conducted by Kirsten Hedegaard. Additional performances will also be planned at other universities throughout North America. In addition to these live performances, composers will also receive professional recordings of their works. In person attendance at the premiere is not required. Open to composers of all ages and nationalities.
Deadline: August 1, 2026
The Ellicottville Memorial Library is seeking artists to exhibit their work in our lobby gallery space. Solo and group exhibitions are both welcome.
The gallery is located in the lobby between the Library and our Community Room. Available display areas include two main walls (each approximately 7 feet wide) and a smaller entryway wall (about 3 feet wide). A professional hanging system is in place and supports wired or wide sawtooth hangers.
Please note: we are only able to accommodate wall-hangable artwork at this time.
Exhibition slots are available immediately and run for a duration of three months.
Deadline: Rolling
For more information, please email Barbara Fox at [email protected]. If you’re ready to apply, you’re welcome to submit work sample images for consideration.
The Gallery @ 700 Main Street in East Aurora Curator is looking for artists to exhibit in 2024. Paulette Krakowski will be happy to view your high resolution JPEG’s by emailing them to [email protected] for consideration. She will answer any questions you may have about your 7 week exhibit, whether a solo exhibit, an exhibit of two or three artists, or a group exhibition.
Deadline: Rolling
Hiding in Plain Site invites filmmakers, artists, and creative practitioners to submit short works between two and 20 minutes for consideration in this screening program, which will premiere on October 25 in Minneapolis. HPS seeks to bring together film, video art, experimental media, XR (extended reality), and other works that expand how public art is experienced and represented.
Deadline: September 10, 2026
LamnthLab 2026 is our third annual open call for composers of any age or nationality. Two selected composers will receive a commissioning fee of $1,000 to write a new work for violin and cimbalom. The only materials required for the application are scores and recordings of two existing compositions from your portfolio (the submitted works DO NOT need to include violin or cimbalom). In addition to the commission fee, winners will receive an introductory workshop on composing for cimbalom and an audio/visual documentation of the premiere performance.
Deadline: August 15, 2026
Prospect Art invites visual artists worldwide to apply for the 2027 NEW WORK commission, a $1,500 project grant supporting the creation of a new conceptually driven work responding to the curatorial theme We Come in Pieces, developed by 2026 to 2027 Curatorial Fellow Alma Sammel. Through a single application, artists will also be considered for ONE WORK, our online series featuring in depth conversations centered on a single completed artwork, and BROADCAST, a curated program of screenings, artist talks, and discussions.
Deadline: August 16, 2026
Submit your work for consideration to the newest gallery space at Main Street Arts! The Stairwell Gallery will feature small solo exhibitions by artists from our region. Please note, this opportunity is available for artists ages 18+ residing in New York State, with a focus on the regions of central NY, western NY, and Finger Lakes regions. There is no fee to submit your work. Artwork should be 12 inches or less with framing no larger than 16 inches.
Deadline: Rolling
Submit your 3-dimensional work for consideration to the newest gallery space at Main Street Arts!
We are hoping to launch this dedicated gallery exhibition space in early summer of 2025.
The Window Front Gallery will be a smaller space but includes street frontage and large glass windows. It has 2 spaces, one to the left and right, of our main entry doors. This space has AMAZING VISIBILITY onto the sidewalk and streetscape-with the opportunity for an artist to show 3d work on pedestals, the wall, the ceiling, or a combination thereof. Traditional 2-D work only (such as framed printmaking or framed photography) is not accepted.
The focus here is strictly 3-D; So if you are a printmaker-submit accordion books as well as perhaps wall pieces. If you are a mixed media artist-submit large hanging mobiles. If you are a sculptor-submit work for the floor or for pedestals. This space is dimensional and tall and has equal amounts of wall and floor space able to be used.
Deadline: Rolling
At the recent U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) Annual Meeting, USCM and the National Endowment for the Arts unveiled a collection of new artwork from the Freedom 250 City Art Poster Project. The posters tell the story of the nation’s 250th anniversary through the eyes, voices, and lived experiences of local artists, who responded to a nationwide invitation to mayors and communities.
Deadline: November 6, 2026
The Niagara Arts and Cultural Center (NACC) seeks compelling artists, projects, exhibits, and performances across a range of disciplines and styles for its 2026 calendar year and beyond. As an incubator/maker space in Niagara County, we aim to support arts and cultural projects for any and all types of audiences. Ideas that creatively utilize our home in the old Niagara Falls High School – big, small, traditional, obscure, media, theatre, music, and the practices that defy disciplines – are encouraged and appreciated.
We seek dynamic ideas for all of our venues:
- Townsend Gallery: One of the largest, uninterrupted gallery spaces in Western New York. Open3,200 square foot (78 x 41 feet) gallery; brightly lit space that is handicap accessible.
- Woodbox Theatre: Stage space (in 72-seat proscenium setting): 25 ft wide x 26 ft deep; 8 rows of 9 seats. Total room dimensions: 25 feet wide by 57 feet deep.
- Grand Theatre: Proscenium theatre with 500 seats on the main floor and an additional 400+ in the balcony. 44 foot proscenium arch; 32 feet from the drip line to the back wall; 9 foot apron.
- The Gym: 3,840 feet of uninterrupted space (80 x 48 feet) with 26 foot ceilings.
- The Pool: 2,560 total square feet in the pool area (80 x 32 feet) with 14 foot ceilings (additional 200 seat bleacher seating area). 60 foot long pool; depth of pool: 4 feet to 7 feet.
- Hallways throughout: The NACC features wide, 10-14 foot hallways and 12 foot ceilings.
Deadline: Rolling throughout 2026, click below for details.
Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) invites artists to propose three images for a temporary public art installation at our main facility. Through this call for art we aim to offer a simple submission process for incisive, surprising, and unique imagery that will enliven the East Avenue neighborhood. Of particular interest are projects that connect visitors to the location, community and/or history of the neighborhood, challenge visitors and passersby, and address important social and political issues. RoCo welcomes visual artists of all genres. RoCo also invites visual artists to collaborate with literary artists as we have previously shown in this location.
The selected series of three images will be exhibited to the public 24/7 for 4-6 months. The duration will be determined with RoCo staff based on the seasons and concept of the project. The images will be printed on a weather-safe material at about 9′ h x 6′ w. Selected projects will require the following resolution: 12,000 px (h) x 8,000 px (w). The artist will receive a $400 stipend & use fee for exhibiting preexisting images. If an artist is interested in creating new works for this submission, please contact us. All production and installation costs are covered by RoCo.
*This call is open twice per year.
Eligibility: This program is open to artists in the Greater Rochester area, New York artists, and national artists. Artists who have exhibited in other exhibitions at RoCo are eligible to apply.
Timeline
- Deadlines: March 15th & September 15th, annually
- Artist will be selected by October 15 and April 15
- Artwork to be installed prior to December First Friday and June First Friday
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Springville Center for the Arts (SCA) invites artists to submit qualifications for the design and installation of a mural on the side of the Arcade Junction located at 320 Main St, Arcade, NY.
SCA’s mission is to build a greater culture of appreciation for the arts in our area. The selected artist must have strong community engagement skills and a desire to explore the unique qualities of the area. While the mural first and foremost should be an engaging piece of visual art, by virtue of its location it will be a symbol and gateway for the town for years to come.
TIMELINE
- Applications close: July 31, 2026
- Selected artist notified: August 4, 2026
- Initial mural design due, discuss design: August 15, 2026
- Mural installation: August 30-September 19, 2026
VOX is a collaboration among seven musical organizations in New York City that care passionately about supporting the future of opera. VOX will showcase four in-process works of scale on April 1, 2027, offering a rare platform for artists from across the country to present new creations. Applicants must be permanent residents of the United States or U.S. citizens. Eligible works must not have received a United States premiere (excluding college and festival orchestra performances, or readings associated with composer advancement programs hosted by other institutions). Both completed operas and works-in-progress will be considered, provided the application includes an excerpt of at least 20 minutes in length.
Deadline: August 1, 2026
Walmart Community Mural Program is a celebration of communities across America and an important part of a new or newly transformed facility. Inspired by the community and together with every store manager, each mural reflects the local diversity and cultural references. Every mural is a unique, original artwork. Walmart works with NOW Art, a public art agency, to curate and engage artists across the country. Pay is $800 for selected artists.
Deadline: Rolling
Last updated: July 31, 2026
Help keep our opportunities free! We ask that you consider donating $25, $50, $100, or whatever you can do to sustain this important resource for WNY creatives.