LOCAL OPEN CALLS, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CREATIVES!

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YEARLY GRANTS OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE FOUND INTERESTING

Below is a list of grant and residency opportunities that we have found that we find interesting. Some are not local. Check for more details. Please check the information by clicking the link, grants come and go and some of these may no longer be funding projects.

January Opens

• Artadia Awards (Los Angeles) — Opens Jan 1 (Closes Feb 1). $15,000 unrestricted awards for visual artists in LA.
• Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed Grant — Opens Jan (Closes Apr 1). $5,000–$35,000 grants for under-recognized American painters aged 45+.
• Jonathan and Barbara Silver Foundation — Opens Winter. Financial awards supporting sculptors and sculpture scholars.
• MacDowell Fellowship (Fall/Winter Season) — Opens Jan 15 (Closes Feb 10). Premier residency fellowship in NH providing exclusive studio space, room, board, and need-based stipends.
• Dedicated Fine Arts Foundation Grants — Opens Jan (Closes March). Annual project production grants across visual arts and performance disciplines.
• National Academy Grants & Fellowships — Opens Winter/Spring cycle for visual artists and architects (including the Abbey Mural and Edwin Austin Abbey awards).
• Innovate Grant (Winter Cycle) — Opens January (Closes mid-March). Provides $1,800 unrestricted grants each quarter (one for visual art, one for photography) plus honorable mentions.
• B.W. Bastian Foundation Grants (Spring Cycle) — Opens early in the year (Deadline February 15). Funding for arts, cultural, education, and community programs.
• Artist Grant (Winter Cycle) — Opens January (Deadline January 15). $500 unrestricted grant awarded to one visual artist per cycle, plus honorable mention recognition.

February Opens

• Artadia Awards (Chicago) — Opens Feb 1 (Closes Mar 1). $15,000 unrestricted awards for visual artists in Chicago.
• Harpo Foundation Grants — Opens Feb (Closes Apr). Grants up to $10,000 supporting under-recognized visual artists aged 21+.
• Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants (NYFA) — Opens Feb 10 (Closes Apr 7). Provides up to $20,000 for environmental art projects led by women/non-binary artists.
• MAP Fund — Opens Feb (Closes Apr). Major grant (up to $30,000) supporting performance, dance, and interdisciplinary works questioning systemic power.

March Opens

• Creative Capital Award — Opens Early March (Round 1 due early April). Up to $50,000 plus career development for innovative projects across all disciplines.
• Artadia Awards (New York City) — Opens Mar 1 (Closes Apr 1). $15,000 unrestricted awards for visual artists in NYC.
• The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts — Spring Cycle Closes Mar 1 (Bi-annual cycle). Grants supporting visual arts organizations, curatorial research, and artist spaces.
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH Fellowships) — Opens Mar (Closes Apr). Fellowships up to $60,000 for individual scholars, writers, and cultural practitioners.
• Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council — Spring cycle opens for SW PA artists (Artist Advancement Grants, Travel Grants, and Emergency Funds).
• The Pittsburgh Foundation — Spring open calls for Greater Pittsburgh artists and career fellowships.
• The Opportunity Fund — Spring cycle opens for Western PA visual/performing artists and social justice projects.
• Sustainable Arts Foundation — Spring application portal opens for artists and creative writers with at least one child under 18.
• Leeway Foundation (Art & Change Grant) — Spring cycle opens for women, trans, and gender-nonconforming artists in Greater Philadelphia.
• Centre Foundation — Annual Spring cycle opens for Central PA community arts initiatives.
• Pocono Arts Council — Annual Spring regranting window opens for NE PA regional grants.
• PEN America U.S. Writers Aid Initiative (Spring Cycle) — Opens March 15 (Closes March 31). Provides emergency grants for professional writers facing acute, unexpected financial hardship.

April Opens

• Princess Grace Awards — Opens Apr 1 (Closes May/June). Substantial grants, theater/film/dance apprenticeships, and career-long support for extraordinary emerging talent.
• NYSCA / NYFA Artist Fellowships — Spring Window Opens Apr. Cash awards for individual artists living and working in the region.
• Erie Arts and Culture — Spring grant window opens (including Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator and project grants for NW PA artists).
• Innovate Grant (Spring Cycle) — Opens April (Closes mid-June).

May Opens

• Artadia Awards (San Francisco Bay Area) — Opens May 1 (Closes Jun 1). $15,000 unrestricted awards for Bay Area artists.
• Leeway Foundation (Transformation Award) — Spring Cycle Window (Deadline May 15). Grants for women, trans, and gender-nonconforming artists creating social change in Greater Philadelphia.
• Halstead Jewelry Grant — Spring Cycle Window (Deadline May 1). Cash funding, supplies, and recognition for emerging silver jewelry designers.
• VIA Art Fund — Spring Cycle Opens May (Bi-annual). Direct artistic production, public art installations, and curatorial research grants.
• The Hopper Prize — Spring Cycle Opens May (Bi-annual). Unrestricted cash grants ($2,000–$5,000) for visual artists and photographers.
• B.W. Bastian Foundation Grants (Fall Cycle) — Application window opens late spring / early summer (Deadline June 15).
• Artist Grant (Spring Cycle) — Opens May (Deadline May 15).

June Opens

• Money for Women (Deming Memorial Fund) — First Cycle Window (Deadline June 30). Grants for individual feminist artists and writers (US/Canadian citizens).
• Foundwork Artist Prize — Opens June (Closes October). $10,000 unrestricted prize plus studio visits for visual artists worldwide.
• Lancaster County Community Foundation — Annual Spring/Summer community grant window opens.
• Brew House Association — Summer open calls posted for Pittsburgh visual artists (Distillery Artists Residency & Prospectus exhibition grants).
• PEN America U.S. Writers Aid Initiative (Summer Cycle) — Opens June 1 (Closes June 15).

July Opens

• Fine Acts TED POSCA Residency — Annual Open Call Window (Closes July 31). Global remote residency offering a $15,000 grant for visual artists producing work on human rights and climate justice.
• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA Literature Fellowships) — Opens July (Closes Jan). $25,000 direct fellowships for published creative writers and literary translators.
• Innovate Grant (Summer Cycle) — Opens July (Closes mid-September).

August Opens

• Guggenheim Fellowships — Portal Opens Mid-August (Closes mid-September). Prestigious fellowship for mid-career individuals demonstrating exceptional creative ability.
• NYFA Fiscal Sponsorship Program — Quarterly Window Opens Late Summer (Deadline mid-August). Access to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to raise project funding and apply for institutional grants.
• Artadia Awards (Boston) — Opens Aug 15 (Closes Sep 15). $15,000 unrestricted awards for Boston artists.
• MacDowell Fellowship (Spring/Summer Season) — Opens Aug 17 (Closes Sept 10). Residency applications for the spring/summer session in Peterborough, NH.
• Berks Arts — Opens Late Summer / Early Fall regranting for local artists in Berks, Lancaster, and Schuylkill counties.
• Perry County Council on the Arts — Late Summer / Fall open calls for Central PA regranting and artist-in-residence programs.

September Opens

• Puffin Foundation Grants — Request Form Opens Sept (Proposals due Nov/Dec). Grants for emerging artists addressing social, environmental, and human rights issues.
• Artadia Awards (Atlanta) — Opens Sep 1 (Closes Oct 1). $15,000 unrestricted awards for Atlanta artists.
• The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts — Fall Cycle Closes Sep 1 (Bi-annual cycle).
• Joan Mitchell Fellowship — Opens Sept/Oct. $70,000 unrestricted multi-year awards for 15 visual artists annually.
• National Sculpture Society Grants (Ettl, Dexter Jones, Newmark) — Portal opens in Fall (Closes January). Specialized awards for figurative, bas-relief, and animal/equine sculptors.
• Cultural Alliance of York County — Annual Fall cycle opens for York County individual artists and creative ventures.
• PEN America U.S. Writers Aid Initiative (Fall Cycle) — Opens September 15 (Closes October 5).
• B.W. Bastian Foundation Grants (Winter Cycle) — Application window opens late summer (Deadline October 15).
• Artist Grant (Fall Cycle) — Opens September (Deadline September 15).

October Opens

• Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation Individual Support Grants — Portal Opens Oct 15 (Closes Jan 15). Major support for mature painters, printmakers, and sculptors with 20+ years in the field.
• Keystone Creatives — Opens Oct (Fall). PA Statewide platform partnership offering the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator (CEA) program, business funding, and network support for PA creative entrepreneurs.
• Artadia Awards (Houston) — Opens Oct 1 (Closes Nov 1). $15,000 unrestricted awards for Houston artists.
• VIA Art Fund — Fall Cycle Opens Oct (Bi-annual).
• Innovate Grant (Fall Cycle) — Opens October (Closes mid-December).

November Opens

• The Virginia A. Groot Foundation Grant — Portal Opens Nov (Closes Mar 1). Substantial grants awarded to ceramic and 3D sculpture artists.
• The Hopper Prize — Fall Cycle Opens Nov (Bi-annual).
• Anonymous Was A Woman (Main Grant) — Opens Nov (By nomination & direct call windows). $25,000 unrestricted grants for female-identifying artists over 40.

December Opens

• Money for Women (Deming Memorial Fund) — Second Cycle Window (Deadline Dec 30).
• Headlands Center for the Arts Residencies — Winter Window Opens Dec. Fully funded residencies and project grants for international and US artists.

Year-Round & Rolling Grants (Apply Anytime)

• Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA) Emergency Grants — Immediate micro-grants ($2,000–$5,000) for visual/performing artists with sudden exhibition/performance opportunities.
• The Gottlieb Foundation Emergency Grant — Year-round emergency aid for mature painters, printmakers, and sculptors active for 20+ years.
• Musicians’ Foundation, Inc. — Year-round emergency financial aid for professional musicians facing crisis or medical hardship.
• Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant — Year-round direct funding for visual artists based on merit and financial need (9–12 month review time).
• Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation — Year-round grants for emerging figurative painters, sculptors, and printmakers worldwide.
• The Awesome Foundation — $1,000 micro-grants awarded monthly by local chapters for creative community projects.

Variable Agency Cycles & Open Announcements (Check Portals Regularly)

• Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) — Opening dates set throughout the year across regional partner networks.
• Commonwealth of PA Grants Schedule — Master schedule across state arts, humanities, and cultural agencies.
• Creative Philadelphia — Opens based on specific project cycles for Philadelphia public art opportunities and micro-grants.
• Elk County Council on the Arts (ECCOTA) — Opening windows vary per program stream for NC PA regional artist grants.
• Lehigh Valley Arts Coalition — Periodic project grant announcements posted throughout the year.
• Hayama Residency (Japan) — Open calls posted online periodically.
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) — Application portals open based on specific program streams (fellowships, media projects, preservation).

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LOCAL BUSINESSES, GALLERIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE FRIENDLY TO CREATIVES

Below is a list of Galleries and businesses that are friendly to artists that we have found. Check back often, as we explore more places, we will add more to this list. If you have a place that you recommend, please let us know.

Carlisle

• Gettysburg / Carlisle Art Centers & Waldo’s & Co. — Community cafe gallery, open submission cycles, and local artist showcases.

Corry

• Corry Artists’ Guild — Year-round events, workshops, and exhibition calls in Corry, PA.

Erie

• 10/20 Collective — Contemporary gallery space, studios, community venue, and creative open calls.
• City Gallery — Local art gallery showcase and community event space in downtown Erie.
• Erie Art Museum — Major regional museum hosting contemporary visual art exhibitions, juried shows, educational classes, and community workshops.
• Erie Arts & Culture — Regional arts agency providing regranting programs, artist fellowships, public art initiatives, and creative business development for Northwest PA.
• Erie County Small Business Development Center (Gannon University SBDC) — Free business consulting, business planning, financial navigation, and growth resources for creative entrepreneurs and small business owners.
• Glass Growers Gallery — Regional art gallery, craft shop, and featured exhibition opportunities.

Foxburg

• Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts (ARCA) — Non-profit arts organization offering classical music concerts, performances, and fine arts events at Lincoln Hall.
• Red Brick Gallery and Gift Shop — Co-op gallery and boutique run by ARCA supporting local visual artists along the Allegheny River.

Franklin

• Barrow-Civic Theatre / Franklin Civic Operetta Association — Regional performing arts center featuring live theater, musical performances, youth theater programs, and lobby gallery displays.
• DeBence Antique Music World — Historic music museum showcasing automatic musical instruments, orchestrions, and music history.
• Franklin Fine Arts Council — Local municipal arts council driving public art, concerts in the park, and downtown creative activities.
• Victorian City Art & Frame — Fine art gallery featuring artists across Northwest PA and local showcase opportunities.

Gettysburg / Centre Hall

• People’s Choice Festival — Major annual 4-day PA artisan festival with open calls for PA-based creative vendors and fine artists.

Harrisburg

• Art Association Of Harrisburg — Regional art association offering annual juried shows, gallery calls, and exhibition opportunities.

Meadville & Crawford County

• Crawford County Small Business Development Center (Clarion / PennWest SBDC Outreach) — Regional consulting office assisting small businesses and creative entrepreneurs with startup and expansion.
• French Creek Art Collective — Grassroots arts organization running community art calls, pop-up gallery shows, and local events.
• Hatch Hollow — Local creative hub, artisan store, and artist-friendly community space.
• Meadville Council on the Arts (MCA) — Community arts organization in the Historic Market House offering art classes, juried exhibitions, theater productions, and community events.

New Castle & Lawrence County

• Arts & Education at The Hoyt — Regional art center, juried exhibition calls, and educational programming.
• Lawrence County Arts Council — Year-round local exhibition, workshop, and community development opportunities across NW PA.

New Kensington

• The Manos Gallery — Community art gallery, monthly open exhibition calls, and creative workspace.

Oil City

• Clifford’s Carpets — Artist-friendly local business supporting local creative initiatives and community events.
• Gallery Night At Exchange — Open calls for local artists and community art nights in Oil City.
• National Transit Building & Art Studios — Historic downtown complex providing 20+ artist studios, co-op gallery spaces, and creative workspaces.
• Oil City Main Street Program & ARTS Oil City — Downtown revitalization initiative operating under the Oil Region Alliance, managing the Artists Relocation Program, façade grants, art walks, and urban improvements.
• Oil Heritage Festival — Annual community festival featuring local art shows, vendor calls, and cultural events.
• Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism — Primary economic and heritage development agency promoting arts, historic preservation, and business growth across the Oil Region.
• Transit Art Gallery & Gifts (TAGG) — Volunteer-run cooperative gallery in the National Transit Building showcasing works by regional artists.
• Venango Museum of Art, Science and Industry — Downtown museum preserving regional industrial history, hosting art exhibits, and serving as a community educational venue.
• Woods And River Coffee — Artist-friendly local coffeehouse hosting local artwork displays and community gatherings.

Philadelphia

• Museum for Art in Wood & NextFab Residencies — Open calls for wood, design, and research-based creative residencies.
• The Velocity Fund — $5,000 direct grants for experimental, collaborative, and community-grounded creative projects.

Pittsburgh

• Pittsburgh Glass Center (Corner Gallery Calls) — Ongoing exhibition proposals and open calls for community-centered glass and interdisciplinary art.
• 123 Pleasant Street / Regional Independent Venues (Greater Pittsburgh) — Coalition of independent live performance and music venues hosting community arts events and local showcases.
• Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (AAP) (Pittsburgh – Lawrenceville) — The oldest continuously operating artist member organization in the US, providing exhibition opportunities, juried shows, and artist resources across Western PA.
• Bregman Studio / Pittsburgh Glass Center (Pittsburgh – Garfield) — World-class glass studio and gallery offering residencies, exhibition open calls, classes, and public community art programming.
• Brew House Association (Pittsburgh – South Side) — Visual arts organization offering gallery space, the Distillery Artists Residency, and Prospectus exhibition grants for emerging and mid-career artists.
• Bunker Projects (Pittsburgh – Bloomfield) — Artist-run residency and experimental gallery space hosting rolling residency applications, exhibitions, and community workshops.
• Carnegie Museum of Art (CMOA) (Pittsburgh – Oakland) — Major art museum featuring international and regional contemporary art, open calls for local creative partnerships, and the Carnegie International.
• Casey Droege Cultural Productions (CDCP) (Pittsburgh) — Artist-run social enterprise producing art fairs (Small Mall), artist grants, consulting, and economic opportunities for regional creatives.
• Chatham Baroque / Renaissance & Baroque (Pittsburgh) — Early music ensemble and presenting organization offering performance opportunities, educational outreach, and concert series.
• City of Asylum (Pittsburgh – North Side) — Cultural sanctuary providing sanctuary for exiled writers, residency programs, literary events, and community arts space at Alphabet City.
• Contemporary Craft (Pittsburgh – Upper Lawrenceville) — Non-profit arts organization offering studio space, juried craft exhibitions, artist residencies, and retail opportunities for studio craft artists.
• Duquesne University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) (Pittsburgh – Downtown) — Confidential, no-cost business consulting, business plan development, and funding navigation for small businesses and creative entrepreneurs in Greater Pittsburgh.
• Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh) — Member organization supporting fiber and textile artists through juried exhibitions, workshops, and international Fiberart International triennial shows.
• Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (GPAC) (Pittsburgh – Downtown) — Primary regional arts agency offering Artist Advancement Grants, Emergency Grants, travel stipends, legal advice (VLAA), and advocacy.
• Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) (Pittsburgh – East Liberty) — Performing arts center presenting dance, theater, music, and interdisciplinary performance, featuring Fresh Works residency and performance grants.
• Knotweed Zine & Community Publishing (Pittsburgh) — Independent local publishing platform offering open submission calls for regional writers, illustrators, and visual artists.
• Mattress Factory (Pittsburgh – North Side) — Contemporary art museum specializing in site-specific installation art, offering international and regional artist residency programs.
• New Pittsburgh Courier / Regional Media Calls (Pittsburgh) — Historic regional publication providing coverage and open calls for African American and regional creative initiatives.
• Office of Public Art (OPA) (Pittsburgh) — Regional agency providing public art commissioning opportunities, artist training, community design projects, and creative consultations.
• Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (Pittsburgh – Cultural District) — Major non-profit managing downtown theaters, galleries (Wood Street Galleries, SPACE, 707 Gallery), Three Rivers Arts Festival, and public open calls.
• Pittsburgh Film Office (Pittsburgh) — Economic development agency supporting film, television, and multimedia production in SW PA with industry grants and crew resources.
• Pittsburgh Foundation (Pittsburgh – Downtown) — Community foundation administering the Investing in Professional Artists program, artist fellowships, and organizational grants.
• Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media (PCA&M) (Pittsburgh – Shadyside) — Community arts hub providing artist studio rentals, equipment access, classes, and exhibition space for visual and media artists.
• Silver Eye Center for Photography (Pittsburgh – Penn Avenue Arts District) — Non-profit gallery dedicated to contemporary photography, featuring the Fellowship Competition and digital lab facilities.
• The Mattress Factory / Artist-in-Residence Program (Pittsburgh – North Side) — Fully funded site-specific installation residency program with living stipend, studio space, and material budget.
• The Opportunity Fund (Pittsburgh) — Grantmaking foundation supporting small to mid-sized arts organizations, individual visual/performing artists, and social justice creative projects.
• University of Pittsburgh SBDC (Pittsburgh – Oakland) — Free business advisory, financial modeling, and marketing guidance for small businesses and creative startups.
• Union Project (Pittsburgh – Highland Park) — Community arts center offering ceramics studio space, the Krikorian Gallery, community workshops, and artist residency programs.
• WAYO / Community Radio & Media Outlets (Greater Pittsburgh) — Regional independent radio and podcasting networks hosting local creative audio submissions and music programming.

Reading

• GoggleWorks Center for the Arts — Open calls for community hallway galleries, studio residencies, and juried exhibitions.

Sharon

• HopeCAT (Hope Center for Arts & Tech) — Year-round arts education, youth programming, and artist faculty opportunities.
• Random Acts of Artists (RAA) Gallery & Art Emporium — Co-op gallery showcasing regional artists, artisan goods, and rolling cooperative exhibition space in downtown Sharon.

Williamsport

• The Gallery At Penn College — Contemporary art gallery at Pennsylvania College of Technology with annual open entry exhibition calls.

Statewide Pennsylvania Resources & Agencies

• PA Dept. of Community & Economic Development (DCED) — Statewide agency overseeing business revitalization, main street funding, and creative economy development grants.
• PACDFN BASC Microgrants — Microgrant network delivering periodic and rolling micro-funding for community-focused creative projects across PA.
• Pennsylvania Journal of Arts and Sciences (PJAS) — Year-round submissions for creative writing, visual art, and interdisciplinary contemporary work across PA.
• Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (PASBDC Network) — Statewide network providing confidential, no-cost business consulting, business plan development, and grant navigation.

National Open Submissions

• Smithsonian Magazine Submissions — Open year-round for freelance pitch submissions in arts, history, science, and culture.

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RESOURCE TIPS AND CALLS TO ACTION!

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