Calls for Artists Explained: What Every Artist Should Know
What calls for artists are, how they work, what they cost, and how to decide which ones are worth applying to. A foundational guide for artists at any career stage.
The Basics
A "call for artists" is an invitation for artists to submit their work for consideration. The term comes from traditional open calls — announcements posted in galleries, art magazines, and community boards inviting artists to participate. Today, most calls are published online and accept digital submissions through platforms like Crafted Call.
The terms "call for artists," "call for entry," "call for submissions," and "open call" are used interchangeably. They all mean the same thing: an organization is accepting artwork submissions.
Types of Calls
Juried Exhibitions
The most common type. A panel of jurors reviews all submissions and selects work for a group exhibition. Juried exhibitions may be themed ("Landscapes of the American West") or open ("Annual All-Media Exhibition"). Acceptance rates vary from 10% to 50% depending on the show's prestige and submission volume.
Competitions
Similar to juried exhibitions but with ranked prizes — Best in Show, category awards, purchase prizes, or cash awards. Prize values range from $100 to $10,000+ for major competitions.
Public Art Commissions
Government agencies or private developers solicit proposals for site-specific artwork. These calls typically require detailed proposals, budgets, and engineering specifications. Commission values range from $5,000 to several million dollars for large-scale projects.
Residencies
Organizations offer studio space, housing, and sometimes stipends for artists to create work over a period of weeks to months. Residency calls evaluate both the artist's portfolio and their proposed project.
Publication and Media
Magazines, journals, and online publications issue calls for artwork to feature alongside written content. These calls often don't charge entry fees but also don't pay for inclusion.
How Entry Fees Work
Entry fees are charged by the organizing gallery to cover administrative costs — platform fees, juror compensation, marketing, and exhibition logistics. Fees are not refundable regardless of the jury's decision.
Typical fee ranges:
- Free calls — Often from nonprofits, university galleries, or organizations funded by grants
- $10-25 — Standard for regional juried shows
- $25-45 — Typical for national/international exhibitions with established jurors
- $45+ — Premium calls with significant prizes or prestigious venues
A 2024 survey by the College Art Association found that 62% of juried calls charge entry fees between $15 and $40. The remaining 38% are either free or charge above $40.
Are entry fees worth it? There is no universal answer. Evaluate each call based on the exhibition opportunity, juror quality, organization reputation, and prize value relative to the fee. A $30 fee for a well-marketed exhibition at a respected gallery can be a worthwhile investment. A $50 fee for a poorly attended show with no catalog is not.
The Jury Process
When a call closes, the organization assembles its jury panel — typically 2-5 experts (curators, artists, critics, or gallerists). The jury reviews all submissions and selects work for inclusion.
Blind review means jurors see only the artwork and required text fields (title, medium, dimensions, artist statement) without the artist's name or identity. This prevents bias based on name recognition or demographics. According to research on orchestral auditions published in the American Economic Review, blind evaluation increases selection diversity by 25-46%.
Open review shows jurors the complete artist profile, including name, bio, exhibition history, and social presence. This is appropriate when the artist's reputation or career trajectory is relevant to the selection criteria.
Scoring uses rubrics with defined criteria — technical execution, originality, thematic relevance, and visual impact are common categories. Each juror scores independently, and the organization aggregates scores to make final decisions.
Reading a Call Carefully
Before submitting, read the entire call page. Key details to check:
- Eligibility — Geographic restrictions, age requirements, medium limitations, career stage requirements
- Image specifications — Required resolution, file format, file size limits, number of images allowed
- Required fields — Artist statement, work description, dimensions format, pricing (if applicable)
- Timeline — Submission deadline, notification date, delivery/shipping dates, exhibition dates
- Terms — Commission split on sales, insurance requirements, shipping responsibilities, reproduction rights
- Fee structure — Entry fee amount, what payment methods are accepted, whether fees cover multiple entries or are per-piece
Missing any of these details can result in disqualification. Jurors typically cannot consider submissions that don't meet the stated requirements.
Building a Submission Strategy
Professional artists treat submissions as an ongoing practice, not an occasional activity. A strategic approach maximizes your acceptance rate and manages costs.
Set an annual budget. Decide how much you can spend on entry fees per year. At $25 average, a budget of $500 covers 20 targeted submissions — enough to build momentum.
Track everything. Maintain a record of every call you apply to: organization name, deadline, fee, result, and notes. Over time, you'll identify which types of calls respond best to your work.
Quality over quantity. Five carefully targeted submissions to well-matched calls outperform twenty generic applications. Read each call thoroughly and only apply when your work genuinely fits the criteria.
Diversify your targets. Mix local, regional, and national calls. Include both competitive (low acceptance rate, high prestige) and accessible (higher acceptance rate, emerging-artist-friendly) opportunities. Early career artists benefit from building exhibition credits at any level.
Submit early. Platforms occasionally have technical issues near deadlines, and some calls review submissions in the order received. Submitting a week before the deadline eliminates deadline anxiety.
After the Decision
If accepted: Respond promptly to the organization's logistics requests. Ship or deliver artwork on time, properly packaged, with clear labeling. Attend the opening reception if possible — networking at openings leads to future opportunities.
If rejected: This is normal. Established artists with decades of experience still get rejected regularly. A rejection reflects one jury's subjective assessment of one set of work against one specific call's criteria. It says nothing about the quality of your art.
Either way: Add the result to your tracking spreadsheet and move on to the next opportunity. Consistency over years — not any single acceptance or rejection — builds an exhibition career.
Where to Find Calls
- Crafted Call — Open calls from galleries and art organizations, filterable by medium, fee, and deadline
- Gallery websites and newsletters — Subscribe to organizations whose mission aligns with your work
- Social media art communities — Follow galleries, art centers, and call aggregators
- Local art councils — Many maintain listings of regional opportunities
- University art departments — Often post calls for students and alumni
The most reliable approach is using a dedicated platform that aggregates calls and standardizes the submission process, reducing the friction of applying to multiple opportunities.