Continuing to show your work is an essential step in developing as an artist. In this roundup, you’ll find open calls and prizes that can help you build your portfolio, reach wider audiences, and find funding to support your creative ambitions.
The Don Bachardy Fellowship 2026
The Don Bachardy Fellowship invites a postgraduate artist from outside the United Kingdom to attend the Royal Drawing School during the Summer Term each year. Fellows will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in London's art scene, and to work alongside The Drawing Year students at the School and in their studios. Named after Californian portrait painter Don Bachardy, the fellowship supports emerging artists and nurtures drawing as a foundational skill. Past recipients have travelled from the US, Syria, Chile, and Brazil.
Deadline: 20 November 2025 at 5pm GMT
Who can apply: International artists who have studied at MA level. Please note, artists who are from the UK or have studied and lived in the UK are not eligible to apply.
The John Ruskin Prize
The John Ruskin Prize holds the values of writer, lecturer, art historian John Ruskin at its core. The prize is a fast growing, multidisciplinary art prize that welcomes submissions in all mediums, from drawing and painting to textiles and mixed media. In doing so, the prize supports and promotes work by artists, makers, and designers whose creative work defies easy categorisation.
Deadline: 2 December 2025
Who can apply: UK & International artists (age 18 and over)
Prize: Multiple prizes on offer, including a first prize of £3,000
The Homiens Art Prize
This international prize awards $12,000 annually, recognising artists every three months. Open to all art forms and themes, it offers continuous opportunities for support and exposure.
Deadline: 1 November 2025
Who can apply: Artists worldwide, all art forms
Prize: $12,000 awarded annually in quarterly cycles
Friend of the Artist, Volume 22, Open Call
Have your work featured in Volume 22 of Friend of the Artist, an international art book dedicated to supporting emerging artists across all mediums.
Deadline: 11 January 2026
Who can apply: Emerging and mid-career artists
Prize: Dedicated pages and a short essay written about your work by an arts writer, plus a complimentary digital copy of the publication and post on social media
International Slavery Museum
The International Slavery Museum seeks a UK-based artist or collective to co-design cast iron panels for its new Entrance Pavilion in Liverpool. This major public artwork will transform iron into a symbol of remembrance and resilience.
Deadline: 17 November 2026
Who can apply: Artists from all cultural backgrounds. Those with lived experiences or legacies of slavery are especially encouraged to apply.
Prize: An artists fee of £30,000 for the iron panel designs in addition to travel and workshop costs.