ARTIST RESOURCES

Resources & Opportunities for artists from throughout the contemporary art field.

Transformer is committed to connecting artists with information on resources and opportunities to support them.

On a rolling basis, we share helpful artist listings and links from colleagues throughout the contemporary art field. Please check back on our website & Instagram regularly for these updates.

List Updated: March 24, 2026


SUBMISSIONS

FLATFILE

Along with specific exhibition proposals, artists may submit samples of their work to be considered for inclusion in our FlatFile program - a growing collection of works on paper in a variety of two-dimensional mediums including photography, painting, drawing, and printmaking, approximately 16" x 20" in size and smaller, & priced under $500. 

To submit to the FlatFile, please email your artist bio, website, and a small selection of images and corresponding artwork details to submissions@transformerdc.org. Artwork details to include for each piece: title, year made, medium, dimensions, price. Please format artwork file names as follows: LastName_ArtworkTitle.

 

EXHIBITIONS

With a unique store-front exhibition space at 1404 P Street, NW, Transformer’s Exhibition Series, consisting of six to seven exhibitions per season, encourages artists to be site-responsive, often producing a deeper and more thoughtful exploration of ideas and solutions to the presentation of their work. Exhibitions run five to six weeks and are organized by Transformer staff in conjunction with participating artists, guest curators, and advisors.

Artists are never charged fees for participating in Transformer’s exhibition series nor to have their work considered. We are not a commercial gallery, we do not offer artist representation, and only offer ONE solo exhibition per year - for which we do not accept applications.

To submit an exhibition proposal: please email a copy of your artist bio, CV, and proposal to submissions@transformerdc.org for consideration.

Include photos (proposed or representative pieces), an artist statement, and as much detail as possible in the proposal; What do you hope people will take away from your exhibition? Why is Transformer a good fit to exhibit your artwork?

If we have an opportunity for you, you will be contacted in 1-2 weeks. In the meantime, check out our artist resources page for additional local and national opportunities, and our upcoming events calendar for free and public Transformer programs.

Artist Resources

ASLD Color Scheme Residency | DENVER, CO

  • The Color Scheme Residency was born of the recognition that many artists have historically been excluded from formal art spaces, including artist residencies. The residency includes financial support, studio space, and exhibition opportunities for selected artists to immerse themselves in their practice and connect with ASLD’s community. Each residency is tailored to the selected artist’s expertise and discipline. Entry Fee: $25

  • Deadline: March 27, 2026

Charlotte Street: 2026-2028 Studio Residency | KANSAS

  • Charlotte Street centers Kansas City’s most forward-thinking visual artists, writers, and performers—acting as the primary incubator, provocateur, and connector for the region’s contemporary arts community, and its leading advocate on the national stage. Since 1997, Charlotte Street has distributed over $2.5 million in awards and grants to artists and their innovative projects, and connected individual artists to each other and to the greater Kansas City community.

  • Deadline: March 27, 2026

Parks & Recreation: Call for Artists | MOUNT RAINIER, MD

  • The Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation is seeking bold, creative artists to help transform the Mount Rainier Skate Park into a vibrant, community-inspired space. This is your chance to design public art that reflects the energy, culture, and creativity of the Mount Rainier neighborhood. Submit your qualifications and be part of shaping a skate park that riders—and the entire community—will be proud of. Apply now and help reimagine the park through art!

  • Deadline: March 29, 2026

Springboard for the Arts – Falls Community Arts Exchange|FERGUS FALLS, MN

  • Fergus Falls is a regional hub of arts and culture in West Central Minnesota, with a variety of organizations and spaces dedicated to visual arts, dance, performance, and artistic development. For the last 15 years, Springboard for the Arts’ rural headquarters in Fergus Falls has supported local artists in developing their careers, while building a national network of relationships and advocacy about the importance of the arts and artists in rural places. Springboard has brought together over 1,500 rural artists to Fergus Falls through programs like the Rural Regenerator Fellowship, the Rural Futures Summit, and more.

  • Deadline: March 30, 2026

MSAC: Professional Development (PD) Opportunity Grant| MARYLAND

  • The Professional Development (PD) Opportunity Grant program encourages and supports relevant professional development opportunities for artists and arts organizations throughout Maryland. The PD Opportunity Grant assists artists and arts organizations in implementing best practices by embracing growth, learning, and discovery for economic sustainability.

  • Deadline: March 31, 2026

KODA Utopia Artist Residency|NEW YORK

  • KODA offers an artist residency program for two mid-career, female-identifying and/or non-binary artists who create conceptual and socially engaged work. The Fall 2026 residency will span from August 1-October 31, 2026. The program is placed under the theme of Utopia. KODA is a Brooklyn-founded nomadic social practice nonprofit arts organization focusing on conceptual mid-career artists ingrained in social justice.

  • Deadline: March 31, 2026

Aviário Studio: Large Format Residency | FERREIRA DO ZÊZERE, PORTUGAL

  • Aviário Studio Large Format Printmaking Residency aims to promote the production and dissemination of Printmaking done in a large format. Artists can develop projects using a wide range of techniques, from relief to intaglio, screen printing, transfer, monotype, among others.

  • Deadline: March 31, 2026

BE A VENDOR AT SHOP TWO FLEA!! |RICHMOND, VA

  • We are looking for fun vintage, plants & flowers, spring things & new vendors for Shop Two Flea!!! Shop Two Flea will be held at Shop Two Three (1437 Hull Street) in Richmond’s Manchester neighborhood. The market is open daily 11am-5 pm from Saturday, May 2 - Sunday, May 10.

  • Deadline: April 7, 2026

MIGRANT FUTURES | Call for Black Immigrant Short Fiction, Poetry, and Illustrators

  • Plantin is putting out an open call for ILLUSTRATORS (or artists/designers of any discipline) and BLACK IMMIGRANT WRITERS. If you are a 1st or 2nd generation US or international Black Immigrant and you have a short poem (max 20 lines, format it as you see fit to publish) please share with us.

  • Deadline: April 7, 2026

OPEN CALL: 2026 Made in VA Biennial

  • Applications are now open for the 2026 Made in VA Biennial! Presented in Virginia MOCA’s new purpose-built home, Made in VA enters its next chapter. Artists across the Commonwealth are invited to submit work and be part of this ongoing story. PRIZES: Over $18,000 in cash prizes will be awarded, including the Goode Prize: a $10,000 best-in-show award and a solo exhibition that will run concurrently with the 2028 Biennial. Beyond cash prizes, Made in VA offers expanded visibility, meaningful professional recognition, and a platform that connects artists to broader audiences.

  • Deadline: April 20, 2026

The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards

  • The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards was established by Carol Trawick in 2003. Ms. Trawick has served as a community activist for more than 25 years in downtown Bethesda. She is past Chair of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, past Chair of the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc. and Founder of The Trawick Prize. Additionally, the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation was established in 2007 after the Trawicks sold their successful information technology company. Catriona Fraser, award-winning photographer, curator and juror is the nonvoting Chair of the The Trawick Prize. Ms. Fraser is the owner of the Fraser Gallery.

  • Deadline: April 24, 2026

Call for artists: 2027 Mary B. Howard Invitational

  • Regional artists working in any medium are invited to submit their qualifications in consideration of the 2027 Mary B. Howard Invitational Exhibition. This year, Guest Organizer Tariq Allana will work with the selected artists to develop a group exhibition, for which each artist creates and presents new work. This open call invites artists to respond to the idea of ‘assimilation’ as a complex and layered condition— that includes regional, social, political, historical, and material interventions. It is a concept that suggest not only as inclusion, but also serves as a site of tension, negotiation, and resistance.

  • Deadline: May 1, 2026

2026 NoMa in Color Call for Artists

  • We’re seeking talented local artists to be part of the 2026 NoMa in Color Mural Festival. Every fall, the NoMa in Color Mural Festival transforms the neighborhood into a living canvas, filling walls with bold, imaginative works that celebrate creativity and community. Over the past decade, more than 145 murals have turned NoMa into DC’s undisputed Mural Capital.

  • Deadline: May 4, 2026

Mid-Atlantic New Painting 2026

  • UMW Galleries is now accepting submissions for our upcoming juried exhibition, the 2026 Mid-Atlantic New Painting Biennial. This biannual celebration of contemporary painting showcases artists from Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The intention of the Mid-Atlantic New Painting exhibition is to highlight new developments in painting within our region. Awards include First, Second, and Third place awards decided by the juror ($1000, $500, $250); and a single Purchase Award decided by UMW representatives.

  • Deadline: May 15, 2026

Gallery Request for Proposals 2027

  • The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture requests exhibition proposals from artists, organizations, and curators for the Popcorn Gallery, Stone Tower Gallery, and Park View Gallery at Glen Echo Park for the calendar year 2027. Glen Echo Park Partnership Galleries’ mission is to showcase the work of a diverse array of visual artists whose practices span a range of cultures, techniques, and viewpoints, including resident artists at Glen Echo Park and artists from the greater Washington, DC area. The Partnership Galleries exhibit compelling work by artists who represent the diversity of our region, and who work in a wide range of artistic mediums.

  • Deadline: June 5, 2026

The Studios at MASS MoCA Residencies | NORTH ADAMS, MA

  • The Studios at MASS MoCA runs year-round, hosts up to 10 artists at a time for stays of 2 or 4 weeks, and primarily seeks applications from visual artists and writers in all literary disciplines. Artists from around the world are encouraged to apply. Financial aid and fully-funded fellowships are available for two or four-week residencies. Residency Fees apply, full-ride fellowship and/or need-based financial aid available.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Creativity Grants for Projects – Maryland State Arts Council

  • The Creativity Grant for Projects is available to independent artists and arts organizations. There are two options to choose from: the Planning & Development grant is intended to support the early stages of research and development for a proposed project; the Implementation grant is intended to support the execution of a specific arts projects/event/program.

  • Deadline: Rolling

ECRAC Essential Artist Award

  • The East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) Essential Artist Award program is designed with McKnight Foundation funding to recognize, reward, and encourage outstanding professional artists and culture bearers. The Council will fund artists at various stages in their professional careers.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants

  • Emergency Grants is the only active, multidisciplinary program that offers immediate, project-based assistance of this kind to artists living and working anywhere in the United States, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad. Grants range from $500 to $3,000, and the average grant is $2,300.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Sarasvati Creative Space Residency | HOHENWALD, TN

  • Venture to the rural rolling hills of Appalachia in the Western Highland Rim—one of the best light-pollution-free zones in the region. Explore the flora and fauna of the biodiverse region of midsouth Tennessee. You'll have access to seventeen acres with a variety of habitat, furnished housing, space to work, and interactions with the camp donkeys, chickens and roosters, camp cats, two farm dogs, and a peafowl couple.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Belgrade Art Studio Residency

  • Belgrade Art Studio Residency is a nonprofit international art program designed to bring artists, creative practitioners, researchers, and writers from around the world to experience a unique cultural environment dedicated to art. Selected artists are invited to live and work in a specially designed studio for a period of up to six months. By bringing artists into a unique setting, the program aims to situate art at the very heart of historical Belgrade.

  • Deadline: Rolling

ECRAC Resiliency Grant for Individuals

  • ECRAC Resiliency Grant - Supporting Artists Through Change The East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) offers the Resiliency Grant to help artists, culture bearers, and arts organizations respond to unexpected challenges or seize sudden opportunities.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Art Omi: Artists Residencies | Ghent, NY

  • Art Omi supports a wide variety of artistic disciplines through five distinct residency programs. Their residencies include: visual/studio art (via Art Omi: Artists), architecture (via Art Omi: Architecture), dance / choreography (via Art Omi: Dance), music and composition (via Art Omi: Music), and writing & translation (via Art Omi: Writers).

  • Deadline: Rolling

CERF+ Emergency Relief Grants

  • Emergency financial assistance for U.S. craft artists following a recent, career-threatening emergency or disaster.

  • Deadline: Rolling

My First Arquetopia Residency | Puebla, Mexico

  • Arquetopia’s My First Arquetopia Residency supports emerging artists ages 20–25 in defining or reframing their creative foundations through contextual immersion and guided observation. Held in Puebla, Mexico between March and July, participants engage closely with local museum collections, deepen critical reflection through weekly meetings, and take part in field visits that situate artistic practice within wider social, historical, and material contexts.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Anderson Ranch Arts Center Residency | Snowmass Village, CO

  • Anderson Ranch’s Artists-in-Residence Program fosters creative, intellectual and professional growth for emerging and established visual artists. Residents have access to world-class facilities and studio time, free from everyday pressures. Residents can pursue interdisciplinary projects among a community of working artists, and gain feedback from prominent Visiting Artists and Critics. $30 application fee applies.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Pollock-Krasner Foundation grants

  • The Foundation welcomes applications from visual artists who are painters, sculptors, and artists who work on paper, including printmakers. Grants are intended for a one-year period of time. The Foundation will review expenditures relating to an artist’s professional work and personal expenses, and amounts range up to $50,000. Artists must be actively exhibiting their current work in professional artistic venues, such as gallery and museum spaces.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Indigo Arts Alliance mentorship residency | Portland, ME

  • Indigo Arts Alliance fosters mentorship by pairing two artists together during a residency period of 1-2 months to cultivate rich conversation, collaboration, and exchange experiences, knowledge, art industry information and technical skills. Housing, stipend, and 24-hour access to community studio provided. For Black and Brown artists.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Alterwork Residency | Long Island City, NY

  • This residency allows emerging contemporary artists time and space to create new work exploring their practice. The residency culminates in a solo closing reception that is promoted across an extensive network. Proposals should have a contemporary art focus showing experimentation and career reach for the artist. The program is especially interested in projects that involve conceptual art, practice or theory, or involve the public in their creative process.

  • Deadline: Rolling

ART14 Residency | Patton, Pennsylvania

  • During their stay, artists’ objectives are self-prescribed. The program welcomes all types of artists, writers, musicians, etc. of all skill levels, welcomes creators to explore new media and techniques, and encourages collaboration but does not require it. Residents are encouraged to explore and engage with the local community. 

  • Deadline: Rolling

DC Arts Center Call for Curators | Washington DC*

  • Apply to curate and exhibition at the DC Arts Center, send your resume and cover letter/artist statement to info@dcartscenter.org

  • Deadline: Rolling basis, apply now!

Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant

  • The Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant program provides interim financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen, catastrophic incident.

  • The maximum amount of this grant is $15,000; an award of $5,000 is typical.

  • Deadline: Rolling

DC Arts Center Open Call For Artists | Washington DC*

  • The DC Arts Center accepts applications to exhibit in their Main and Nano Galleries on a rolling basis.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants

  • Emergency Grants is the only active, multi-disciplinary program that offers immediate, project-based assistance of this kind to artists living and working anywhere in the United States, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad. Grants range in amount from $500 to $3,000, and the average grant is $1,900.

  • Deadline: Rolling

The Awesome Foundation

  • The Awesome Foundation is a global community advancing the interest of awesome in the universe, $1000 at a time. Each fully autonomous chapter supports projects through micro-grants, usually given out monthly. Projects include initiatives in a wide range of areas including arts, technology, community development, and more. Many awesome projects are novel or experimental, and evoke surprise and delight.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund

  • The Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund provides support to creators during times of extraordinary hardship. Current Fund efforts are focused on supporting creators who have been directly impacted by the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. If selected, you will receive $10,000 from the Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund. 

  • Deadline: Rolling

Awesome Foundation on the Water Grant

  • This grant awards $1,000 per month to a water-focused project that brings creativity, culture, and inclusion to the water or provides a new way of thinking about the water. Applicants can be based anywhere in the world.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Creative Capital Artist Lab

  • Creative Capital Artist Lab is a new online professional development curriculum designed to help artists build thriving practices at any career stage and in any discipline. Free for individual use, courses are created by art professionals, industry experts, and fellow artists who share vital concepts, skills, and tools to help grow artists’ careers—including courses on crafting artist statements, grant proposals, managing multiple income streams, and more.

  • Deadline: Rolling

Artist Communities Alliance Job Postings

  • ACA is hiring for a wide variety of positions. Apply ASAP!