Top Art Competitions 2024/2025

Discover current open calls for national and international art competitions.

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Deadline

Nov 22, 2024

Information

DM Award - Connecting Worlds

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Video / Installation
Theme: Projection Mapping

Reward

10,000 € + 20,000 € Project Budget

Location

Karlsruhe
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Deadline

Nov 22, 2024

Information

Hošek Contemporary Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Sound / Painting / Architecture / Drawing / Literature / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics

Reward

1,600 € + Exhibition
1,400 € + Exhibition
1,200 € + Exhibition

Location

Berlin
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Deadline

Nov 23, 2024

Information

Sammlung Goetz - New Media Art Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Video

Reward

5,000 € + Exhibition

Location

Munich
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Resident of Bayern (DE)
For students who will be graduating within the next six months. and recent graduates up to two years after the end of their studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich.

Deadline

Nov 30, 2024

Information

Georg Koppmann Award for Hamburg City Photography

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Photography
Theme: Hamburg's changing cityscape

Reward

8,000 €

Location

Hamburg
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Deadline

Dec 1, 2024

Information

City of Bietigheim-Bissingen - Linocut Today

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Graphic
Theme: Linocut today

Reward

5,000 € + Exhibition
3,000 € + Exhibition
2,000 € + Exhibition

Location

Bietigheim-Bissingen
Germany

Eligibility conditions

No students

Deadline

Dec 2, 2024

Information

Kulturstiftung Öffentliche Oldenburg

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Installation / Sculpture

Reward

8,000 € + Solo Exhibition

Location

Oldenburg
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Born before 1990
Resident of Niedersachsen (DE)
for artists based or born in the business area of Öffentliche Oldenburg (formerly Land Oldenburg)

Deadline

Dec 11, 2024

Information

Kunstmuseum Bonn - Bonner Kunstpreis

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Sound / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture

Reward

10,000 € + International work stipend

Location

Bonn
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Born between 1949 (included) and 1999 (included)
Resident of Nordrhein-Westfalen (DE)
Artists based in or related to Bonn or Rhine-Sieg District, DE

Deadline

Dec 15, 2024

Information

Preis der Nordwestkunst

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics

Reward

2,500 € + Exhibition + Catalog

Location

Wilhelmshaven
Germany

Eligibility conditions

No students
Resident of Bremen (DE), Hamburg (DE), Niedersachsen (DE), Schleswig-Holstein (DE)

Deadline

Jan 5, 2025

Information

Ida Gerhardi Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics

Reward

5,000 € + Exhibition

Location

Lüdenscheid
Germany

Eligibility conditions

No students
Born between 1986 (included) and 2007 (included)
Resident of Nordrhein-Westfalen (DE)

Deadline

Jan 10, 2025

Information

Marehalm Kunstpreis

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Painting / Drawing / Photography / Graphic / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics
Theme: Unseen artists

Reward

3,000 €
2,000 €
1,000 €

Location

Niebüll
Germany

Eligibility conditions

No students
Resident of Germany

Art Competitions – Prizes, recognition and exposure

Art competitions are great opportunities for artists, offering cash prizes along with the rewards of exposure and recognition. By validating your artistic practice, they increase your visibility in the art world. Art competitions can serve as a catalyst that accelerates an artist's progress to success. Visit our website to view the best current art competitions.

Are you looking for open calls for art competitions in a specific country or city? Check our carefully chosen selections:
FAQs: Art Competitions

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding art competitions here:

What is an art competition?

Art competitions are events where artists are invited to submit their work based on a particular theme or category. Organized by a variety of entities such as institutions, galleries, or other art organizations, these competitions aim to identify, acknowledge, and support talented artists. A panel of judges typically awards prizes, exhibitions, publications, or other forms of recognition to the best entries. Winning art competitions offers artists crucial exposure and recognition.

What are typical prizes of art competitions?

Art competitions offer artists a variety of prizes. These can range from cash awards, to opportunities in order to exhibit works and gain exposure. Some competitions also offer artist residencies, scholarships, as well as art supplies or equipment as prizes. Winners may have their work featured in a catalog, an art magazine, or on an online platform, increasing recognition and exposure. Ultimately, winning awards become a valuable addition to an artist's resume.

The list of art competitions on our website specifies in each case clearly what the “prize“ entails.

How does the judging process work?

The jury panel generally consists of a number of distinguished persons from the art world, who, over the course of several rounds, individually decide which applications to eliminate or pass on to the next rounds. Shortlisted works are then subjected to further scrutiny. The process concludes with the panel collectively deciding on the winners.

How do I apply for an art competition?

Most open calls for art competitions require artists to submit a comprehensive application, including a portfolio, an artist statement, and a resume. The number of applicants for art competitions is often high, especially for the more prestigious prizes. Therefore, your application needs be impactful, clear, straightforward, and inviting to review.

Do you need help in these matters? Check our online courses “How to make a portfolio” and “How to write an artists statement” which serve as step-by-step guides giving you all the tools you need to build a strong application for art competitions.