Top Art Competitions 2025

Discover current open calls for national and international art competitions.

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Deadline

Oct 5, 2025

Information

Prize of the Vestische Künstlerbund

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

Reward

1,500 € + Exhibition

Location

Recklinghausen
Germany

Eligibility conditions

No students
Resident of Nordrhein-Westfalen (DE)

Deadline

Oct 5, 2025

Information

LOST 28th Prize of Vestischer Künstlerbund

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Sound / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Printmaking / Installation / Performance / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics
Theme: LOST

Reward

1,500 € + Exhibition

Location

Recklinghausen
Germany

Eligibility conditions

No students
Resident of Nordrhein-Westfalen (DE)

Deadline

Nov 15, 2025

Information

5th Art Prize of the Protestant Church of Württemberg

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Printmaking / Installation / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics
Theme: Interplay

Reward

10,000 € + 10,000 € budget + Exhibition
3 x: 1,000 € + Presentation

Location

Stuttgart
Germany

Eligibility conditions

No students
Resident of Germany

Deadline

Nov 16, 2025

Information

Förderpreis für gegenständliche Kunst des Bodenseekreises

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Painting / Drawing
Theme: Figurative Art

Reward

4,000 € + Exhibition
1,000 €

Location

Salem
Germany

Eligibility conditions

No students
Born between 1990 (included) and 2007 (included)
Resident of Austria, Germany, Switzerland

Deadline

Nov 23, 2025

Information

Sammlung Goetz - 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

Jan 19, 2026

Information

Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Video
Theme: Short Films

Reward

8,000 €
4,000 €
1,500 €
5,000 €
3,000 €
2,000 €

Location

Oberhausen
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Deadline

Jan 31, 2026

Information

The Golden Sail Art Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Photography
Theme: Encounters shape our lives

Reward

1,500 € + Exhibition
1,000 €
500 €
500 €

Location

Bad Zwischenahn
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Deadline

Anytime

Information

Förderpreis der Stadt Konstanz

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

Reward

2,000 €

Location

Konstanz
Germany

Eligibility conditions

Born between 1984 (included) and 2001 (included)
Resident of Baden-Württemberg (DE)
Bezug zum Landkreis Konstanz

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.