Calls for Small Art Around New England

Fall is a time when small works shows take over galleries across New England. These often annual affairs encourage artists to make pieces in little scales and at modest price points. They can be a challenge for makers who tend to work big, but allow artists to share their work and for collectors to buy great things that fit into their homes and budgets. Many organizations require membership to take part in their small works shows, but there are some that are open to a broader artistic pool. Below are a few select calls for small art going on throughout the region. They are listed in order by deadline date. For information on each of these calls, please reach out to the respective gallery or organization.

The Local New London
The Great Big Little Art Show
Deadline: Registration begins September 27, Rolling

The Local, a new art gallery and event space in New London, Connecticut is hosting a little art show in which the gallery will provide participating artists with three 10” x 10” canvases for a fee of $25. The resulting exhibition will take place November 22 - January 3. Viewers will be able to vote for favorites and three top works will receive $100 prizes and a future three person show. Details on this show are available at www.thelocalnewlondon.com.

Pillar Gallery + Projects
NANO
Deadline: October 15, 2024

Pillar Gallery in Concord, New Hampshire is taking submission for its NANO small works show. Two-dimension works may be a maximum of 6” x 6” or 8” x 8” if framed and three-dimensional works may be 4” x 4” x 4”. There is a suggested application fee of $5. Full details, application, and contract can be found at www.pillargalleryprojects.com.

Artistree Community Arts Center
Small Works 2024
Deadline: October 30, 2024

Artistree Community Arts Center in South Pomfret, Vermont is accepting applications for its small works show in a range of media. Two-dimensional works may be up to 12” x 12”, and three-dimensional works may be 6” x 6” x 6”. Artists may submit up to 5 works for sale for $15. The show opens November 15 and runs through December 21. There is a separate concurrent call for entry for small ceramics. Details on the small works show can be found at www.artistreevt.org.

Cambridge Art Association
2024 Holiday Small Works Sale
Deadline: November 12, 2024

The Cambridge Art Association is seeking artworks for its annual small works sale. There is a $15 fee to participate, and a size limit of 14”. All submissions must be priced at $150 + Massachusetts sales tax. Sales are split 50/50 between artists and the CAA, and this event is a fundraiser for CAA’s Emergency Fund for Visual Artists. Full details and application can be found at www.cambridgeart.org.

Morini Gallery at Mass Arts Center
2024 Small Works Juried Exhibition
Deadline: November 12, 2024

The Morini Gallery at the Mass Arts Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts is seeking entries of two-dimensional works for its small works show. Works may not exceed 20” in any directions. The exhibition is juried and includes a “next tier” jurying level that allows for artists to sell additional works. The show is on view December 4 to January 26. Full details can be found at www.massartscenter.org.

The New Art Center
Small Works Exhibition 2024
Deadline: November 12, 2024

The New Art Center will be hosting a juried small works show in the New Art Corridor in Newtonville, Massachusetts. Two-dimensional works may be a max of 12” x 12” and three-dimensional works may be a maximum of 8” x 8” x 8”. Artists may submit up to ten works for consideration and there is no fee to apply. The exhibition will open December 2, 2024. Full details and application can be found at www.newartcenter.org.

The Collaborative
Small Works Show
Deadline: November 17, 2024

The Collaborative in Warren, Rhode Island, is seeking entries for its annual Small Works Show. The show is open to all non-functional two and three-dimensional works. The size limit is 8” or 9” if framed. The submission fees for this show start at $10 for one work, up to $30 for the maximum of four works. No commission is taken on sales. Entry deadline is November 17 and the show opens December 5. Full details and registration can be found at www.thecollaborative02885.org.

If you have ideas for future professional development and opportunity blog posts for artists, please email me at michael@providenceartclub.org and I’ll be happy to consider any suggestions.

Header photo: The Collaborative’s 2023 Small Works Show, via Michael Rose.

Seven Grants for New England Artists

With Labor Day comes a reminder that artists too are laborers and the visual arts involves a great deal of hard work that is often underfunded. That being said, there are always interesting grant opportunities available. It sometimes takes some searching to find funding opportunities, but I have assembled a collection of six grants with deadlines coming up that are aimed at artists across New England. They are listed in order by deadline date. For more information on any of these grants, please follow the links provided or reach out to the respective grantmaking organization.

Vermont Arts Council
Artist Development Grants
Deadline: September 10, 2024

The Vermont Arts Council’s Artist Development Grant program is accepting applications through September 10, 2024. With maximum awards of $2,000 per artist, this program aims to aid individual artists with expenses related to things like professional development, professional services, and other costs. This year, flood relief is also an eligibility area. Details and full application can be found at www.vermontartscouncil.org.

Artadia
Boston Award
Deadline: September 15, 2024

Artadia is currently seeking applications for individual artist awards in a variety of cities including Boston. Awards are $15,000 and are unrestricted. This award is is open to contemporary artists who live and work within Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk Counties. Learn more and apply at www.artadia.org.

New England Foundation for the Arts
Public Art Learning Fund
Deadline: September 16, 2024

The New England Foundation for the Arts is providing grants of $500 - $3,000 to support professional development for artists seeking to improve their public art practices. Applications are due by September 16 and funding can be used for professional development in 2025. Full details can be found at www.nefa.org.

The Awesome Foundation
September grant
Deadline: September 18, 2024

The Awesome Foundation awards $1,000 grants monthly to a broad range of projects. Applications are due by the third Wednesday of the month, or by the time the 100th application comes in, whichever comes first. There are several chapters of this funder in New England including serving Rockport and Georgetown, Massachusetts, as well as individual chapters for Connecticut and Rhode Island. Full details can be found at www.awesomefoundation.org.

Connecticut Office of the Arts
Artist Fellowship Program
Deadline: September 20, 2024

The Connecticut Office of the Arts is seeking applicants for its Artist Fellowship Program through September 20, 2024. Grants in three categories will be awarded. Emerging Recognition Grants of $1,000, Artist Fellowship Grants of $3,000, and Artistic Excellence Grants of $5,000. Full details and application can be found at portal.ct.gov.

Monadnock Arts Alive
Mini Grants
Deadline: September 22, 2024

Artists in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire are eligible to apply for mini grant funding from Arts Alive through September 22, 2024. These small grants of $250 are designed to support emerging artists as well as those experiencing financial hardship. Full details and application can be found at www.monadnockartslive.org.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
Artist’s Resource Trust Fund for Individuals
Deadline: October 15, 2024

Grants ranging from $1,000 - $10,000 are available to artists throughout New England and parts of New York from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s ART Fund. Monies from this grant can be used toward a wide variety of expenses and are intended to support mid-career artists who also have demonstrated financial need. Full details are available at www.berkshiretaconic.org.

Header image: Michael Burrows via pexels.com

Seven Opportunities for Rhode Island Artists

Summer tends to be a slow period for artist opportunities, but there are still calls for art and sources for funding. Below is a brief compilation of seven opportunities for Rhode Island artists open in late summer of 2024. Three are for competitive juried exhibitions at different venues, two are for artist grants, one is for a large public art call, and one is for a workforce training program. They are listed in order by deadline date. For more information on any of these calls, please follow the links provided or reach out to the respective organization.

Bristol Art Museum and Rogers Free Library
Knock on Wood Juried Exhibition
Deadline: August 20, 2024

The Bristol Art Museum seeks smaller scale “art that is illusionary, magical, or whimsical that may be rooted in luck or superstition” for a show at Rogers Free Library. This show will be juried by RIC Professor Stephen Fisher. Entry fees start at $25 for non-members and entries are due by August 20. Full details about this call are available at www.bristolartmuseum.org.

Warwick Center for the Arts
38th Annual Rhode Island Open Juried Exhibition
Deadline: August 24, 2024

The Warwick Center for the Arts invites Rhode Island artists to submit work for its Annual Open Juried Exhibition, which features works in a range of media by artists from across the state. $400 in prizes will be awarded and the juror is sculptor Victoria Guerina. Entry fees start at $25 for non-members. Details on this call are posted at www.warwickcfa.org.

Pawtucket Arts Collaborative
The Color of Sound Juried Exhibition
Deadline: August 25, 2024

The Pawtucket Arts Collaborative is seeking entries for a juried exhibition with a theme of “art inspired by music”. This call features $800 in prizes and the show will be juried by William Shaff. Entry fees start at $20 for non-members and entries are due by August 25. Full details about this call can be found at www.pawtucketartscollaborative.org.

The Steel Yard
Welding Workforce Training Program
Deadline: September 6, 2023

Get paid to learn how to weld at The Steel Yard in Providence. This unique offering is a 32 hour job-readiness program, which develops skills that can be used to create public art and offers a stipend of $250. Completion of the program makes individuals eligible for a three month long part time apprenticeship in The Steel Yard’s Public Projects Department. Preference is given to applicants who reside in Central Providence. Full details on workforce training can be found at www.thesteelyard.org.

Interlace Grant Fund
Emergency and Project Grants
Deadline: September 7 and 15, 2024

The Interlace Grant Fund is accepting applications for both Emergency Grants (due September 7) and Project Grants (due September 15). Interlace is a regional regranting partner of the Andy Warhol Foundation. Emergency Grants range from $100-$500 and are for Providence-based artists impacted by crises. Project Grants range from $4,000-$6,000 and are aimed at supporting artist-driven projects in the Providence area. Learn more about these great funding opportunities at www.interlacefund.org.

RI Fire Academy
Request for Artists for Public Artwork
Deadline: September 3, 2024

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts seeks artists to share their qualifications for a substantial public art project at the Rhode Island Fire Academy Phase 3 Expansion as part of the State’s Public Art Law which mandates that 1% of the budget for construction of public buildings be used on artwork. The budget for this project is $28,000 and applications are open to artists in New England and New York. The deadline to submit is September 3, 2024 and the application is live at www.callforentry.org.

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
Artist Open Studio Tour Grants
Deadline: Rolling

Did you know that RISCA offers small grants in support of Artist Open Studios? The grant amount is $750 and grants are available on a rolling basis until funding runs out each fiscal year. Funding must support studio tours that feature multiple artists in a specific geographic area. Consider applying and getting a studio tour started in your studio building or neighborhood. Full details on this funding opportunity are available at www.arts.ri.gov.

Header image: Brett Sayles via pexels.com