Art Calls in Illinois

Instrumental Theatre Company, an emerging Chicago theatre whose mission is to inspire harmony through ensemble storytelling crafted at the intersection of actors and musicians, invites playwrights, composers, and writers to submit their work for The Mixtape New Works Festival Vol. 2. This developmental project will feature 4 new pieces of theatre that will be workshopped and performed as stage...

The Fulton Street Collective announces an open call for "Abstractions: Seeing with the Mind's Eye," curated by Ryan Miller. This exhibition will feature color, form, and gesture rather than literal representation. All types of visual art will be considered. Entry fee is $35 for up to three pieces.

Pansy Craze is an exhibition highlighting the individuality of trans artists through whimsical storytelling that explores grief, what could have been, and eccentric experiences. With surrealist concepts and abstracted views, the exhibition displays images of love, melancholy, and pleasure that speak to the life of each trans artist. The show creates a shared, intimate, and safe space—a sanctuary...

The Farwell House AIR is a multidisciplinary visual artist residency whose mission is to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists (21 years and older) of various disciplines to work without interruption in a supportive, rural environment. For the 2026 sessions, artists will be selected through an open application process to live and work at Farwell House in Frederick,...

Arts/Industry has been connecting artists with the resources, technology, and materials of Kohler Co. for more than fifty years, providing a place to explore new ideas, processes, and perspectives. Artists from all disciplines are encouraged to apply, including international artists. Each year, up to twelve artists are selected for three-month residencies in the Pottery or Foundry areas of the...

We are looking for work primarily of political and social resistance. With the past year of chaos, and domestic terrorism from ICE, Boarder Patrol agents, and the Fed at large, we want to provide a space for artists, writers, journalists / citizen journalists, musicians, activists, organizers, and the rest of us to tell our stories and our truth. Work can directly reference the past year in the...

Ignition Project Space is an artist-owned and run gallery on the west side of Humboldt Park in Chicago, IL. The gallery supports Illinois artists by providing a space and modest stipend for solo shows. Ignition encourages non-commercial project-based exhibitions, events, and general risk-taking. All media, artistic backgrounds, and experience levels are welcome.

The Art-in-Architecture Program of the Capital Development Board is seeking Illinois professional artists to create permanent original public art for the Illinois State University (ISU) Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts Complex in Normal, Illinois. The Committee is seeking an exterior artwork for the courtyard on the northside of the new Commons addition, which links the Visual Arts and Performing...

This public art commission is open to all professional artists, artisans, or artist-led teams that live and work in the state of Illinois. The commission is for the Illinois State University Fine Arts Complex located in Normal, IL, with a budget of $195,000. The application opens January 15, 2026 and closes March 4, 2026.

In summer 2026, in honor of the United States' Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) and as DuPage County welcomes visitors for the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club, the College of DuPage will present Walking With Giants, a free outdoor art exhibition celebrating American artistic achievement. The exhibition will feature ten larger-than-life painted silhouettes, approximately ten feet...

The Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce presents the 53rd Annual Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival, heralded as one of the top shows in western suburbs of Chicago and recipient of West Suburban Living's "Best Summer Art Show" for 2012-2022. The festival takes place Saturday & Sunday, June 6 & 7, 2026, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., in Burlington Park, 30 E Chicago Avenue, Hinsdale, Illinois. Located in the heart of...

The 21st annual Lakeview East Festival of the Arts will take place September 19-20, 2026, in Chicago at 3200-3500 N. Broadway. Show hours are Saturday 11AM-7PM and Sunday 11AM-7PM. Load in is Friday, September 18th, 3:30PM-9PM, with cart in Saturday 5AM-9AM.

Quad City Arts invites established and emerging sculptors across the United States to submit work for the annual rotating Public Sculpture Program. Up to six pieces per artist may be submitted, and works previously exhibited are welcome to be resubmitted. Sculptures are chosen by up to eight selection committees annually. The 2025-26 program placed 34 sculptures in the cities of Moline and Rock...

The Illinois Watercolor Society invites artists to submit work for its 42nd National Exhibition, held May 1-30, 2026 at The Next Picture Show, 113 W. First St., Dixon, Illinois. The exhibition is open to all artists 18 years or older. Work must be original, painted after January 1, 2023, and cannot have been previously displayed in an IWS exhibition or completed in a class or workshop.

The Freeport Art Museum is seeking qualifications from Illinois-based professional artists to serve as Lead Artist for United We Create, a community-driven public mural project celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary. The selected artist will lead the design and creation of a large-scale mural for FAM's public plaza, developed through hands-on engagement with youth and community members....

Art on the Square is introducing a new Local Artist Competition for the 2026 festival, designed to highlight and elevate artists living in the Metro East region. Art on the Square is one of the nation's top juried fine arts festivals presenting approximately 100 artists on the Public Square in Belleville, IL in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area. The show has been in the top 1% of art fairs...

Artist Grant awards an unrestricted $1200 USD grant to one visual artist three times each year.

In cooperation with the Liturgical Arts Festival of Springfield (LAFS), the Springfield Art Association (SAA) will host a juried exhibition of liturgical and sacred art as part of the biennial, interfaith Liturgical Arts Festival: Sacred Rhythm/Sacred Pattern. All spiritual interpretations, approaches and media are welcome. The exhibition aims to support diversity, promote understanding, and...

Innovate Grant awards quarterly grants to support artists and photographers. The Winter 2026 cycle offers two $1,800.00 grants—one to a Visual Artist and one to a Photographer. Additionally, 12 honorable mentions (6 in art and 6 in photo) will be featured on the Innovate Grant website and join a growing community of artists. Innovate Grant's commitment extends beyond the grant cycle by promoting...

The 66th Naperville Fine Art & Artisan Fair, the longest running art fair in Illinois, is presented by the Naperville Woman's Club. Located in downtown Naperville on the grounds of Naper Settlement, a park-like setting with paved pathways, mature trees and historic buildings, the show hosts over 110 qualified, juried artists. Located 28 miles west of Chicago, Naperville is home to approximately...

OH Art Foundation presents the 4th Asian Pacific American Festival of the Arts—"Still After: Threads of Remembrance," a group exhibition curated by Yi Cao. Still After: Threads of Remembrance brings together contemporary AAPI artists who understand memory not as a fixed archive, but as an embodied, recursive, and unfinished process. For diasporic and displaced subjects, remembrance is often a...

Off the Page: Poetry Reimagined is producing Issue 2: Bodies Luminous—a literary arts magazine that also becomes a gallery exhibition. This issue is inspired by Diamond Forde's poem "fat girl Dances with a Stranger at a Block Party." The call invites women and non-binary artists to submit artwork inspired by the poem and its themes. Submissions are open to international artists in the following...

Side Street Studio Arts seeks artwork to represent the Asian American community during Asian American and Pacific Islander Month. W/E is a reference to the western/eastern cultural split for which many Asian Americans in the United States hold space. This is an open call for visual art in any medium to discuss, share, and make space for this experience.

Off the Page: Poetry Reimagined is producing Issue 2: Bodies Luminous—a literary arts magazine that also becomes a gallery exhibition. This issue is inspired by Diamond Forde's poem "fat girl Dances with a Stranger at a Block Party." Women and non-binary artists are invited to submit artwork inspired by the poem and its themes. Up to three works per entry are accepted in any medium except new...

OH Art Foundation presents the 4th Asian Pacific American Festival of the Arts, "Still After: Threads of Remembrance," a group exhibition curated by Yi Cao, Director of the Society of Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition runs May 15 – July 12, 2026, at the Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St., Chicago, IL 60609, with an opening reception on Friday, May 15, 2026,...

New Gallery is accepting proposals for its Monthly Installation Artist Residency space (miar). Open to any artist, medium, or discipline, the gallery seeks artists to create site-specific installations in the space and large-scale sculptural installations to activate the gallery's window display. Selected artists will have their work on view for one month, including during the opening reception...

The 21st-annual Art Spectacular at the Carillon is held outdoors on the lawn of the beautiful Botanical Garden at Washington Park in Springfield, IL, featuring up to 60 professional artists. Each artist displays original and limited edition artwork in a variety of media. The event includes patron bucks, demos, kids' art sale, kids' activities, music, silent auction, gift basket raffle, and food...

Portraits, bodies, gestures, expressions, posture, the quiet story a figure can hold. Faces & Figures invites artists to explore the human form in any style, from realism to experimental, from intimate studies to bold narrative scenes. Selected works are featured in a curated online collection with your name, artwork title, and website link for lasting visibility.

The "Are You Really Winning?" Problem Gambling Awareness Art Competition, now in its fourth year, invites Illinois residents ages 14 and up to create artwork that shines light on the journey from darkness to hope for those struggling with a gambling addiction. Artists are invited to submit original works that give voice to those affected and inspire hope for recovery, with entries judged on how...

The Wicker Park Fine Art Fair will take place on Saturday, September 12, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at 1425 N. Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622 in Wicker Park.

The "Are You Really Winning?" Problem Gambling Awareness Art Competition, now in its fourth year, invites Illinois residents ages 14 and up to create artwork that shines light on the journey from darkness to hope for those struggling with a gambling addiction. Artists are invited to submit original works that give voice to those affected and inspire hope for recovery, with entries judged on how...

Chicago Grand Gallery is accepting applications for its Wall Space Rental Program, offering Chicago artists a flexible and affordable opportunity to showcase their work in an established gallery setting. The rental space is 8 x 8 feet, located at 2842 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL. The rental rate is $300 per month on month-to-month terms. Artists retain 100% of all sales with no commission taken.

The 51st annual Art in the Barn juried fine art festival will be held September 26-27 on the grounds of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, IL, located 35 miles northwest of Chicago. The show runs from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM both days. This open-air event features over 175 juried artists exhibiting work in rustic barns, farm buildings, and artist-provided tents, along with live music and...

The Downers Grove Fine Arts Festival will be celebrating 49 years this fall. The festival is held in the middle of award-winning, historic Downtown Downers Grove, located 22 miles from Chicago's loop. Direct access to the BNSF rail line brings patrons from around the region and the City of Chicago to the festival. The festival is scheduled to be held in the middle of Main Street, with live music,...

The 72nd Annual Glenview Art League Summer Art Fair takes place Saturday and Sunday, July 18-19, 2026, from 11am to 5pm at Lyon School, 1335 Waukegan Road, Glenview, Illinois. This volunteer-run event is the second longest running art fair in Illinois, dating back to the 1950s. The fair features fine artwork and craft on a tree-filled grass lawn with live music, food, and kids activities. Free...

Flatline Gallery is seeking works dealing with existence and survival in the age of the Anthropocene, inspired by Elivia Wilk's Death by Landscape. Works of all mediums are welcome. The submission deadline is April 5, 2026. The exhibition is scheduled for summer 2026.

The Deer Path Art League's 71st Annual Art Fair on the Square is held in Market Square in Lake Forest, Illinois. This fine arts fair is a long-standing tradition and the organization's signature event. Proceeds from booth fees and sponsorships support the Deer Path Art League's mission to bring visual arts to the community. Artists must submit four images: three showcasing their work and one...

The Peoria Heights Arts Collaborative (PHAC) is excited to announce the 2026 Peoria Heights Fine Art Fair. The 2026 Fair is a two-day event, Saturday May 9, 2026 from 9:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday May 10, 2026 from 10:00am to 4:00pm. This is a juried event with a top prize of $1,000.

Every other year, the LFC’s Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program welcomes a creator who wishes to develop an artistic project in a school setting. The LFC is particularly interested in partnering with an artist exploring textile and fiber arts or ceramics, but will consider any artistic project and choose the most promising. All disciplines are welcome: architecture, visual arts, performing arts...

Established in 1985, the Riverwalk Fine Art Fair is among the top rated art fairs in the nation. Held annually on the prestigious Riverwalk in Naperville, Illinois, the two day event draws more than 40,000 art conscious citizens from near and far. The show is scheduled for September 19 and 20, 2026, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on both days, with setup on Friday, September 18, from 8:00 am to 6:30...

Midsummer Arts Faire is a juried art exhibition and sale celebrating the arts in Quincy, Illinois, taking place the fourth weekend in June in historic downtown Washington Park. The event welcomes artists and makers representing both fine and curated handmade art. A maximum of 65 artists are accepted to ensure strong individual sales. Show organizers have partnered with community groups to include...

The Elgin Group is looking for three performance artists to join the group. Chosen artists will be paid $300 to work on their original show, which will be featured at an artist showcase in October 2026.

The Elgin Group is back for a third season of indie performance art! We are looking for three performance artists to join the group. Chosen artists will be paid $300 to work on their original show, which will be featured at an artist showcase in October 2026.

NON:op Arts and Humanities is seeking a large and diverse group of people to raise awareness about book banning by reading/recording the titles of banned books. You are invited to contribute to the recorded sound by adding your voice to the sound component of the Inventory of Lost Books installation.

Digital Art, Assemblage and Collage IV is a group, thematic exhibition that will focus on the various forms of digital art, collage and 3D assemblage. The exhibition will be held at the Limner Gallery from June 17 - July 11, 2026. Entry is open to all forms of digital art, collage, assemblages and combinations thereof. Traditional hand cut paper, digital and combined media collage are all...

This juried exhibition celebrates the diverse ways artists interpret, reimagine, and respond to floral and botanical subjects through contemporary perspectives.

The Edwardsville Art Fair is an annual 3 day outdoor juried arts celebration presenting the work of approximately 85-100 talented local, regional, national, and international artists; local performing arts; live art demonstrations; children’s art gallery; and food and drink vendors. Located in beautiful historic City Park in Edwardsville, Illinois, 25 minutes from St. Louis, Missouri, the fair...