Art Calls in Illinois - March Deadlines

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.

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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 "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 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...

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.

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 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.