Artist Resources + Opportunities

ArtWorks provides a list of artist opportunities for creatives in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. If you would like us to add an artist opportunity to this page, please fill out this form.

Please note: ArtWorks may not be affiliated with the opportunities listed. If you have questions, please reach out to the organization directly.

Resources

SofaBurn Inc

SofaBurn Inc. is dedicated to supporting artists by subsidizing healthcare costs and providing financial education to help sustain their careers. Artists can apply for financial assistance if medical expenses or debt are hindering their ability to focus on their work. To apply, artists can submit an online application, after which a volunteer from SofaBurn Inc will reach out within five business days to discuss their situation and explore ways to reduce costs. The organization’s goal is to help ease financial burdens and ensure that artists can continue creating and contributing to their communities.

For more information on how to apply or get involved, visit SofaBurn Inc.’s application page.

Opportunities

The Contribution Project Grant

Interact for Health is partnering once again with The Contribution Project to award $400 mini-grants to Greater Cincinnati youth (ages 14-25)! The Contribution Project is driven by the belief that young people who can contribute to their community feel more connected and build their sense of purpose and well-being.

Young people are invited to propose a project that will impact their school, neighborhood, or community and can be completed in 6-weeks. Examples of past projects include student mental health summits, launching podcasts, sustainability initiatives, and food drives. Ideas can be big or small, new or already in motion—as long as they pursue something that interests them and contributes something meaningful to the community.

Deadline to Apply: 9/30/2025

Learn More and Apply

Please reach out to Ross Meyer at rmeyer@interactforhealth.org with questions.

Hanover College Bicentennial Art Project RFQ

Hanover College invites professional artists and artist teams to submit qualifications for the creation of commemorative artwork in honor of the College’s Bicentennial in 2027. This artwork will serve as a lasting tribute to the institution’s 200-year legacy, capturing the spirit, history, and future aspirations of their community.

Medium and site selection: All media and installation types will be considered, as will interior and exterior spaces. Applying artists will have input into the site selection.

Deadline to Apply: 9/30/2025

Qualifications:

They seek practicing visual artists with experience producing public artwork, sculptures or large-scale paintings and the like. Applicants should have a proven record of consistent professional achievements and exhibitions. The artist will have the freedom to use their choice of archival materials, as the piece will become part of the permanent collection.

Budget & Process:

The project budget is $10,000. This is an all-inclusive fee paid to the artist as work for hire. Materials and supplies are the responsibility of the artist. Installation and associated costs will be discussed based on the project selected. The artist’s fee will be paid half upon signing the contract and half upon project completion. Three (3) semi-finalists will be selected from the Request for Qualifications and paid $500 to deliver a site-specific design and presentation of the proposed artwork. Travel and housing costs will be covered for all on-campus meetings and presentations. One artist will be selected. Hanover College is a teaching, learning, and practicing community, integrating a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences with the necessity of career readiness. Student work assistance may be available and requested. Additional compensation may be awarded for lectures, workshops, and programming. Housing may be provided during installation.

How to Apply:

Submit a single PDF Document that includes
- Resume of CV
- Artist statement addressing community outreach. (Max 500 words).
- Ten images of your work. (Additional details permitted.)
- Project details, location, and budget information
- Three references with contact information including phone number and e-mail address
Applications should be sent to Jen Duplaga at duplaga@hanover.edu

Evaluation Process:

Submissions will be evaluated based on merit, professional experience, portfolio quality, and approach to community outreach. Semi-finalists will be evaluated based on communicated mission/concept and the connection of their proposed artwork to the Hanover community.

Timeline:

Deadline for Artist Qualifications must be received by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on September 30, 2025
Review of submissions October 2025
Notification of shortlist October 31, 2025
Semi-finalists visit Hanover College November 2025
Final proposals due January 31, 2026
Confirm artist by March 2026
Art Installation August 2027
Unveiling October 2027

Please reach out to Jen Duplaga at duplaga@hanover.edu with questions.

Community Engaged Practice Programs

Arquetopia is excited to announce the launch of VAACA (Vinculacion Academica, Artistica y Comunitaria de Arquetopia), their new area of Community Engaged Practice. This initiative focuses on strengthening educational and artistic connections with diverse sectors, fostering the shared responsibility of participating in healthy cultural ecosystems. Through VAACA, they will expand their collaborations with museums and cultural institutions, share their critical perspectives, and build meaningful bridges with cultural heritage.

As part of this effort, they are introducing a series of new residencies that bring critical perspectives to artistic practice, with a special focus on non-dominant forms of knowledge that have historically been ignored. These programs highlight reciprocal learning, encourage situated practices, and invite participants to engage with culture as a living and dynamic system.

Deadline to apply: 12/31/2025

Upcoming Programs:

Botany and the Mapping of Ignorance (2026): An immersive two-week learning program that rethinks the history of botany through the lens of colonial knowledge and ecological interdependence.
Unmaking Power, Remaking Worlds: A two-week guided art program designed as a cultural ecosystem, where art, knowledge, and community practices intersect to generate new possibilities for inhabiting the world.
Day of the Dead (2026): A two-week immersive learning program centered on the practices, rituals, and ancestral knowledge of Dia de Muertos, combining Spanish language learning, tasting, and creating as pathways into cultural memory and continuity.

Through these new initiatives, Arquetopia continues to nurture critical dialogue, collective learning, and the creation of new methodologies rooted in reciprocity and cultural awareness. Don’t hesitate to contact Nayeli Hernandez for more information at intcommunity@arquetopia.org

In Person Exhibition – Over $450,000 in Awards Available – Art Comes Alive 2025

For over 30 years, it’s been ADC‘s mission to support living artists, and ACA (Art Comes Alive) does just that. Now entering its 16th year, ACA has earned its reputation as the “Academy Awards for Art,” and it’s only getting bigger.

Held inside ADC’s stunning 13,000 sq. ft gallery in Cincinnati’s vibrant Over-the-Rhine district, an artistic hub bursting with creativity, ACA is a career-making opportunity for contemporary artists.

This one-of-a-kind event connects artists with the people who can elevate their careers: interior designers, gallery owners, private collectors, corporate art buyers, and more. Each year, ACA grows in size, prestige, and influence, and this year promises to be the biggest yet, featuring:

Over $450,000 in awards,
New jurors,
More exposure, opportunities, and ways to get your work seen and sold.

Deadline to apply is 10/03/2025

For more information and to apply click here. To learn more reach out to Chance Smith at csmith@adcfineart.com

Wet Paint Weekly

Wet Paint Weekly is an e-newsletter with writer and artist opportunities. Each week, you’ll learn about everything from church craft bazaars to tenured professorships. You’ll also learn about grants, residences, and more! Many of these gems are available for the taking, right here in our town.

Subscribe here.

To learn more reach out to Anne Skove at askove@askove.com

Titan Contemporary Publishing Curatorial Review Catalogue Publication Editions

Artists who are selected for publication are featured with detailed curatorial review essays in the catalogue, written by the curator. Catalogue articles are released in editions.

Artist Feature Catalogue articles are published on the Titan Contemporary Publishing website here, Substack page here, and in linen wrap hardcover book editions.

Apply here by 12/31/2045

For more information reach out to Michael Hanna at editor@titancontemporary.net

Call to Artists for Baker Hunt/DBL Regional Art Show

running from September 19^th – February 20^th.

Open to 2D artists ages 16+. There is no fee to apply. An artist reception will be held for the public on October 1^st.

More information and application link here.

BRIDGE Call for Literary and Art Submissions

BRIDGE is Chicago’s independent, intersectional not for profit organization for art and public scholarship. They welcome submissions in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, visual art, cultural criticism, design, hybrid work, and book-length pieces and comics from established as well as emerging writers and artists.

Their two submission portals are through here and here.

Fees: $5-$25

For more submission details on their various ongoing publishing projects and live events, visit their submissions page on their website here.

Submission Deadline: November 30, 2025 11:59PM

Additionally, BRIDGE accepts submissions in the form of music, dance, architecture, philosophy, and couture. However, they do not accept this work through Submittable. Please pitch ideas directly to the appropriate editorial department by emailing them at bridge.editors@gmail.com

Independence Alliance Hiring Director of Art Programming

Independence Alliance is currently seeking qualified candidates for Director of Art Programming, a leadership role focused on developing, implementing, and overseeing Art Beyond Boundaries, a visual arts program and art gallery for artists with disabilities. This position contributes to the broader mission of Independence Alliance, which is to empower people with disabilities to lead independent and inclusive lives.

Full time position – 37.5 hours per week Cincinnati, Ohio

The ideal candidate will have a BFA, or BA in graphic design, visual communications, or fine arts and/or five years of experience working in visual arts.

Salary commensurate with education and experience.

If you meet the qualifications of this position, please provide your current resume with a cover letter highlighting your skills and experience. For more information or to apply reach out to Executive Director, Rob Festenstein at rob@independencealliance.org or 513-338-5100.

Open Call to Artists — BLINK

Now entering its fifth edition, BLINK is one of the largest light, art, and projection experiences in the nation. Since its inception in 2017, it transforms over 30 city blocks across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky with large-scale projection mapping, interactive light-based installations, and murals. In 2024, more than 2 million people experienced the festival.

BLINK has put out a call to artists looking for light-based art, projection mapping, digital art + animation, and murals.

BLINK invites artists to submit a proposal and be part of BLINK 2026, taking place October 8 to 11 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Deadline for Submissions: 10/08/25

For more information and to apply click here.

Classes and Workshops

Looking to learn new skills and improve your craft? Here is a list of local community classes and workshops you can attend!

Sew Valley Education Workshops
Discover Contemporary Art Museum Programs
The Professional Practice
ProjectArt – Free Afterschool Art Classes for Youth
Indigo Hippo – Material Play: Free Creative Workshops for Youth
- Indigo Hippo is launching Material Play! A FREE, once-a-month workshop series for youth ages 10-18 (recommended, no restricition for children under 10 but request a parent or guardian present to participate). Learn new creative skills and mediums from local artists and organizations while exploring themes of personal growth, resilience and community.

Membership Opportunities

Creative Ohio
- The statewide advocacy organization that energizes the arts and creative community to crusade for deeper investment in Ohio’s creative economy from Ohio’s state legislature and administration as well as its U.S. senators and Congressional representatives.