Opportunities for the Field

December 26, 2025

We compile opportunities for artists and arts organizations that are available in

New Jersey, or benefit those working in the arts in New Jersey. You'll find professional development workshops, grant announcements, calls for artists, resources, and more. Check out all three categories: Featured Opportunities, Opportunities for Artists, and Opportunities for Organizations.

While we do not share Job Opportunities, we do recommend the following resources for those looking for work in the arts field: ArtPride NJ Job Bank, NJ Theatre Alliance, Dance NJ, NJ Motion Picture & Television Commission, and Arts Admin Jobs.

Please note: Some opportunities may require fees to submit or participate. Be sure to read calls thoroughly to decide if it is a good fit for you.

Sign up to receive Opportunities via email, read the Submission Guidelines or

submit an opportunity for consideration.

Featured Opportunities

Now Open: Folk & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Project Grant

Folk & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Project (FTAP) grants provide $10,000 to support an individualized, structured learning opportunity between an Apprentice artist and one or more Mentor Artists. By providing funds to support artists’ time and project expenses, FTAP grants allow intermediate-level artists to significantly advance their skills and cultural knowledge in a specific folk and traditional art form. The FTAP application process is a two-part process. After submitting Application Part 1, eligible applicants will be sent the link to Application Part 2. Information sessions available.

Application Part 1 Deadline: January 8, 2026

Announcing the Upcoming Access Thursday Roundtable Schedule!

These events, presented by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, are peer-to-peer learning opportunities covering a wide range of arts accessibility topics.

Upcoming Roundtables:

January 8: Expanding Access in Dance

February 5: Contracting Audio Describers and Sign Interpreters

Request for Proposals: Individual Artist Fellowship Program Administration and Artist Service Organization Feasibility Study

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is Seeking a Mission-aligned Partner to Work with on a Multi-year Project Addressing Two Major Artist Services Goals.

Open Office Hours: January 12 and 16, 2026

Application Request Deadline: February 5, 2026

Proposal Deadline: February 12, 2026

Exhibition: More Than Touch, A Connection

Call for Artists

Focusing on creating an inclusive experience for visually impaired visitors, this exhibition will be held at the Ocean City Arts Center, Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, and the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University.

Deadline: January 13, 2026

Registration Open: Winter Arts & Health Roundtables

The Arts & Health Roundtables aim to bring together New Jersey organizations who are actively involved in the arts and health field, as well as those interested in entering it. These virtual sessions are meant to be spaces to network, share resources, and drive partnership. The winter Arts & Health Roundtables will be held January 2026, with one date being offered for arts organizations and one date being offered for non-arts partners like funders, healthcare workers, state entities, and more.

January 14: Community Partners Session

January 22: Arts Partners Session

Free Virtual Workshop: Work Samples That Wow!

Calling all New Jersey artists! Registration is now open for the next session of The Business of Being an Artist. Led by Junious Brickhouse and Jackie Domenus, this webinar will present the current best practices in presenting work samples from the perspectives of working artists who also administer large-scale programs that rely on work samples to select artists.

Event Date: January 21, 2026

Registration Deadline: January 14, 2026

Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant Program

The National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, has released guidelines and application materials for the Creative Forces Community Engagement grant program, part of the Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network. Grants support non-clinical, community-based arts engagement programming for military and veteran populations, including family members and caregivers. The primary aim of the National Creative Forces Community Engagement grant program is to enhance the health, well-being, and quality of life for military-connected individuals who have experienced trauma. The program achieves this by funding arts initiatives that encourage creativity, build social connections, improve resilience, and help smooth the transition to civilian life.

Deadline: January 15, 2026

Applications Now Open for the 2026 - 27 NEA Big Read, Celebrating America250

The National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest are now accepting applications for the 2026 - 27 cycle of the NEA Big Read, a national program that offers matching grants of up to $20,000 to support community-wide reading programs. This year’s NEA Big Read will center around the theme America250, honoring the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, marking America’s semiquincentennial.

Intent to Apply Deadline: January 15, 2026

Application Deadline: January 29, 2026

Public Art at NJPAC: Stories in Sound, Movement, and Community

Call for New Jersey Artists

New Jersey Performing Arts Center is commissioning thirteen new public artworks to be installed in locations across its redeveloped campus in downtown Newark, NJ. Artists, particularly those with community-engaged practices, are invited to create these pieces and help envision and energize this new neighborhood. This new public art program, created in partnership with Project for Empty Space, weaves together stories in sound, movement, and community - vital elements of all of NJPAC’s work both on stage and off - using installations and interactive experiences to illuminate the cultural life of our community.

Deadline: January 19, 2026

New Jersey Poetry Out Loud

Registration is now open for the 2025-26 New Jersey Poetry Out Loud season.

Through this program, high school students across the country participate in a dynamic poetry recitation competition that is designed to improve their public speaking skills, help build confidence, and teach them about literary history. A partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and participating state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud provides free lesson plans and other educational materials to teachers and organizers, including an online poem anthology.

Deadline: January 21, 2026

Join the Families First Discovery Pass Program!

Reach new audiences, have greater impact, and amplify your programming. The Families First Discovery Pass program provides families and individuals enrolled in state assistance programs with free or highly discounted admission to arts and history organizations and venues.

Next Deadline: January 30, 2026

Call for Artists to Submit Work for the 2026 New Jersey Arts Annual

The Morris Museum invites submissions for the 2026 New Jersey Arts Annual - Common Ground: New Jersey Artists Think Monumental, a juried outdoor exhibition of monumental sculpture, installations, and murals. This exhibition will transform the Museum’s 8.4-acre campus into a dynamic landscape of contemporary art. All artists over the age of 18 who either work or live in the state of New Jersey are eligible to apply. All mediums are eligible. There is no entry fee.

Deadline: February 13, 2026

South Jersey Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families: Submit to the 2026 Outside the Wire Literary Magazine

“Outside the Wire” is a literary magazine based out of Rutgers-Camden with a mission to give veterans, service members, and military families with ties to South Jersey and Pennsylvania a platform to express themselves and find their voices - whether that is through prose, poetry, art, or the spoken word.

Submission Deadline: February 23, 2026

Save the Date: Making it Public

Making it Public is a free five-week training series designed for artists interested in exploring and expanding their public artmaking practice, presented by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Wednesdays, February 25 - March 25, 2026, 6 - 7:30 PM

Registration opens January 7, 2026!

Sign up to be notified!

Opportunities for Artists

Exhibition Opportunity: Call for South Jersey artists!

Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts + Sciences invites South Jersey artists to submit new small works for All The Small Things: A Small Works Exhibition.

Deadline: December 31, 2025

Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants

The Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants program provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for recent unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies to artists in financial need who are creating in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, and choreography.

Deadline: January 6, 2026

Join the Teaching Artist Community of Practice!

This quarterly, virtual series of meetings will serve as a platform for sharing experiences, discussing new opportunities, and connecting with each other.

Next Meeting: January 7, 2026

Now Open: Folk & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Project Grant

Folk & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Project (FTAP) grants provide $10,000 to support an individualized, structured learning opportunity between an Apprentice artist and one or more Mentor Artists. By providing funds to support artists’ time and project expenses, FTAP grants allow intermediate-level artists to significantly advance their skills and cultural knowledge in a specific folk and traditional art form. The FTAP application process is a two-part process. After submitting Application Part 1, eligible applicants will be sent the link to Application Part 2. Information sessions available.

Application Part 1 Deadline: January 8, 2026

Public Art Opportunity: Call for Mural Proposals

The Arts Council of Princeton and the Princeton Environmental Film Festival are looking to collaborate with local and regional artists on a mural celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Princeton Environmental Film Festival. Emerging themes this year are our relationships to land and water.

Deadline: January 9, 2026

Exhibition: On the Grid, Off the Grid

Call for Artists

Deadline: January 9, 2026

Exhibition: Drawing Rooms Solo Project Space #4

Call for Artists Interested in a Solo Show

Deadline: January 9, 2026

Exhibition: All the Rage

Call for Artists

Deadline: January 11, 2026

Murphy Writing of Stockton University 32nd Annual Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway

A supportive, participant-focused writers’ conference at Seaview Hotel, Galloway, NJ. (Sliding scale tuition options.)

Event Date: January 16 - 19, 2026

Registration Deadline: January 12, 2026

Exhibition: More Than Touch, A Connection

Call for Artists

Focusing on creating an inclusive experience for visually impaired visitors, this exhibition will be held at the Ocean City Arts Center, Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, and the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University.

Deadline: January 13, 2026

Free Virtual Workshop: Work Samples That Wow!

Calling all New Jersey artists! Registration is now open for the next session of The Business of Being an Artist. Led by Junious Brickhouse and Jackie Domenus, this webinar will present the current best practices in presenting work samples from the perspectives of working artists who also administer large-scale programs that rely on work samples to select artists.

Event Date: January 21, 2026

Registration Deadline: January 14, 2026

Exhibition: The Pursuit of Happiness

Call for Artists

Deadline: January 14, 2026

Public Art at NJPAC: Stories in Sound, Movement, and Community

Call for New Jersey Artists

New Jersey Performing Arts Center is commissioning thirteen new public artworks to be installed in locations across its redeveloped campus in downtown Newark, NJ. Artists, particularly those with community-engaged practices, are invited to create these pieces and help envision and energize this new neighborhood. This new public art program, created in partnership with Project for Empty Space, weaves together stories in sound, movement, and community - vital elements of all of NJPAC’s work both on stage and off – using installations and interactive experiences to illuminate the cultural life of our community. Information sessions available.

Deadline: January 19, 2026

Nice Art Grant

Call for Emerging and Mid-career Artists

Deadline: January 20, 2026

2026 Folk Alliance International Conference

Discounted registration fee for artists!

Event Dates: January 21 - 25, 2026

Location: New Orleans, LA

Shakespeare in American Communities

Applications are now open for the 2026-27 cycle of Shakespeare in American Communities, a national program that offers support to nonprofit theater companies bringing performances and educational activities to their communities.

Intent to Apply Deadline: January 29, 2026

Application Deadline: February 12, 2026

Exhibition: Claybash

Call for Entries

The Hunterdon Art Museum’s second Triennial Juried Exhibition of Ceramics - Claybash - invites artists and makers to submit work that explores clay as both material and idea.

Deadline: February 9, 2026

Call for Artists to Submit Work for the 2026 New Jersey Arts Annual

The Morris Museum invites submissions for the 2026 New Jersey Arts Annual - Common Ground: New Jersey Artists Think Monumental, a juried outdoor exhibition of monumental sculpture, installations, and murals. This exhibition will transform the Museum’s 8.4-acre campus into a dynamic landscape of contemporary art. All artists over the age of 18 who either work or live in the state of New Jersey are eligible to apply. All mediums are eligible. There is no entry fee.

Deadline: February 13, 2026

Lighthouse International Film Festival

Call for Film Submissions

Deadline: February 19, 2026

South Jersey Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families: Submit to the 2026 Outside the Wire Literary Magazine

“Outside the Wire” is a literary magazine based out of Rutgers-Camden with a mission to give veterans, service members, and military families with ties to South Jersey and Pennsylvania a platform to express themselves and find their voices - whether that is through prose, poetry, art, or the spoken word.

Submission Deadline: February 23, 2026

Exhibition: Works on Paper

Call for Artists

Deadline: March 22, 2026

Call for Experimental Visual Art for Hardcover Book Editions

Selected artists are featured with detailed curatorial review essays in the catalogue, which are released in editions. Point Pleasant Publishing accepts experimental and alternative forms of visual art including photography, performance, video, film, installation, assemblage, collage, fiber, printmaking, light design, jewelry, fashion/costume design, and analogue digital (no AI).

Rolling Deadline

Creative Capital Artist Lab

Creative Capital Artist Lab is an online professional development curriculum designed to help artists working at any career stage, and in any discipline, build thriving practices. courses are created by art professionals, industry experts, and fellow artists who share vital concepts, skills, and tools to grow artists’ careers. Courses are delivered through Zoom lectures and discussions, long-form videos, and text-based learning formats. Artist Lab includes exercises, tips for best practices, and case studies that can be taken at participants’ own pace. Courses and videos are available in English and Spanish, with ASL interpretation.

The Entertainment Community Fund: Social Service Groups and Workshops

The Entertainment Community Fund understands that a life in the arts has its own unique set of challenges. Their free, online groups and workshops - facilitated by social workers - offer a safe and confidential setting where performing arts and entertainment professionals can share and learn, as well as provide and receive support.

Dance New Jersey’s Resource Directory

This online resource is designated to help connect, support, and elevate the vibrant dance artists across New Jersey. Whether you are a professional dancer, dance student, instructor, choreographer, or dance enthusiast, our unique directory will give you quick access to explore new services, opportunities, and partnerships within and beyond the state.

CERF+ Emergency Relief Grant

Support available for artists working in craft or materials-based folk/traditional disciplines who have experienced a recent, unforeseen, career-threatening emergency.

1-on-1 Consultation for Immigrant Artists

NYFA 1-on-1 Consultations for Immigrant Artists offers individualized career-centered conversations for creatives of all disciplines. During these free 40-minute online consultation sessions with arts industry experts, you can seek advice on specific topics or general resources and opportunities to help you navigate building your arts career in the U.S.

Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026

This national Semiquincentennial initiative will showcase the importance of the handmade, both throughout our history and in contemporary life. Handwork 2026 is a yearlong collaboration among organizations, educators, and makers to celebrate the diversity of the crafts that define America, bringing compelling stories and underrepresented art and artists into the spotlight.

CaFÉ (Call for Entry)

Used by more than 175,000 artists and over 800 arts organizations, CaFÉ is the leading application management system for art calls. CaFÉ strives to make art opportunities available to all by offering arts organizations an affordable submission platform and artists an easy way to apply. Artist registration is FREE!

Opportunities for Arts Organizations

Announcing the Upcoming Access Thursday Roundtable Schedule!

These events, presented by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, are peer-to-peer learning opportunities covering a wide range of arts accessibility topics.

Upcoming Roundtables:

January 8: Expanding Access in Dance

February 5: Contracting Audio Describers and Sign Interpreters

Request for Proposals: Individual Artist Fellowship Program Administration and Artist Service Organization Feasibility Study

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is Seeking a Mission-aligned Partner to Work with on a Multi-year Project Addressing Two Major Artist Services Goals.

Open Office Hours: January 12 and 16, 2026

Application Request Deadline: February 5, 2026

Proposal Deadline: February 12, 2026

Registration Open: Winter Arts & Health Roundtables

The Arts & Health Roundtables aim to bring together New Jersey organizations who are actively involved in the arts and health field, as well as those interested in entering it. These virtual sessions are meant to be spaces to network, share resources, and drive partnership. The winter Arts & Health Roundtables will be held January 2026, with one date being offered for arts organizations and one date being offered for non-arts partners like funders, healthcare workers, state entities, and more.

January 14: Community Partners Session

January 22: Arts Partners Session

Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant Program

The National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, has released guidelines and application materials for the Creative Forces Community Engagement grant program, part of the Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network. Grants support non-clinical, community-based arts engagement programming for military and veteran populations, including family members and caregivers. The primary aim of the National Creative Forces Community Engagement grant program is to enhance the health, well-being, and quality of life for military-connected individuals who have experienced trauma. The program achieves this by funding arts initiatives that encourage creativity, build social connections, improve resilience, and help smooth the transition to civilian life.

Deadline: January 15, 2026

New Jersey Poetry Out Loud

Registration is now open for the 2025-26 New Jersey Poetry Out Loud season.

Through this program, high school students across the country participate in a dynamic poetry recitation competition that is designed to improve their public speaking skills, help build confidence, and teach them about literary history. A partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and participating state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud provides free lesson plans and other educational materials to teachers and organizers, including an online poem anthology.

Deadline: January 21, 2026

2026 Discover Jersey Arts Messaging Campaigns

Throughout the year, ArtPride New Jersey packages content around unique themes - Winter Holidays, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Summer Arts, and more - and promotes selected events as dedicated Discover Jersey Arts campaigns through jerseyarts.com and multiple marketing channels. Participation in the campaigns is available to those organizations registered with the Jersey Arts Marketers (JAM) network.

Next Deadline: January 22, 2026

Audience Insights Manager (AIM)

AIM puts patron data analysis tools in the hands of arts organizations, helping them to better understand and grow their audiences. New Jersey State Council on the Arts grantees are eligible for the ArtPride Member Rate.

Next Deadline: January 23, 2026

Join the Families First Discovery Pass Program!

Reach new audiences, have greater impact, and amplify your programming. The Families First Discovery Pass program provides families and individuals enrolled in state assistance programs with free or highly discounted admission to arts and history organizations and venues.

Next Deadline: January 30, 2026

Notice of Funding Availability: Activate Trenton’s Downtown

Call for Nonprofit Organizations

The Capital City Redevelopment Corporation is launching a new grant program to support projects to boost economic and social activity in downtown Trenton/Capital District. Funding awards will range from $25,000 to $300,000.

Deadline: February 6, 2026

National Endowment for the Arts FY27 Grants for Arts Projects Guidelines Now Available

Guidelines and application materials for the National Endowment for the Arts’ principal grants category, Grants for Arts Projects, are now available. These grants support projects taking place in any part of the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. jurisdictions.

Deadlines: February 25 and July 21, 2026

Become an RevolutionNJ Partner Organization!

New Jersey's rich arts community has a unique opportunity to engage their audiences with a once-in-a-generation initiative. RevolutionNJ is New Jersey's official commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, happening in 2026.

Watch a recorded informational workshop here.

Already in the know? Become a Proud Partner today by submitting an application here.

Interested in bringing the "Revolutionary Lives" traveling exhibition to your site? Fill out this Reservation Form.

If you have any questions about this initiative or the application, please reach out to Marc Lorenc: marc.lorenc@sos.nj.gov

NJ Human Services Opens Fourth Round of Grant Funding to Create Inclusive, Healthy Communities

NJ Human Services announces that non-profits and county or municipal government agencies can now apply for the next round of funding in the Inclusive Healthy Communities Grant Program to help communities across NJ support the health and well-being of individuals with disabilities where they live, work, learn and play.

Arts Reach: The Association of Arts Management, Marketing and Development Professionals

Arts Reach supports leading arts professionals the Arts Reach website, conferences, magazine, webinars, and e-letters. The strategies and techniques presented via Arts Reach focus on successful revenue-generating techniques for arts practitioners and leaders.

Performing Arts Readiness

Free webinars on various topics related to emergency preparedness for performing arts organizations.

The New Jersey Department of the Treasury’s Grants Management Office is here to help you!

The goal of the Grants Management Office is to make grant opportunities and resources easily accessible for municipalities, counties, nonprofit organizations, and other interested stakeholders. With a mission to increase the amount of federal grant dollars New Jersey receives, GMO works to help build the capacity of its partners to successfully apply for and manage grant programs.

Succession Planning for Cultural Institutions

Two recorded webinars now available:

Part One | Research Findings

Part Two | Resource Roadmap

Learning and Engagement Funding from Art Bridges

The purpose of an Art Bridges Learning & Engagement Award is to support art museum transformation and the engagement of new and diverse audiences through innovative programming.

Arts on Prescription: A Field Guide for US Communities

From the Massachusetts Cultural Council – A Guide for Communities to Develop Programs that Integrate Arts, Culture, and Nature Resources into Local Health and Social Care Systems

Art Equity

Tools, Resources, and Training for Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Equity, Inclusion, and Justice through the Arts

dPlan|ArtsReady

The dPlan|ArtsReady tool guides you through the steps of creating elements of your performing arts organization’s emergency plan. Organizations can request a free year of access.

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, created in 1966, is a division of the NJ Department of State and a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Council was established to encourage and foster public interest in the arts; enlarge public and private resources devoted to the arts; promote freedom of expression in the arts; and facilitate the inclusion of art in every public building in New Jersey. The Council believes the arts are central to every element we value most in a modern society including: human understanding; cultural and civic pride; strong communities; excellent schools; lifelong learning; creative expression; and economic opportunity. To learn more about the Council, please visit www.artscouncil.nj.gov.

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