Summary: “SFVACC invites artists to explore the expressive force of color in all its forms — from the saturated and electric to the subtle and restrained. This exhibition looks at the interplay between hues, values, and intensities, and how contrast can spark emotion, define space, or disrupt expectation. We welcome work that examines color as language, as sensation, and as an agent of mood, movement, or meaning.”
Deadline: 1/25/26
Location: TAG Gallery, Los Angeles
Exhibition Dates: 2/25/26 - 3/20/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: $40. (Early Bird Discount of $10 use code Chroma10 until December 31, 2025)

Summary: “The Alhambra City Arts and Cultural Events Commission (C.A.C.E.) extends an invitation to individuals and groups, with priority given to Alhambra residents, to be considered for a month long exhibition in the Alhambra City Hall Lobby Art Gallery. Approved artists will receive notification from staff and assigned an exhibition month.”

Deadline: Ongoing

Location: Alhambra City Hall

Mediums: All hangable artworks

Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “This exhibition seeks works that explore connection—connections between people, cultures, materials, and ideas. We welcome pieces that honor traditional craft, push the boundaries of fiber as a modern art form, or reimagine textiles in unexpected ways. Whether your work is deeply personal, abstract, conceptual, or rooted in community stories, we want to hear your voice.”
Deadline: 1/25/26
Location: Studio ACE Gallery, Oceanside
Exhibition Dates: 2/21/26 - 3/27/26
Mediums: Textile and fiber art
Entry Fee: $25

Summary: “The City of Santa Clarita is seeking five artists to create bold, colorful artworks for a magical “Under the Sea” display above the Children’s Area at the Valencia Library Branch! Each selected artist will design a 60” x 60” canvas that will be on view for two years. Inspiring young readers from May 2026 – May 2028. From coral reefs and kelp forests to curious sea creatures and underwater worlds, we’re looking for designs that spark imagination and celebrate the wonder of ocean life.”
Deadline: 1/26/26
Location: Valencia Library, Valencia
Exhibition Dates: May 2026 – May 2028
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “We're excited to announce our Feb-March lobby art show: Welcome to Twin peaks. We invite Southern California artists to create pieces inspired by the world of Twin Peaks, with all submissions due BY 11:59PM on Jan 29th⁠. Artists may submit multiple pieces (though space is limited, so all may not be accepted)⁠. All mediums are welcome, but no pieces made using AI will be accepted⁠. Pieces must be inspired by Twin Peaks⁠”
Deadline: 1/29/26
Location: The Frida Cinema, Santa Ana
Exhibition Dates: Feb - March 2026
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “We are taking submissions for our first group show of the year, Pets! We want to see artwork of any pet, past or present, that you want to show off.”
Deadline: 1/30/26
Location: Carter Sexton Artists Materials, North Hollywood
Exhibition Dates: February 2026
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: $15 per accepted piece

Summary: “As part of the City of Glendale’s initiative to become a prime arts and culture destination, up to ten long-term to permanent artwork installations will be commissioned, developed and established over the course of the next few years. These landmark installations will be strategically placed throughout the City in locations that focus on public accessibility and encourage public engagement and interactivity. This RFQ outlines three current art opportunities across the City of Glendale.”

Deadline: 1/30/26

Location: Various locations throughout Glendale

Mediums: All

Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “Dorado 806 invites you to submit artwork on the theme of California Dreaming. Our intention is to showcase the depth, the breadth, the beauty, the history, and particularly, the strong community of California with her spectrum of unique perspectives.”
Deadline: 1/31/26
Location: Dorado 806, Santa Monica
Exhibition Dates: 3/8/26 - 4/30/26
Mediums: Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Fiber, Photography, Sculpture
Entry Fee: $30

Summary: “TAG Gallery invites 18 years and over residents of the United States to submit to the 4th Annual Lazarus Excellence in Watercolor Exhibition. This call for watercolor is open to a broad variety of styles and themes accepted. Submitted and accepted artwork must be available for sale by TAG in order to be shown in this exhibition. Artists may submit Watercolor, Gouache, or Watercolor pencil artworks, at or under 52 x 52 in.”
Deadline: 1/31/26
Location: The Artists Gallery (TAG), Los Angeles
Exhibition Dates: 2/25/26 - 3/20/26
Mediums: Watercolor, Gouache, or Watercolor pencil artworks
Entry Fee: $40

Summary: “Casa Familiar invites artists to submit work that thinks of metamorphosis as a boundless, enchanted form of transformation that can reshape people, animals, objects, and places. “Exquisite Potential” seeks entries in all types of media by women and non-binary identifying artists who wish to challenge oppressive realities and seek emancipatory sights, sounds, and spaces that emerge anew.”
Deadline: 2/1/26
Location: The Front Arte & Cultura, San Diego
Exhibition Dates: 3/7/26 - 5/19/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “The Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum calls for artists to submit original artwork inspired by the garden’s cherry blossom trees.  Selected artworks will be displayed from February 21, 2026 to April 21, 2026. Submissions are open to local, national, professional, and amateur artists with various mediums allowed.”
Deadline: 2/1/26
Location: Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum, San Diego
Exhibition Dates: 2/21/26 - 4/21/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “Chef’s Kiss is a curated exhibition celebrating artwork that hits just right...it's bold, clever, refined, unexpected, or quietly perfect. Works that stop us mid-scroll. Pieces that make us nod, smile, linger. Art that earns that unmistakable chef’s kiss gesture. The theme is open by design. Food-inspired work is welcome, but not required. We’re looking for strong, compelling pieces across all mediums that feel resolved, confident, and memorable. If it’s your best work, the kind you’d put your name behind without hesitation, we want to see it.”
Deadline: 2/1/26
Location: Covet Art Gallery, Oceanside
Exhibition Dates: 2/21/26 - 3/21/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: $25

Summary: “This annual juried exhibit showcases artwork from all over the state of California and explores creative movements happening in the state. Open to all living artists ages 18+ residing in California. All entries must be original, completed in the past three years, and not previously shown at the Brea Gallery.”

Deadline: 2/6/26

Location: Brea Gallery, Brea

Exhibition Dates: 4/25/26 - 6/28/26

Mediums: All

Entry Fee: $10 per entry during the month of October 2025; $20 per entry beginning November 1st through the close of the call

Summary: “It’s a force that symbolizes love, passion, heat, intimacy and the pulse of life. Our reception for this show will be on Valentine’s Day...so bring on any of the above. NOTE: The color crimson does not need to dominate your piece as long as it’s prominent. Dip your brush into that deep, rich red and show us what you create!”
Deadline: 2/6/26
Location: Art on 30th, San Diego
Exhibition Dates: 2/14/26 - 3/20/26
Mediums: “All 2D artworks are welcome as well as any 3D artwork (glass/ceramic sculpture) that fits on a pedestal.”
Entry Fee: $35 for up to 2 pieces

Summary: “We are interested in photo-montages, vintage/antique and unique developing processes, photographs of interesting cultures (respectful images), photographs of bizarre and otherworldly subjects, photographs of incredible or extreme events and applications of photography in places where it doesn’t belong. If this is confusing… look at what we have exhibited previously to give yourself an idea of the aesthetics our curators like.”
Deadline: 2/7/26
Location: La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles
Exhibition Dates: 3/6/26 - 3/29/26
Mediums: Photography
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “Artists, collectives, and creatives are invited to submit their qualifications to create an exciting new civic art piece in Anaheim. Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center, in partnership with Center Housing Partners, is overseeing the effort to bring original, site specific artwork to be created as part of a larger development initiative that furthers the mission of the City of Anaheim to create a place for residents to live, work and play.”
Deadline: 2/8/26
Location: Anaheim
Mediums: Mural
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “Visions Museum of Textile Art (VMOTA) is proud to announce the call for entries for Quilt Visions 2026, the museum’s 27th international juried exhibition. Exhibition jurors will select work exemplifying art quilting at the highest level of quality, innovation, surface design techniques, excellence in composition, and craftsmanship.”

Deadline: 2/9/26

Location: Visions Museum of Textile Art, San Diego

Exhibition Dates: 10/23/26 - 1/16/27

Mediums: Textile art

Entry Fee: $40 for all VMOTA members and $50 for non-members (up to 3 works)

Summary: “Ask yourself the following question, what moves my soul? This open call is a love letter to your soul, inviting you to tap into any medium and show us those exact things that get your soul moving. It can be the passions that ignite your creativity, callings that give you a sense of purpose, or strong feelings that move you to action. If this question reminds you of what your soul has been missing, then reconnect with those things and share that with us through your art! We want to peek into what, or who, shapes your soul.”

Deadline: 2/9/26

Location: South Gate Art Gallery, South Gate

Exhibition Dates: 4/18/26 - 6/6/26

Mediums: All

Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “A vinyl toy art show, OPEN CALL for entries! Design your own blank MUNNY vinyl toy figure. Scribble, sculpt collage, customize it into anything your creativity can imagine!”
Deadline: 2/14/26
Location: Art Supply Warehouse, Westminster
Exhibition Dates: 2/24/26 - TBA
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “Curated by A. Laura Brody and Lisa Tomczeszyn. This is a call for wearable art, dipping into the world of fantasy, costume design, and fashion ideas that merge and float between art, fashion, and craftsmanship.”

Deadline: 2/15/26

Location: Los Angeles Makery, Los Angeles

Exhibition Dates: 4/2/26 - 5/26/26

Mediums: Wearable art

Entry Fee: $20

Summary: “We’re excited to feature a wide range of work at City Hall! While we always love seeing paintings and photography, we’re now also accepting 3D mixed-media pieces (up to 30 lbs per piece) for display. We encourage artists of all experience levels to apply!”
Deadline: 2/20/26
Location: Whittier City Hall
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “This exhibition celebrates the enduring legacy, landscapes, and cultural imagery of the American West, inviting artists to reflect on its history, traditions, and evolving identity.”
Deadline: 2/22/26
Location: City of Santa Clarita City Hall, Valencia
Exhibition Dates: 3/4/26 - 5/20/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “Esperanza Community Housing is pleased to invite artists to submit work for an upcoming International Women’s Day exhibition centering grassroots immigrant women social leaders in the United States. Esperanza Community Housing is a social justice organization dedicated to comprehensive community development in South Los Angeles, uplifting voices that challenge inequality and celebrate resilience, dignity, and collective power. This exhibition highlights immigrant women from all ethnic backgrounds who are leading, organizing, caregiving, creating, and sustaining their communities. The exhibition honors women whose leadership often goes unseen yet remains foundational to social change. As we mark International Women’s Day, we celebrate immigrant women as visionaries shaping our present and future.”
Deadline: 2/23/26
Location: Esperanza Community Housing, Los Angeles
Exhibition Dates: 2/26/26 - 5/11/26
Mediums: All 2D artwork
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “A Woman’s Place: Framing the Future” envisions a woman’s place as an ever-expanding horizon—one that redefines the trajectory of our collective future. Informed by memory, story, and lived experience, this exhibition explores how shifting perspectives on womanhood are documented, questioned, and celebrated through art. The artists showcased in this exhibition will engage in a vital dialogue between past aspirations and present possibilities, forging new pathways for art and society alike. Their works both challenge traditional boundaries and honor the complexity of women's experiences across generations and cultures.”
Deadline: 2/24/26
Location: The Ebell of Los Angeles
Exhibition Dates: 3/19/26 - 4/22/26
Mediums: 2D artwork
Entry Fee: $25

Summary: “THEME: In the Present. In the Present calls on artists to respond to the urgency of now. This moment is marked by overlapping crises, rapid change, and negotiations of power, identity, survival, and resistance. We invite works that grapple with the socio-political and environmental realities shaping our present lives, from visible struggles to embodied experiences of living through uncertainty. This call welcomes bold, critical, and vulnerable artistic responses that refuse distance but reflect on the present.”
Deadline: 3/1/26
Location: Plaza de la Raza, Los Angeles
Exhibition Dates: 4/18/26 - 5/17/26
Mediums: Printmaking
Entry Fee: $35 for 1-3 prints, LAPS members: $25 for 1-3 prints

Summary: “The City of Laguna Beach Banner Competition is a project of the Arts Commission. Artists are provided with banner material on which to paint original artwork. The completed banners are displayed on lampposts throughout the city of Laguna Beach during June, July and August and celebrate the summer season. The completed banners are temporary and will be displayed when and where the City desires for up to 7 years or based on condition. Open to Orange County, CA residents, 18 years of age or older. $4,000 will be awarded for all completed banners selected.”

Deadline: 3/2/26

Location: Various locations throughout Laguna Beach

Mediums: Drawing, painting

Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “The City of Laguna Beach Council Chamber Banner Competition is a project of the Arts Commission. Selected artists are provided with banner material on which to paint original artwork. The completed banners are displayed in the City of Laguna Beach Council Chambers. Completed banners will be awarded a $900 honorarium.”
Deadline: 3/2/26
Location: Various locations throughout Laguna Beach
Mediums: Painting
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “Shadows. There are none, without Light. Shadows tell of the unseen, yet of things that exist. Show us the Unseen-But-Known: the suspense that builds, the lazy, languid afternoon in long shadow, the shadow-self, veiled, or revealed to us; the secrets that await. Show us, our selves.”
Deadline: 3/8/26
Location: TAG, The Artists Gallery, Los Angeles
Exhibition Dates: 3/25/26 - 4/16/26
Mediums: “Artwork submissions can be in any of the following media: drawing, painting, photographs, digital art, mixed media, collage, and sculpture. No performance art or AI is accepted. For sculptures, the gallery has pedestals, which will be available on a first serve basis.”
Entry Fee: “One or two entries: $35.00 for CAL members with 2026 dues fully paid, and $55.00 for non-CAL members. The $20.00 surcharge for non-members is a one-time offer that gives the new artist membership into CAL at a discount.”

Summary: “We are not generally interested in ceramics where the sole focus is process and material. We are looking for ceramics that hold a narrative or figurative focus. Interesting processes and materials will be considered.”

Deadline: 3/22/26

Location: La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles

Exhibition Dates: 5/1/26 - 5/31/26

Mediums: Ceramics

Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “Chemers Gallery is seeking submissions for a floral inspired juried show. April showers bring May flowers! We are looking for the best you have to offer in all styles and all mediums. A wide variety of submissions are acceptable ranging from traditional botanical and flowers to still-life, gardens and abstracted representation. This will be our 18th exhibit in conjunction with Tustin Area Council for Fine Arts (TACFA).”
Deadline: 3/28/26
Location: Chemers Gallery, Tustin
Exhibition Dates: 5/2/26 - 5/16/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: $40

Summary: “Barking Rabbit Art Collective invites all artists 18 and older residing in the Southern California Region to apply to our first annual open theme show, Locally Sourced.”
Deadline: 4/25/26
Location: Start Los Angeles
Exhibition Date: 5/30/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: $15

Summary: “The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild is seeking art at the edge and beyond the traditional. The Art of Now is our Call to California artists to submit work that pushes boundaries in contemporary art—what it is and what it can be. This is a great opportunity for artists to stretch their creative wings, and try something they have always wanted to bring to fruition.”
Deadline: 5/8/26
Location: Union Hall Gallery, San Diego
Exhibition Dates: 6/5/26 - 6/28/26
Mediums: Painting and drawing, video art, installation, mixed media, fiber art, photography, and sculpture
Entry Fee: Members of SDMAAG: $20, Non-members: $35

Summary: “The 9th Annual PROUD+ Exhibition will be held June 19 - July 31, 2026, during San Diego Pride Month, showcasing the work of LGBTQ+ artists from across the country. Produced by The Studio Door, this national exhibition celebrates the unique perspectives and voices of the LGBTQ+ community through contemporary art.”

Deadline: 5/9/26

Location: The Studio Door, San Diego

Exhibition Dates: 6/19/26 - 7/31/26

Mediums: “Painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, assemblage, collage, mixed media, fiber art, artist book, and sculpture. Please note some restrictions apply to glass, stained glass, ceramics, and stoneware due to unsafe shipping practices by FedEx, UPS, and USPS. Oversized jewelry that can be defined as fine art is acceptable for this show.”

Entry Fee: $35

Summary: “La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles, California, showcases figurative and narrative paintings and unusual sculptures. The Exhibition will take place on August 7, 2026 and run through August until the 31st, 2026. Artists need to be 18+ years of age to participate. Wall hanging artwork must not exceed 20 inches on the longest dimension. Sculpture work cannot exceed 20 inches in width or depth.” 
Deadline: 5/15/26
Location: La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles
Exhibition Dates: 8/7/26 - 8/31/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: No fee