Updated 26 October 2026 · CallOpen.art
Free to apply: 624 of the 1,589 open calls in the CallOpen catalogue today (39%). A fee to apply or to take part: 415. Fee not stated on the organiser’s page: 550.
- Free to apply
- 624
- A fee to apply or take part
- 415
- Fee not stated
- 550
- Free to enter, pay if selected
- 22
Counted from the 1,589 open calls in the CallOpen catalogue, each checked against the organiser’s own page.
Why some calls charge
An entry fee pays for the jury, the platform or the prize itself. Public funders, foundations and many residencies charge nothing; competitions and juried shows charge most often. The first table shows the share of free calls for each type.
How much fees usually are
Where the fee to apply is stated as an amount (321 open calls), most are small — up to about $25: 135; $26–50: 138; $51–100: 40; over $100: 8. Each card shows the fee in the organiser’s own currency.
Free to enter, pay if selected
Some calls are free to submit but charge the artists they select: a hanging fee, a catalogue fee, a participation fee. Such calls in the catalogue now: 22. They are not free, and the catalogue counts them as paid.
Residencies the artist pays for
A residency can be free to apply to and still cost the artist: rent for the room and the studio. Self-funded residencies among the 372 open now: 59.
Warning signs
A high fee and no named jury. A prize that is mostly “exposure” or a listing in a catalogue you pay for. Acceptance guaranteed, or every entrant “selected”. No past editions or results you can find. Pressure to pay fast. None of these alone proves a call is bad; together they are a reason to skip it.
A fee can still be worth it
Some established prizes and shows charge and are worth it: a serious jury, a real exhibition, money for the winners, published results of past editions. Decide call by call, and add up the fees across a season.
| Type of call | Open now | Free to apply | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competitions | 440 | 128 | 29% |
| Residencies | 372 | 132 | 35% |
| Grants | 294 | 183 | 62% |
| Exhibitions | 263 | 68 | 26% |
| Fellowships | 98 | 57 | 58% |
| Workshops | 18 | 5 | 28% |
| Fee to apply, US dollars | Open calls |
|---|---|
| up to $25 | 135 |
| $26–50 | 138 |
| $51–100 | 40 |
| over $100 | 8 |
