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: “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 San Diego Art Directory, in collaboration with Hera Hub Carlsbad, invites artists to submit work for “Space to Exhale,” an exhibition exploring sanctuary not as escape, but as intentional refuge in response to a world that often feels overwhelming, unstable, or relentlessly demanding.”
Deadline: 3/1/26
Location: Hera Hub, Carlsbad
Exhibition Dates: March 2026 – September 2026
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: $22 for up to two pieces, $35 for up to four pieces

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 Arts Commission is inviting artists to submit proposals for temporary art works for display at the Promenade at Forest. Works may be suspended or installed in various areas throughout the Plaza. Works will be selected by the City of Laguna Beach Arts Commission and on loan from the artist for a specified period. Installations must be durable and safe to the public and environment and withstand an unprotected display in a downtown plaza setting. The rotating temporary works must be appropriate in content for a public setting and audiences of all ages, while offering innovative and unique vision that will help to define the Promenade as a creative community gathering place to be savored and shared, time after time.”
Deadline: 3/2/26
Location: Downtown Laguna Beach
Exhibition Dates: From sixty days up to but not to exceed one year
Mediums: Highly durable and safe artwork designed to withstand the natural elements and public space
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: “Art That’s Small At City Hall” is an open exhibition coordinated by the City of Laguna Beach Arts Commission. All works deemed acceptable will be exhibited at Laguna Beach City Hall, located at 505 Forest Avenue, from March 9 through April 17, 2021, and via online catalogue. Honorarium- First place $600, Second place $300, Third place $150, and City Hall Choice $100. Entries will be accepted from residents of Orange County ages 18 or older.”
Deadline: 3/6/26
Location: Laguna Beach City Hall
Exhibition Dates: 3/9/26 - 4/17/26
Mediums: Artwork may include oil, acrylic, watercolor, photography, drawing, mixed media and relief
Entry Fee: $15

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: “Covet Art Gallery invites artists to submit work for Art Crush, a group exhibition celebrating the pieces everyone can fall in love with and collect. We want to fill the gallery with art that sparks instant connection—works that feel irresistible, joyful, intriguing, or deeply personal. This exhibition is about your favorite pieces—the ones you’re proud of, excited about, and eager to share. Whether bold or subtle, playful or contemplative, polished or raw, we’re looking for art that draws people in and makes them say, “I have to have that.”
Deadline: 3/8/26
Location: Covet Art Gallery, Oceanside
Exhibition Dates: 3/28/26 - 4/25/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: $25

Summary: “Artists are invited to submit artwork for our latest exhibit, POP! Goes the culture, featuring bright, bold, and contemporary pop art.”
Deadline: 3/13/26
Location: The Gallery at the Yorba Linda Cultural Arts Center
Exhibition Dates: 3/24/26 - 6/5/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “The City of Santa Clarita (City) is inviting artists to submit artwork for consideration in the upcoming “Dreamscapes” juried exhibition, which will be on view at the Newhall Community Center from March 25, through June 24, 2026. This exhibition explores the imaginative, surreal, and subconscious worlds that emerge beyond waking reality, inviting artists to visualize dreams, inner landscapes, and fantastical environments. From ethereal scenes and abstract visions to symbolic narratives and altered realities, “Dreamscapes” encourages artists to blur the line between the real and the imagined.”
Deadline: 3/15/26
Location: Newhall Community Center
Exhibition Dates: 3/25/26 - 6/24/26
Mediums: Painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, textiles, and mixed-media
Entry Fee: No fee

Summary: “Open to all artists 18 years of age and older residing in Southern California. Work must be original, completed after 1/1/2023, and never previously exhibited in a judged TOAA show.”
Deadline: 3/15/26
Location: Thousand Oaks Community Gallery, Newbury Park
Exhibition Dates: 5/4/26 - 5/27/26
Mediums: Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Pastel / Graphics, Mixed Media, Photography / Digital Art, 3D / Sculpture
Entry Fee: TOAA Members - $35 first piece, $10 each additional piece, Non-Members - $45 first piece, $15 each additional piece

Summary: “Submit your art – 12″ tall maximum – 3D pieces welcome! The gallery is located in the bustling lobby of the Joslyn Center, right by the parking lot entrance and across from the registration desk – a space that hosts dances, concerts, classes, and more. It’s a great spot to showcase your small but mighty creations!”
Deadline: 3/17/26
Location: Joslyn Center, Burbank
Exhibition Dates: 3/23/26 - 5/18/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: “This is a California Creative Arts hosted show. Members receive priority. If you are not a member, you can join here. We are a nonprofit. Your membership fee is tax deductible, and you keep 100% of your sales. Non-members, if accepted, must become a member or pay a one-time participation fee of $40 (it’s only $10 more for a one-year membership).”

Summary: “Whether you’re including papers, fabrics, elements, textures, objects, ephemera, or photography into your art—we want to see it! Enter the show to show off your evolving and innovative techniques.”
Deadline: 3/20/26
Location: Ashton Gallery, Art on 30th, San Diego
Exhibition Dates: 3/28/26 - 4/24/26
Mediums: All 2D artworks are welcome as well as any 3D artwork (glass/ceramic sculpture) that fits on a pedestal.
Entry Fee: 2 pieces for $35

Summary: “Honoring all creatures of the animal kingdom. Whether they are big or small, flying or swimming, or even creepy and crawly, we want to celebrate the diversity of wildlife through your work. You may submit one piece of art to this exhibition if you’re a San Diego resident or a member of the EAP, art must be your original work.”
Deadline: 3/21/26
Location: Escondido Arts Partnership, Escondido
Exhibition Dates: 4/11/26 - 5/1/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: Members: $20 Public: $30

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: “Following our recent exhibition Systems of Power/Systems of Silence, which explored political force, anger, and collective resistance, the Los Angeles Makery invites artists to submit work for our upcoming exhibition: QUIET. This exhibition turns toward what follows. After the protest. After the rupture. After the breaking point. Silence can be peace. Silence can be grief. Silence can be healing. Silence can be avoidance. Silence can be power. Silence is not empty. It is full of tension, presence, absence, and possibility. We are seeking work that explores quiet in all its forms—psychological, political, emotional, physical, spiritual, and environmental. This exhibition considers silence not as an ending, but as a space of transformation.”
Deadline: 3/22/26
Location: Los Angeles Makery, Los Angeles
Exhibition Dates: 4/2/26 - 4/26/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: $25

Summary: “An exhibition by San Diego Art Directory and Unscripted Spaces, a curated installation inside a high-end interior design showroom in La Jolla Village. Activated Spaces invites local visual artists to apply for In Situ: La Jolla, a curated installation inside Unscripted Spaces, an ultra high-end modern interior design showroom in La Jolla Village. This exhibition places artwork directly within a fully realized residential setting rather than a traditional gallery environment. Selected artists will present their work inside a two-story luxury showroom designed as livable apartments, offering a unique opportunity for artists to demonstrate how art functions within thoughtfully designed interiors.” Eligible artists must reside in San Diego County.
Deadline: 3/22/26
Location: Unscripted Spaces, La Jolla
Exhibition Dates: April 2026 - September 2026
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: $22 for up to two pieces, $35 for up to four pieces

Summary: “We want artwork that will make us chuckle! We love visual puns, satirical art, goofy characters, and anything else funny.”
Deadline: 3/26/26
Location: Carter Sexton Artists Materials, North Hollywood
Exhibition Dates: April 2026
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: $15 per accepted piece

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: “The Associates of Brand Library & Art Center in Glendale, California announces its 54th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper. Cash awards total more than $4,000, including a Juror’s Award. All accepted artworks will be included in an exhibition at Brand Library’s Gallery and in both printed and online exhibition catalogs. We welcome artists at any point on their artistic journey—students, professionals, and hobbyists.”
Deadline: 3/29/26
Location: Brand Library & Art Center, Glendale
Exhibition Dates: 6/6/26 - 8/28/26
Mediums: “Any artwork on or of paper, including collages, drawings, paintings, photography, prints, and 3-dimensional artworks. This year we will not be including video art. Paper must be a visible component of the artwork.”
Entry Fee: $25

Summary: “Woodward Contemporary presents “Beneath the Surface”, an exhibition examining what is concealed within and beyond visual form. We seek works that offer initial clarity yet unfold deeper meaning through texture, layering, and emotional complexity. This call invites artists who engage in a process of excavation-whether physical, psychological, or conceptual- revealing tension beneath the aesthetic calm. Selected pieces should evoke discovery and depth, inviting reflection on what is hidden, repressed, or emerging. Beneath the Surface asks artists to consider not only what is seen, but what is sensed.”
Deadline: 4/13/26
Location: Woodward Contemporary, San Diego
Exhibition Dates: 5/9/26 - 6/6/26
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