Here’s the latest SoCal Art Open Calls

East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice & Art Space HP Water Exhibition

Summary: “We are excited to curate this exhibition highlighting water— the memory it holds, all the life it sustains, and most importantly, our collective responsibility to protect it. We invite you to share your art that speaks to all aspects of our relationship to water from daily life in our homes and neighborhoods, to encounters with bodies of water, to the ways water is protected and by who. Your pieces can speak to the past and present or can also reflect a vision you have for future water conditions. Through your stories and art, we hope to honor the labor and love poured into defending water here on Tongva territory (so-called Los Angeles), on Turtle Island and by communities around the globe.”
Deadline: 2/16/26
Location: Art Space HP, Huntington Park, CA
Exhibition Dates: 3/5/26 - 4/2/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: No fee

“You Made It” Call For Queer Artists

Summary: “You Made It” invites artists to explore the moment of relief upon finding the threshold of home. Where weariness vanishes with an exhale, the sense of searching slows as the body finally relaxes; a sugar cube dissolving in tea. From your perspective as a queer artist, reflect on senses of safety, belonging, or quiet joy. Consider spaces, relationships, routines, or moments where identity feels affirmed and at rest. Let the work exist without tension or resolution, let it be rooted instead in comfort, presence, and being seen.”
Deadline: 2/27/26
Location: FOLD Gallery, Los Angeles
Exhibition Dates: 3/18/26 - 5/13/26
Mediums: All
Entry Fee: No fee

Space to Exhale

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

City of Laguna Beach Art That’s Small at City Hall

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 8 through April 15, 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: 3/8/26 - 4/15/26
Mediums: Artwork may include oil, acrylic, watercolor, photography, drawing, mixed media and relief
Entry Fee: $15

To view previously listed calls that are still open click HERE.

Bonus: There’s still spots open for the 4 Day workshop with Geoffrey Allen, April 17 - 20, 2026 at Willow Pond SLO. Applications close on March 6, 2026. Click HERE to learn more.

Note From the Publisher- This newsletter serves as a curated list of exhibition opportunities for artists in Southern California. SoCal Art Opportunities is not affiliated with these opportunities and is not involved with the organization of these opportunities. For any questions concerning the opportunities listed in this newsletter, please reach out to the hosting organizations directly.