Remember to Vote! Massachusetts State Primary Elections are today, September 1, 2026. Polls open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Find your polling place.
New England Foundation for the Arts Survey NEFA is inviting community leaders to share their quick feedback on what makes creative connection challenging through our “How We Make Creative Connections” exploration. They are hoping to hear from as many people as possible across all six New England states before sharing out trends. Learn more.
Deadline: September 11, 2026
Call to Artists Airtight Garage in Salem, MA, seeks two artists who want to create work that shows a marked progression or experimentation within their practice for a duo show opening in October with a $350 honorarium per artist. All mediums welcome, including sound, text, and performance. Learn more.
Deadline: Rolling basis through September 14, 2026
Artist Awards Artadia is now accepting applications for the 2026 Boston Artadia Awards from all visual artists who have lived and worked within Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk Counties for the last two consecutive years at minimum. Individual artists and collaboratives working in all visual media and at any stage in their career are strongly encouraged to apply. Artadia Awardees are selected through a two-tier jury process that combines local expertise with outside perspective from leading curators. A preliminary panel will evaluate all online submissions and select six Finalists in late September. A second panel will conduct virtual studio visits with each Finalist, gaining a broader context for the artists’ work. Of the Finalists, the jurors will designate three artists to receive $15,000 in unrestricted funds. No fee to apply. Learn more.
Deadline: September 15, 2026 – 11:59pm (midnight) ET
Craft Artists CERF+’s Webinar: Safety is an Art Form: Incorporating Risk Assessment into your Creative Practice with Patrick Bond, U.S. Program Officer at Artists at Risk Connection. The webinar will be held Wednesday, September 16 3:00-4:00 EST online via Zoom. This webinar is informative for individual craft artists and arts organizations alike. Free, but registration is required. Learn more.
Cultural Policy Summit Creative Labor: A Boston Cultural Policy Summit at the Boston Public Library, Central Branch in Copley Square, Boston, MA, on Friday, September 18, 2026 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT. This summit is part of C1’s Creative Labor, Creative Conditions convening, co-produced with Doris Duke Foundation and Boston Public Library. Creative Labor, Creative Conditions is a national campaign supported by Doris Duke Foundation, bringing together coordinated activations across the U.S. to center artists in a national conversation about the future of artistic labor. Learn more.
Of Note: Mass Cultural Council’s upcoming Grants for Creative Individuals online information session on September 22, 2026 at 11:00 am. Learn about the Grants for Creative Individuals program which will provide unrestricted grants of $5,000 for artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners to equitably advance creativity in the Commonwealth’s diverse communities. Staff will discuss the grant application and answer attendee questions. Learn more.
Call to Artists The Arts Collaborative of Wakefield has announced the theme of ‘Inspired by…’ for the annual fall ACW art show event in October 2026 and will include the exhibit, art sales, demonstrations, and collaborations, along with a special exhibit. The theme offers a broad canvas for artistic interpretation and expression. This theme is intentionally open-ended, allowing artists the freedom to convey unique perspectives, emotions, and experiences through visual art.
Art Drop Off: Sunday, 9/27, from 4pm to 5pm and Monday, 9/28, from 10am to 11am
Exhibit Dates: Fridays,10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30 from 5pm to 8pm and Saturdays, 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, and 10/24, from 11am to 2. Cash only flat fee of $10 for ACW members and $20.00 for non members due at drop off. Maximum 4 entries per artist in any medium. Learn more.
Deadline: September 25, 2026 (Note that this is also the deadline for making changes or additions to your registration info.)
New England Dance Fund Through the New England Dance Fund, NEFA will award grants between $1,500 and $2,500 directly to choreographers who identify and articulate an important opportunity that will significantly impact aspects of their dance making or advance their role within the regional New England dance landscape. Learn more.
Deadline September 28, 2026
Of Note: Registration is Open for Idea Swap, October 29, 2026, at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.
The Idea Swap is an annual event for New England-based nonprofit cultural organizations to network and share performing arts, literary arts, and film projects that are available for presentation in New England communities. The Idea Swap is an opportunity to develop collaborations and partnerships that will result in applications to NEFA’s Crossroads: Touring New England (formerly known as NEST 3/Expeditions) grant program. Learn more. Once you have registered to attend this year’s Idea Swap, you can apply to be a speaker by submitting your project idea on Whova. Submit by Monday, September 28.
Artist and Writers Residency A Vermont Studio Center residency provides artists and writers from around the world with the time and space to deepen their creative practice while building a solid network of mentors and friends. Sessions run for two, three, and four weeks and include resident presentations, open studios, and an acclaimed Visiting Artists & Writers program. Application fee: $25.00. Learn more.
Deadline: September 30, 2026
Data Theatre Collaborative Grants The Data Theatre Collaborative is offering five $5,000 pilot grants to support faculty, community-based researchers, artists, and civic practitioners in developing their own data theatre projects. The goal is to seed new data theatre work across diverse disciplinary and community contexts and to build a network of practitioners exploring how embodied, rehumanized data can inform teaching, learning, and civic life. Learn more.
Deadline: October 1, 2026
Local Cultural Council Grants The largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, the Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program enriches the cultural life of all cities and towns in Massachusetts. Led by municipally appointed volunteers, LCCs award $6.6 million every year, supporting 7,400 cultural programs that include everything from field trips to lectures, festivals, and dance performances. Learn more.
Deadline: October 15, 2026
Tribal Cultural Council Program Led by tribally appointed volunteers who administer an annual grant program to support local cultural projects. Individuals, groups, and organizations may apply. Grant amounts vary, and applications are submitted directly to each Tribal Cultural Council. Learn more.
Deadline: October 15, 2026
Artist Fellowship The Creative Catalyst Fellowship supports individual artists whose work engages the public on critical issues facing AAPIs and can serve as a catalyst for civic participation. Selected artists join a cohort convened for peer sharing and learning, with access to communications consultation and promotion of their final work. Up to eight artists will each receive $30,000 to produce work with the potential to break through to broader audiences and spark conversations around this year’s theme: Belonging. Learn more.
Deadline: October 15, 2026, at 11:59 pm PT
Boston Artists The Arts Action Consortium is now offering Office Hours for Boston artists. These open drop-in sessions provide a platform for peer-to-peer learning, as well as access to individualized support. These hourlong group sessions are a chance to learn from experienced leaders as well as your peers, and can be used in a variety of ways. Learn more.
Professional Development Fellowship The Creative Entrepreneur Fellowship (CEF) is designed to accelerate the careers and practice of a diverse group of artists and creative solopreneurs. CEF is a customized professional development experience for 8-10 individuals who are selected through a competitive application process. The program kicks off in December 2026 and runs through June 2027. Learn more.
Deadline: October 13, 2026
Call to Artists The Dedham Art Association and the Wellesley Society of Artists, in collaboration with the Charles River Watershed Association, invite New England area artists to a Call for Artists for the early 2027 exhibition, A Charles River Journey: 80 Artists, 80 Miles. The exhibition will take place at the Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown, MA (Jan. 22, 2027–Mar. 12, 2027). Eighty artworks will be juried into the exhibit and eligible for over $2500 in cash awards. Learn more.
Deadline: November 1, 2026
Artist Residency The Studios at MASS MoCA are currently accepting applications. Calls for applications are made four times a year and will open two months prior to the deadline. There are several different ways to apply, learn more about each of them and choose the option that best fits your needs. Learn more.
Cross Sector Resource: How to Find a Local Food Bank.
Image credit: Arnold Eagle (American, 1909 – 1992), photographer, Two young men stand over a piece of machinery, about 1940–1942, Gelatin silver print. Image: 33.7 × 26 cm (13 1/4 × 10 1/4 in.), The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 84.XB.204.2
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