A list of calls for artists and exhibitions in Hawaiʻi. Questions regarding a particular opportunity should be directed to the organization listed with the opportunity. Inclusion here should not be interpreted as an endorsement.
Calls for Artists
- Call for Entry (CaFE). The Call for Entry (CAFE) website can be searched by state (choose the “sort by” menu on the left side of the screen). Search the Café website: Artist.CallForEntry.org.
- Call for artists: “Vessels: that which hold” exhibit, open to Hawaiʻi-based 2D and 3D artists in all mediums and styles. Submissions due by August 8, 2025. For more information and to enter, please go to the CallForEntry.org posting: 2025 Vessels.
- “2025 Trash Show: Hawaiʻi Island Recycles” open to Hawaiʻi Island artists. All artworks must be made from post-consumer recycled materials, discards, throwaways, accrual, etc. Large 3-D pieces are encouraged. Submission deadline: September 12, 2025. For more information and to enter, please go to the CallForEntry.org posting: The 2025 Trash Show: Hawaiʻi Island Recycles.
- Call for Hawaiʻi Island artists of all ages: 17th Annual Hawaiʻi Nei art exhibition in celebration of native species found on Hawaiʻi Island. Call opening soon; learn more on the Hawaiʻi Nei website: HawaiiNeiArtExhibition.org/prospectus.html.
- Call for photographers: “River to Richards: Documentary Photography in Hawaiʻi”, celebrating the past and present of Honolulu’s urban core. Downtown Art Center (Honolulu), open call August 4 – September 5, 2025. To learn more, please go to the Downtown Art Center website: DowntownArtHI.org/documentaryphotography.
- East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center “36 Views of Mauna Loa” open call for artists January 1 – 31, 2026. Learn more on the EHCC website: ehcc.org/opencall/36views.
- Call for artists: “Wings and Woodlands: A Tribute to Native Birds and Forests”, Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project, Birds Not Mosquitoes, Kauaʻi Endangered Seabird Recovery Project and Tree for Honolulu’s Future celebrate Hawaiʻi’s native manu through art. Artists of all ages may enter. Entries due by October 31, 2025. For more information and entry forms, please go to KFBRP Art Exhibit Guidelines 2025 (Google Doc).
- Hawaiʻi Craftsmen 58th Annual Statewide Exhibition call for traditional and contemporary craft. Registration closes August 31, 2025. For more information, please visit the Hawaiʻi Craftsmen website: HawaiiCraftsmen.org/ASE2025.
- County of Kauaʻi call for artists: County of Kauaʻi Planning Department and Friends of Hanapēpē Monument invites statements of interest and qualifications for a public art installation to be located in Hanapēpē, Kauaʻi to memorialize and commemorate a piece of Hanapēpē history. Applications open through Monday, September 1, 2025. RFI and additional information are posted to the County of Kauaʻi website, kauai.gov.
- Murals in Honolulu City & County Parks program: mural proposals for city properties are reviewed by the Honolulu Commission on Culture and the Arts. Learn more about the process on the Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) website: HonoluluMOCA.org/murals.
- Upcoming call for artists: University of Hawaiʻi Insect Museum insect art show in October. Submissions are currently scheduled to open in September. To learn more and participate, please contact Sandra Schachat by email at [email protected].
Calls for Exhibition Proposals
- Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) Call for Exhibitions: MOCA manages civic spaces inside Honolulu Hale such as the courtyard and Lane Gallery. These spaces are used to showcase the talents of visual artists and showcase the work of non-profit organizations and schools from our diverse community. Partnerships with community organizations have enabled MOCA to grace the halls of City buildings with a wide range of artwork displayed on a monthly basis. All exhibits are free and open to the public. For more information and to submit a proposal, please go to the Honolulu MOCA website: HonoluluMOCA.org/call-for-exhibitions.
- Kahilu Exhibits at Kahilu Theatre (Waimea, Hawaiʻi Island) seeking exhibition proposals for the 2026 calendar year. As many as 6 proposals will be accepted to fill open exhibition slots from June through December of 2026. Proposals from solo artists, artist groups, collectives, and curators are welcomed. Exhibitions featuring all media are encouraged to apply including, by not limited to: painting, drawing, photography, fibers, mixed media, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, video art, sound art, installation, new media, fashion, and traditional crafts. Entry deadline: September 8, 2025. For more information and to apply, please go to the CallForEntry.org posting: Kahilu Exhibits 2026.
- Sheraton Kaʻanapali (Maui) “Meet the Artist” program applications to showcase and sell your work in the hotel lobby. Application form: Meet the Artist application.
Media description
Colorful illustrations of koa bugs, a detail of “Koa Bug Colorways” by Saxony Charlot, alcohol marker, pen and ink, colored pencil, 2023. Art in Public Places Collection of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA). Currently on display at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol, office of Representative Sue L. Keohokapu-Lee Loy. Purchased from the “2024 Hawaiʻi Nei Art Exhibition” at Wailoa Center (Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island). Learn more about artworks in the collection in our new online database: sfca.hawaii.gov/app-art.