Current opportunities for artists in the Florida Keys: local markets and events, gallery openings, and state and national programs. Every listing below was checked at the source, and each one comes down once its deadline passes. A few are kept on afterwards, marked closed, because artists look back at what an application asked for before the next round opens.
Juried exhibition call
Key West Art & Historical Society
Submit one original work for the February 19 to March 28, 2027 exhibition at the Key West Museum of Art & History. Submissions open Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
Before you apply Review the complete prospectus before entering. Accepted work is delivered February 15, 2027 by appointment. Artwork may not be sold during the exhibition.
Exhibition call
The Studios of Key West
Submit one ready-to-hang work on the theme of light for the December 3 to 31 exhibition. Drop off November 12 to 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sunday. Complete the exhibition form and pay the fee before drop-off.
Before you apply Artwork photography takes place November 23. Late drop-offs will not be professionally photographed. Read the organizer checklist for pickup and shipping instructions.
Public art commission
Key West Housing Authority, with the City of Key West Art in Public Places
Permanent public art for fifty-four new apartments going up at 1611-1612 Dunlap Drive in Key West, funded by the city’s one percent for art ordinance. Professional artists and artist teams are invited to propose a permanent installation for the site.
Before you apply There is a pre-proposal meeting on Wednesday, September 30 at 10:00 a.m. in the Housing Authority boardroom, 1400 Kennedy Drive. For the RFP package, write to Vanessa Sellers at sellersv@kwha.org or call 305-296-5621 extension 282.
Grant
Anne McKee Artists Fund
Project grants of up to $3,000 for individual visual, performing and literary artists who live in the Florida Keys, plus the Joint Performance Grant with the Tennessee Williams Theatre and three grants for young artists. The Fund has changed its grant cycle: applications open Monday, September 28, 2026 and close Monday, October 26.
Before you apply The application form opens Monday, September 28 and closes automatically at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 26. Have your written project proposal, its budget and one to five work samples (each under 10 MB) ready before you begin.
Grant
South Florida Cultural Consortium
The Consortium awards $15,000 and $7,500 grants to individual visual and media artists across five counties, and Monroe County artists are eligible. Attending one free workshop was required before applying.
Why this is still here This cycle has closed. It is kept here because artists look back at what the application asked for, and because the Consortium runs the grant most years: attending one free workshop was required before applying, so watch for the next round’s workshop dates rather than the deadline.
Fellowship
Key West Literary Seminar
Covers the full $675 workshop fee, plus help toward four nights of lodging, for writers accepted into the January 2027 Writers Workshop Program in Key West. The priority deadline has passed and applications are still being read on a rolling basis.
Before you apply The Seminar says spots often fill in the first round, so applying now is no guarantee. It is also all or nothing: if the application is declined you cannot then pay and attend.
Exhibition call
Jag Gallery, Key West
Original 2D and 3D work under 10 inches in any direction, including the frame. Selected pieces hang at Jag Gallery in Key West from December 5 through January 10, with trophies for Juror's Choice, Honorable Mentions and People's Choice.
Grant
Pollock-Krasner Foundation
Grants to individual working artists with no deadline at all: applications are open year round and reviewed on a rolling basis. Awards go up to $50,000, with most around $35,000.
The listings above are the ones the Arts Council has checked. For the wider picture, CaFE is the national board most public art commissions and juried exhibitions are posted to, including several of the calls above. It is free to browse and you can filter by state.
Browse CaFE opportunities (opens in a new tab)The Arts Council is glad to consider calls that are open to Monroe County artists. Send the details to info@keysarts.com or call 305-295-4369. The Council's own grant programs are listed under Our Grant Programs, and the Cultural Umbrella and Cultural Consortium pages stay available year round, including between cycles.