Calls for Textile Artists

The weather is currently cold in the northern hemisphere. But if you are building a career in textile art, February and March are not passive months.

They are decision months.

International biennials close.
Residencies select their summer cohorts.
Funding cycles lock in for the year.
There’s so much going on.

Below is a curated and strategically organized list of textile art exhibitions, fiber art open calls, artist residencies, and funding opportunities closing in late February and throughout March 2026 to give you enough time to put your application together for submission.

This is not a random directory.
These are opportunities relevant to contemporary textile and fiber practices.

Scroll to the bottom to find some tips to help you with your application.

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Major International Textile Art Exhibitions (March 2026 Deadlines)

CONTEXTILE 2026 – International Contemporary Textile Art Biennial

Location: Portugal
Deadline: March 7, 2026
Fees: €20
Eligibility: International
Focus: Contemporary textile art
Acquisition Prize: €8,000.00 and two Honorable Mentions of €2,500.00 and €1,000.00

CONTEXTILE is an international platform dedicated specifically to contemporary textile art. If your work is material-driven, conceptual, or pushing the boundaries of fiber, this is a high-visibility opportunity.

Apply: https://contextile.pt/en/contextile-2026-open-call-international-exhibition/

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World of Threads Festival

Location: Canada
Deadline: Feb 28, 2026
Fees: $60 (Canadian)
Eligibility: International
Focus: Contemporary fiber art
Apply: https://worldofthreadsfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/01-application-form-2026-world-of-threads-festival-submission-pdf.pdf

This long-running festival is known for strong curatorial standards and serious textile discourse. Ideal for artists working in sculptural or installation-based fiber practices.

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Fiber Reimagined IV

Deadline: March 10, 2026
Fees: $40
Eligibility: Check country restrictions
Focus: Innovative fiber practice
Apply: https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=16738

Fiber Reimagined centers experimentation. If your work moves beyond traditional formats, this is worth consideration.

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YEA!

Young Emerging Artists call for entry.

Deadline: June 30, 2026
Eligibility: Quilt and textile artists born after November 15, 1990
Fee: $10
Award: Multiple Prize Money Awards
Apply: https://yeaexhibit.com

Seeking 2D, 3D and wearable artwork.

With Every Fibre – Casa Lethbridge

Location: Canada
Deadline: March 20, 2026
Focus: Fiber-based work

A focused fiber exhibition. Strong for artists who want their work seen specifically within a textile context.

Guidelines:
https://casalethbridge.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Call-for-Submissions-With-Every-Fibre-1.pdf
Apply: https://casalethbridge.ca/the-gallery-at-casa/calls-for-submission/

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Craft & Cross-Disciplinary Exhibition Opportunities

These are not textile-specific, but fiber artists are eligible.

Spector Craft Prize

Deadline: March 1, 2026
Eligibility: Craft artists
Financial Award: $10,000 + Mentorship + Professional dev

A craft-focused prize where textiles sit within a broader contemporary craft field. Strong documentation is essential.

Apply: https://spectorcraftprize.org

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Modern Fuel – Annual Juried Exhibition

Location: Canada
Deadline: March 1, 2026
Apply: https://www.modernfuel.org/annualjuriedexhibition

An Artist-run center. Interdisciplinary exhibition. A group show responding to the theme Mending Ways.

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Textile & Interdisciplinary Artist Residencies (Spring / Summer 2026)

Residencies are not just studio time. They are network building environments.

Watermill Center Summer Residency

Location: New York
Deadline: February 18, 2026
Eligibility: International
Fees: $12
Apply: https://www.watermillcenter.org/residencies/

The International Summer Program is a residency that brings 20 artists together for four weeks at The Watermill Center. 

Participants exchange ideas, share practices, attend workshops, and collaborate on projects in a communal and experimental environment that encourages them to push the boundaries of contemporary creative practice.

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Textile Art Center Residency

Location: Brooklyn, NY
AIR  Dates: October 2026 – June 2027
Tuition: $11,000 /cycle (with payment plan available + scholarship)
Deadline: March 6, 2026
Fee: $25 through January 27 / $35 March 6th
Apply: https://tac.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/87343

The Textile Arts Center Artists in Residence is a nine-month program that combines studio access with a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum and regular critical dialogue, providing residents an opportunity to learn and explore the textile medium, and an alternative to traditional higher education programs. The residency culminates in a group exhibition produced and hosted by TAC.

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Albee Foundation Residency

Location: New York
Deadline: March 16, 2026
Apply: https://www.albeefoundation.org/guidelines–submitting.html
Stipend: $2500

The Barn hosts a summer residency program located in a secluded knoll in Montauk, NY. Focused work time. Minimal distraction.

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Rabbit Island Residency

Location: Michigan
Deadline: February 22, 2026
Apply: https://rabbitisland.org/art/

The Rabbit Island Residency provides financial support, time, and pristine natural spaces to challenge creative practices in a wilderness environment.

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Ranch Residency

Location: Northern New Mexico
Deadline: March 2026
Apply: https://www.ranchresidency.com/apply

The Ranch Residency is an annually occurring week-long residency located in Northern New Mexico. Residents stay in seven adobe casitas and share a renovated barn studio on acres of isolated, spectacular nature.

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Funding & Fellowship Opportunities for Textile Artists

LIFT – Native Arts and Cultures Foundation

Deadline: March 2026
Eligibility: Native artists
Award Amount: $15,000
Number of Awards: 15 total
Apply: https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/programs/lift

Early Career Support for Native Artists –  program supports emerging Native artists through one-year awards to develop and realize new projects. Direct financial support for Indigenous artists. Review eligibility carefully.

Criteria overview:
https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/LIFT-Criteria-and-App-Overview-for-Web_2026.pdf

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Professional Development & Talent Programs

Textile Movement – Talent Programme

Location: Sweden
Deadline: February 28, 2026
Eligibility: Based in the Västra Götaland region
Apply: https://textilemovement.com/kunskap-och-inspiration/textile-movement-talent/textile-movement-talent-programme/talent-open-call/

Textile Movement Talent is all about supporting talents and entrepreneurs in fashion and textiles for a circular and digital shift in the Västra Götaland region. Strong for emerging textile designers and material innovators in this specific region.

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Publication & Exhibition Proposal Opportunities

Studio Magazine – Rolling Submissions

Deadline: March 2, 2026
Theme: POSSIBILITY
Payment: $0.30/word
Apply: https://www.studiomagazine.ca/submission-guidelines

Studio welcomes article pitches from both emerging and established writers, academics, scholars, and journalists writing about contemporary Canadian craft and design and related stories.

Craft Ontario – 2027 Exhibition Proposals

Location: Ontario
Deadline: May 22, 2026
Eligibility: Solo and 2-Person Exhibition proposals

Craft Ontario is currently seeking proposals for solo and two-person exhibitions to take place in the new Craft Ontario Gallery in the 2027 calendar year.
https://craftontario.com/blogs/participate/call-for-exhibition-proposals-for-2027

Ortega y Gasset Projects

Location: Brooklyn, NY
Deadline: March 18, 2026
Eligibility: Solo Show Proposals
Honorarium: $1,000
Apply: https://ortegaygassetprojects.submittable.com/submit

Ortega y Gasset Projects is pleased to announce an Open Call for TWO Solo Exhibitions opening in January, 2027. A programmed event (an artist talk or a closing event), a honorarium of $1000 for each artist/proposal, and promotion on all OyG social media outlets.

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How to Approach February & March Calls for Textile Artists Strategically

Not every call deserves your time.

Instead of applying everywhere, consider:

• Is this textile-specific or general contemporary art?
• Does it place my work in front of curators, collectors, or institutions?
• Does the fee match the potential visibility?
• Does this align with the direction my practice is moving?

Strategic submissions compound over time.

Random submissions drain energy.

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