July 2025 DreamCreative News and Opportunities Round-Up

Embracing Our Differences 2026

Submit your artwork to be featured in an international outdoor exhibit celebrating diversity and inclusion. Selected works will be displayed on billboard-sized canvases across Southwest Florida with a chance to win a $6,000 cash prize. (Applicants may live in any U.S. state; Florida residency is not a consideration.) 

Apply by July 1.

Queer | Art Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists

The Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists is an annual $10,000 grant awarded to provide critical support to Black trans women whose work has often been under-recognized in the visual art field. A $1,250 award is also available to four distinguished finalists. Winning artists and finalists will receive additional professional development resources and further guidance to bolster their creative development in the field.

Apply by July 2.

XENO PRIZE for Artists’ Books

Franklin Furnace is accepting proposals from artists in 20 states for the 2025 XENO Prize for Artists’ Books. The selected recipient will receive a $5,000 grant to publish an artist’s book addressing book banning and burning, with a minimum edition of 100 copies. Eligible states are: MT, UT, ID, AZ, ND, SD, NE, OK, TX, IA, MO, AR, LA, IN, KY, TN, MS, AL, GA, FL, NC, WV.

Apply by July 4.

The Kyoto Retreat for Artists, Curators, and Writers   

Artists, curators, and writers are eligible for this four-week retreat in Kyoto for research, exploration, and inspiration. Chosen applicants receive a roundtrip flight, a private bedroom, and $800 to supplement meals and local transportation. $95 application fee.  

Apply by July 15. 

Maker MasterMind: The Business of Boutiques with María José Cortes

Join DreamSpring on July 17 at 11 a.m. EST for a conversation with María José Cortes, founder of Di Luna Candles + Goods, as part of our free Maker MasterMind series. Learn how she grew her Tucson-based candle company into a boutique retail space featuring over 50 small (mostly women-owned) brands, all while developing her own product lines and hosting community workshops and events. 

Register for the free July 17 webinar. 

Florida: 100 Voices of Florida  

Prizes of up to $5,000 are available to Florida-based filmmakers, writers, directors, and producers to be used however they’re needed: finishing funds, festival submissions, cast and crew reimbursements, production costs, or anything else that brings the story to life. Submit a short film or script and share how the funds will be used for a chance to win. 

Apply by July 31. 

Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant

The Foundation welcomes applications from visual artists who are painters, sculptors, and artists who work on paper, including printmakers. Grants are intended for a one-year period of time. The Foundation will review expenditures relating to an artist’s professional work and personal expenses, and amounts range up to $50,000. Artists must be actively exhibiting their current work in professional artistic venues, such as gallery and museum spaces.

Apply anytime.