Events & community 56 questions 3 pages About 19 min to fill in

Call for Artists Submission Form Template

Run an open call without a pile of email attachments: every artist's bio, statement and images arrive together, the same way, ready for the panel.

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Call for artists submission
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Use this template Every question, option and rule can be changed in the designer.

What is the call for artists submission form template?

Open calls tend to arrive in every format imaginable: a link to a cloud folder, a twelve-page PDF, images named IMG_4421 with the titles in a separate email. This template gives artists one route in. They tell you who they are, what their work is about and which part of the call they're applying to, then add up to five works, each with an image and the details a panel actually compares — title, medium, dimensions and whether it's for sale.

It's built for galleries, arts councils, festivals, libraries and public-art programs. Asking for a commission rather than just a place in the show opens three more questions: the proposal itself, an estimated budget and room for sketches or a mock-up. Saying a work is for sale opens its price, so you're not left chasing numbers after selection.

Every submission is filed as one PDF in your FileIt vault. The work images are embedded at the end of the PDF and also kept at full resolution as attachments to that document, which is what you'll want when the panel meets.

Best for
Galleries, arts councils, festivals, libraries and public-art programs
Filled in by
Individual artists, duos and collectives
Time to complete
About 15 minutes with images ready
Includes
Bio, CV upload, artist statement, public art proposal and budget, up to five works, price for works for sale, submission agreement

Who uses a call for artists submission form?

  • An annual juried members' show at a community gallery
  • A city or transit authority commissioning a mural or sculpture
  • A library or café rotating local artists through its walls
  • An arts festival choosing artists for an outdoor trail
  • A themed group exhibition with a mix of sale and loan works
  • A residency program shortlisting applicants before interviews

Questions on this call for artists submission form

56 questions over 3 pages · includes file upload, conditional questions, multiple pages, consent checkbox.

1 About you

  • Artist name*
  • Name you exhibit under, if different
  • Email*
  • Phone
  • Where you live and work*
  • Website or online portfolio
  • Instagram or other social handle
  • Applying as* An individual artist · A collective or duo
  • Names of the other members* asked only when it applies
  • Short bio*
  • CV or exhibition record

2 Statement & proposal

  • Which part of the call are you applying to?* Public art commission · Gallery exhibition · Both
  • Artist statement*
  • Why this call, and how your work responds to the theme*
  • Public art proposal: the idea, the site and how it would be made* asked only when it applies
  • Estimated budget for the proposal asked only when it applies
  • Sketches or a mock-up of the proposal asked only when it applies
  • Display or installation needs

3 Your work

  • How many works are you submitting?*
  • Work 1 image*
  • Work 1 title*
  • Work 1 year made
  • Work 1 medium*
  • Work 1 dimensions (H × W × D)*
  • Is work 1 for sale?*
  • Work 1 sale price* asked only when it applies
  • Work 2 image* asked only when it applies
  • Work 2 title* asked only when it applies
  • Work 2 year made asked only when it applies
  • Work 2 medium* asked only when it applies
  • Work 2 dimensions (H × W × D)* asked only when it applies
  • Is work 2 for sale?* asked only when it applies
  • Work 2 sale price* asked only when it applies
  • Work 3 image* asked only when it applies
  • Work 3 title* asked only when it applies
  • Work 3 year made asked only when it applies
  • Work 3 medium* asked only when it applies
  • Work 3 dimensions (H × W × D)* asked only when it applies
  • Is work 3 for sale?* asked only when it applies
  • Work 3 sale price* asked only when it applies
  • Work 4 image* asked only when it applies
  • Work 4 title* asked only when it applies
  • Work 4 year made asked only when it applies
  • Work 4 medium* asked only when it applies
  • Work 4 dimensions (H × W × D)* asked only when it applies
  • Is work 4 for sale?* asked only when it applies
  • Work 4 sale price* asked only when it applies
  • Work 5 image* asked only when it applies
  • Work 5 title* asked only when it applies
  • Work 5 year made asked only when it applies
  • Work 5 medium* asked only when it applies
  • Work 5 dimensions (H × W × D)* asked only when it applies
  • Is work 5 for sale?* asked only when it applies
  • Work 5 sale price* asked only when it applies
  • How did you hear about this call? Arts council or listings site · Social media · Another artist · Our newsletter
  • Submission agreement*

The call for artists submission form, page by page

1 About you

Artists give their name, any name they exhibit under, email, phone and "Where you live and work", plus a website and social handle. "Applying as" separates individual artists from a collective or duo, and a collective is asked for the names of the other members. A "Short bio" of about 150 words and an optional CV or exhibition record upload finish the page.

2 Statement & proposal

"Which part of the call are you applying to?" offers a public art commission, the gallery exhibition or both. Everyone writes an artist statement and answers "Why this call, and how your work responds to the theme". Anyone applying for the commission also gets "Public art proposal: the idea, the site and how it would be made", an estimated budget and an upload for sketches or a mock-up. The page ends with display or installation needs such as hanging, plinths or power.

3 Your work

A short note asks for JPG or PNG images under 5 MB that show the whole piece. "How many works are you submitting?" takes a number from one to five, and that many sections appear. Each one asks for the image, title, year made, medium and "dimensions (H × W × D)", then "Is work 1 for sale?" — a yes opens the sale price. The form closes with how the artist heard about the call and a submission agreement letting you reproduce the images to review the application and, if selected, to promote the show with credit.

Make the template yours

  • Put the theme, deadline, eligibility and any fee in the cover text
  • Set a close date so the form stops taking entries at the deadline
  • Rename the two strands to match your call, or delete the proposal questions if there's no commission
  • Change the currency on the price and budget fields if you're outside the US
  • Add the panel members' addresses to the notification list

Tips for a better call for artists submission form

  • Ask for images without frames or busy backgrounds — a panel compares the work, not the photography
  • Give a word count for the statement in your call text as well as on the form, so artists draft to length
  • Say up front what commission you take on sales, so the prices artists enter mean the same thing
  • Uploads are capped at 10 MB a file and 25 MB a submission, which is why the form asks for images under 5 MB
  • Export the Responses table to CSV to build a scoring sheet with one row per applicant

Every response becomes a PDF in your vault

Each application becomes a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with the bio, statement, proposal and each work's details laid out in order and the images embedded at the end. The original image files are attached to the same document, and you're notified by email. Artists get a copy of their application if you leave that setting on.

The Responses table lists every applicant with search across their answers. Open any one to see the full submission, or export to CSV so the panel can score side by side.

  1. Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
  2. Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
  3. Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
Use the call for artists submission template — it’s free

Call for artists submission form: frequently asked questions

Is this call for artists template free?

Yes. It's one of the ready-made templates in the Forms app, available on every FileIt account including the free plan.

Do artists need a FileIt account to apply?

No. You share a link and they apply in their browser. Nothing to install and no sign-up.

Can artists submit more than five works?

Not as set up. You can add more work sections in the designer, but keep the 25 MB per-submission upload limit in mind.

Can I charge an entry fee through the form?

The form doesn't take payments. If your call has a fee, explain how to pay in the cover text and add a question for a payment reference.

Can I accept video or audio work?

The upload fields accept images, PDFs and office documents. For video, add a short answer asking for a link to the work online.

Does the form pick the winners?

No. It collects applications in one format; your panel reviews them and decides.

Use this template — free