Artist Opportunities
Hello, Artists of the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond,
New opportunities for local creative involvement below...please share with other creatives!
Carbondale Arts 2027 Gallery Proposals Open
Deadline to submit is May 4, 2026
Do you have an idea for an art exhibition? Carbondale Arts is always looking for fresh inspiration and new artists! We host art exhibitions featuring local and regional artists at The Launchpad in our award-winning gallery. The majority of our shows run from 4-5 weeks at a time and are invitational, juried, or open call. Exhibitions in the Carbondale Arts Gallery are planned a year in advance.
Carbondale Arts presents a dynamic range of exhibitions throughout the year. Exhibition proposals for our 2027 calendar year are now open and due May 4, 2026. There is no fee to submit this form until March 15, 2026; after that date we’ll implement a nonrefundable $30 fee.
Email Gallery Manager brian@carbondalearts.com with questions.
Basalt Concerts: Poster Contest
Apply by March 19
The Town of Basalt is seeking artists to submit creative, colorful designs for a poster contest for the summer 2026 concert series, which takes place Wednesday nights from June 17 to August 12, 2026 in Basalt River Park.
This competition is open to all artists, including students. The winning artwork will be featured as the summer concert series poster in print and online versions.
The Town of Basalt is offering $500 for the winning design and honorable mention for second and third place.
The entries will be judged by Basalt Public Arts Commission.
Entries are due no later than Thursday, March 19 at 5:00 p.m.
Theme: “Dancing on the River”
We are looking for artwork that reflects the Town of Basalt and the special gathering space at Basalt River Park where the community comes together to celebrate summer and music. Artists may interpret this theme as they see fit.
Carbondale Farmers Market Seeking Applicants
Deadline is March 1
We receive over 50 applications each year with limited space for Agriculture, Artisans, Ready to Eat, and Hemp/CBD Vendors. The Carbondale Farmers' Markets is committed to supporting and strengthening local businesses and Colorado's Western Slope farmers and producers. Priority will go to our local vendors and those with seniority.
Season Dates: Wednesdays, June 3rd- September 30th
Applications are due by the end of the day, March 1, 2026.
55th Mountain Fair Vendor Apps Open
Deadline is March 20
We continually curate the best artisans for our fair, drawing visitors from all over Colorado and beyond. To be selected as an art vendor at Mountain Fair, you must meet the following eligibility requirements.
Any artist or craft person exhibiting their own handmade works of art. (Not manufactured, not imported.)
Any civic service, social or educational institution selling only its own works of art.
Criteria for judging include quality and uniqueness of items.
Application fee $60 (non-refundable). Acceptance notifications begin in April.
Questions? Email mtnfairvendors@carbondalearts.com
See FOOD VENDOR applications below as well (due April 10).
Seeking Mountain Fair Oasis Activity Vendors
Deadline is late March / early April
Carbondale Mountain Fair's Oasis Block Party is taking over Main Street again!
The Oasis includes a music stage, an activity tent and lounge, art vendors, food trucks, cooling-mist stations, water station, immersive and creative activities and more. In addition to these, Mountain Fair is seeking other partners such as schools, non-profits, and youth organizations to get involved and set up their own activity tent or area. We are seeking activities that are creative, playful, and engaging.
2026 applications close late March-early April
Call to Artists: Chapman Hill in Durango, CO
Deadline is March 13
The City of Durango and Durango Creative District invite artists and creative teams from the Four Corners Region of SW Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico to submit proposals for the design and installation of an artistic sculpture or group of art pieces that demonstrates the history and story of Chapman Hill and the “Big Rope Tow”. The project is funded through the 2015 sales tax. The total budget for this project must not exceed $50,000.
Project Objectives:
• To celebrate the people, stories, and experiences that have shaped Chapman Hill, creating a meaningful connection to its past and the history of the “Big Rope Tow”.
• To offer visitors and the local community insight into the historical, cultural, and recreational significance of this unique site through engaging and thought-provoking public art.
• To ensure safety, long-term outdoor durability, and compliance with the City of Durango-Artist Guide for Public Art.
Questions?
Contact: Rachel Hart, Parks and Rec Dept. Email: Rachel.Hart@durangoco.gov
Contact: Jared Reed, Durango Creative District Email: Hello@DurangoCreativeDistrict.org
Work Opportunities at The Art Base in Basalt
The Art Base embraces diversity and equal opportunity as a key organizational value. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.
Current openings:
- Bilingual Instructor
- Figure Drawing Model Wanted
- Art Instructors
Visit theartbase.org/about/work-opportunities to read the full job descriptions and apply.
Job Opportunities at Anderson Ranch Arts Center
Check out ongoing job and intern opportunities at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, located in Snowmass Village. Our smart, hardworking and creative staff is dedicated to the success of our mission. We actively participate in the local community of Aspen, Snowmass Village and the Roaring Fork Valley, and strive to provide a voice in the local, regional, national and international discussion of artistic pursuits.
See below for current employment opportunities. Anderson Ranch is always looking for qualified administrative and program staff.
Roaring Fork Drawing Club
Meets every Tuesday
The Roaring Fork Drawing Club began in the fall of 2017 with a couple of art friends, Lindsay Jones (graphic designer/illustrator) and Brian Colley (painter/illustrator). Drawing Club is a free, informal social group open to all skill-levels with no teachers and no specific themes: just an opportunity to get out your sketchbook (or coloring book, notepad, bar napkin collection, etc) and meet fellow sketchers in our community. We do not provide supplies, so bring whatever you need to draw with! We kindly ask that anyone under the age of 18 be joined by a parent/guardian.
We typically meet every week in the summer, usually in and around Carbondale, and about every other week or so in fall/winter/spring. You can always message us on IG @rfdrawingclub or email us at rfdrawingclub@gmail.com with questions/comments/suggestions.
Glenwood Springs Art Guild Opportunities
Ongoing
Since 1962 the Glenwood Springs Art Guild has promoted participation in the visual arts through camaraderie, helpful and warm encouragement, and opportunities for art education. We also get together just to have fun, and to enjoy and expand our mutual interest in visual arts. We’re better because we’re together!
Some of us are professional level, others are tiptoeing into producing and exhibiting our art. New members are welcome, as are demonstrations and workshops by other local artists.
Have an Artist Opportunity to share?
Let us know!
Fill out the form with your opportunity by clicking the button below. Opportunities can include anything from paid gigs, internships, job listings, open studio spaces, calls for entry, and more. As long as they are relevant to the creative side of things, you should be good! Creative doesn't have to be restricted to just visual art either...we're talking culinary, performance, video/film, theatrical, and much more.
If you have questions, please reach out to Brian Colley at brian@carbondalearts.com, who manages the artist opportunity posts each month.
Social Justice Artist Grant – Call for Artists
Deadline is February 28
Thanks to generous support from local philanthropists, we are opening a Social Justice Artist Grant – Call for Artists, supporting the creation of new visual work. The selected projects will receive between $2,000 and $5,000 ($20,750 in total funding) and will be featured in a small, curated traveling exhibition beginning in Telluride and moving through participating communities (maybe you!) in fall 2026.This opportunity is open to visual artists and collectives working in the region who are interested in creating new work that sparks dialogue, reflection, and connection. The traveling exhibition format is designed to give each project meaningful visibility and allow audiences in multiple communities to engage deeply with the work.
Application Open: January 30
Deadline: February 28, 11:59PM MT
We are accepting applications from artists or collective lives in communities within the Southwest Colorado Creative District Network (this includes the Carbondale Creative District).
Questions? Phone: 970-728-3930 | Email: info@telluridearts.org
Mountain Fair Poster Contest: Round 1 Now Open
Deadline is March 2
Carbondale Arts is seeking artists, designers, and community-lovers who are interested in creating a proposed design for this year’s Mountain Fair shirt/poster.
For many years, Carbondale Arts has held a Mountain Fair poster design contest, where community members submit poster design entries. In an effort to foster a more equitable, fair, and ethical creative process for artists, we are now seeking artist applications. The selection process will take place in two separate rounds.
ROUND ONE:
Fill out the application (link below, due March 2) where you will be asked to share a short statement of interest (no more than 200 words). All applicants will be asked to upload 4 work samples max. These may include previous Mountain Fair design entries as well as any finished artwork so we can become familiar with your style of a completed project.
Questions? Email brian@carbondalearts.com or call 970-963-1680
Strawberry Days Vendors Apps Open
Deadline is March 1
Step into the vibrant celebration of the 129th Annual Strawberry Festival in the heart of picturesque Glenwood Springs, Colorado!
The Glenwood Springs Chamber Foundation extends a warm invitation for you to be a part of one of Colorado's oldest and most cherished festivals, seamlessly blending tradition, arts, and crafts in a breathtaking mountain setting.
Seeking Artists: Bonedale Flea May First Friday
Deadline to Apply is March 18
Carbondale is a Colorado State Certified Creative District and is a hub for arts activity in the Roaring Fork Valley from Aspen to Rifle. Carbondale Arts, the presenting organization for Mountain Fair, is hosting a vintage and artisan market on May 1st during the monthly First Friday events.
The Bonedale Flea will be an outdoor market featuring a variety of local makers, vintage goods, and culinary delights. Local and regional makers and vintage enthusiasts are invited to apply to bring their wares to the heart of the Creative District in an informal market atmosphere.
This year, Carbondale Arts plans to host 2 Bonedale Flea's. This application is for the May event. An application for the September event will be released in June. First Friday draws 2500-5000 visitors from across the region to the heart of Carbondale's Creative District.
Aspen Bikeshare Art Opportunity
Apply by March 18
As part of the “Art in Motion” project, the Red Brick Center for the Arts and WE-cycle are accepting applications through March 18th, 2026 for five $1500 licensing opportunities for artists to display artwork on WE-cycle bikes and kiosks in Aspen during the summer of 2026.
Key Details
Call open: Feb 19, 2026
Application deadline: March 18, 2026
Selection notification: March 23, 2026
Licensing agreement deadline: March 25, 2026
Bike and kiosk exhibition: May-October, 2026
Questions? Please direct inquiries to Lara Whitley, Program Lead, Aspen Public Art, lara.whitley@aspen.gov.
Mountain Fair Food Vendor Apps Open
Deadline is April 10
To be selected as a Food Vendor at Mountain Fair, you must meet the following eligibility requirements. Any individual or organization selling ONLY its own, hand-prepared food is eligible to apply. Criteria or acceptance include quality, sell-ability and uniqueness of items. All food vendors are required to comply with our Zero Waste Program policies and the Garfield County Health Regulations for Special Events. No genetically modified products, please.
Applications close April 10, 2026. Notifications to be sent by May 4.
For more information, please e-mail mtnfairvendors@carbondalearts.com.
Collective Composition Workshop
Event is in April
The Aspen Music Festival and School’s first Collective Composition Workshop, presented in partnership with TACAW (The Arts Campus at Willits), invites student musicians in grades 4–12 to come together for a week-long, after-school workshop to create an original musical composition.
The finished composition will premiere on the final day of the workshop (April 10, 2026) in a public performance at TACAW and be reprised during the Aspen Music Festival and School summer season (August 1, 2026) at Harris Concert Hall.
For students (grades 4-12) in or near Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley with at least 1 year of experience on their instrument or in vocal study. No prior composition experience necessary!
Workshop Tuition: $100 which includes access to the summer extension at no additional cost—a 2-for-1 opportunity! Students who do not participate in the April workshop may enroll in the summer extension for an additional tuition fee. Partial and full scholarships are available for students in financial need.
For more information or with questions, please visit the AMFS Collective Composition Workshop webpage or contact education@aspenmusic.org.
Colorado Creative Industries ongoing Opportunities
Updated monthly:
• State-wide grants & awards
• Community & Economic, Development, Partnerships
• Calls for Entry
• Public Art Opportunities
https://oedit.colorado.gov/colorado-creative-industries
Sopris Sun Seeking Weekly Creative Submissions
Ongoing deadline
Illustration by Larry Day
The Sopris Sun is a weekly local newspaper and hosts a “Works in Progress” section featuring drawings, poetry, short stories, and more. They are always looking for new submissions. Share your works in progress with Sopris Sun readers by emailing illustrations, creative writings, poetry to fiction@soprissun.com.
Join the Carbondale Creative District
Directory/Inventory Listings
Photo by Matt Suby
The Carbondale Creative Directory showcases the breadth and talent of our creative community. Anyone can conduct a filtered search for local businesses and/or individuals to support our creative economy.
Why sign up?
The listing is only $25 per year, and in addition to being part of the searchable database you also are eligible for additional benefits including:
1. Seasonal promotions that highlight local creatives and events. We will feature local makers for the holidays, flowers cards and chocolates for valentines day, CSA’s in the late winter and more!
2. Feature level event listings in CCD newsletter (sent to 3750 subscribers)
3. Featured Creative spotlight on our website, social media and newsletter (a cumulative reach of 6500 people).
Additionally, we use this directory as our internal database when considering possible partners and collaborators on projects as well as recommendations when someone comes to us with a project idea.
Learn more and get involved by visiting the link below.
Send questions to Michael Stout, michael@carbondalearts.com
That's it for now!
If you have an upcoming artist opportunity or resource you'd like to share email me at brian@carbondalearts.com to get in the next round! These will be posted here on the Carbondale Creative District website around the middle of each month.
In the meantime, check out our Facebook page or Instagram for more updates and opportunities. You can also sign up for the Carbondale Arts monthly emailed newsletters here (if you don't already receive them).
Best,
Brian
Brian Colley
Gallery Manager at Carbondale Arts
brian@carbondalearts.com
(970) 963-1680
