Tempe Arts + Culture

Deadline: Tues, Dec 1, 2026 

Eligibility: Arizona-based artists

Exhibition Theme: By Degrees

A single stitch becomes a quilt. A brushstroke becomes a painting. A daily habit becomes a ritual. Small actions can build towards something larger, but accumulation does not always mean progress. Things gather, multiply, wear down, pile up, disappear, and begin again.

By Degrees explores how small actions, objects, experiences, and changes can take on new meaning over time.      The artwork does not need to depict accumulation literally or use a repetitive process. We are interested in how your existing work brings a distinct perspective to the question:      When small things accumulate, what do they become?

Your work might connect to this theme through:

• Process: repetition, layering, pattern, mark-making, building, removing, revising, or other sustained ways of making.
• Materials: collections, multiples, fragments, found objects, accumulated materials, or evidence of use and wear.
• Time: growth, aging, erosion, decay, maintenance, habits, or gradual change.
• People: individual actions becoming collective experiences, traditions, relationships, communities, or movements.
• Stories: memories, histories, experiences, or small moments that gather meaning as they are remembered, retold, or layered together.
• Unexpected Outcomes:  small actions or changes that eventually lead somewhere surprising, for better or worse. A passion might become an obsession, a collection might become clutter, a routine might become a ritual, or something new might be built while something else is lost.

Three Opportunities

Artists may apply to one or multiple opportunities through the same application.

1. Group Exhibition: Gallery at TCA | May–August 2027

Submit existing (complete or in progress) artwork for consideration in the By Degrees group exhibition.

All visual art media and interdisciplinary practices are welcome. The jury will consider artistic strength, originality, connection to the theme, and the perspective each work adds to the larger exhibition.

Artwork drop off: May 20–21   Installation: May 24–28   Artwork pick up: August 9–10

2. Tempe Post Office Window Exhibition: Mill Avenue | May 13–September 8, 2027

Four artists will each receive a $325 artist stipend to transform one of four storefront windows at the Tempe Post Office.

Selected artists will develop an eye-catching 3D installation responding to By Degrees. New and/or existing work may be incorporated, but artists should think beyond displaying individual artworks and consider the entire window as an environment.

The jury will consider applicant portfolio’s artistic strength,    connection to the theme, and visual impact.

3. Artist Residency: Gallery at TCA | May 31–August 6, 2027 10 weeks | Approximately 8 hours per week | Stipend up to $2,500

Three artists will be selected to develop a new project responding to By Degrees while working inside the Gallery at TCA.

The residency is designed for projects that change, build, or develop over time. This might happen through an artist's ongoing process, audience participation, collaboration, observation, or another approach that makes the ten-week experience meaningful to the work.

Visitors will encounter artists at work and see projects develop throughout the summer. Workspace, display space, and storage are provided. Residents will also participate in    community programs, professional development,    and social media opportunities. 

How to Apply

Complete one free online application through Submittable. Artists may apply to multiple opportunities.

All Applicants Submit

1. Work Samples

• Up to 10      images
• Artwork      title, media, dimensions, and year for each image

2. Artist Statement | Maximum 700 words

Tell us about your artistic practice. How does your work connect to the theme of By Degrees? What ideas or questions drive your work, how do your materials or processes support those ideas, and what do you want audiences to encounter through your work?   

3. Artist Biography | Maximum 300 words

Briefly tell us about your background and artistic practice. You may include relevant education or training, exhibitions, residencies, commissions, awards, community connections, or other experiences that have shaped your work.

4. Resume/CV

Residency Applicants Also Submit

• Letter         of interest and project proposal
• Contact      information for two references

Your letter should describe what you want to explore or create during the ten-week residency, how the project connects to the theme of By Degrees, and why developing the work over time is important to the project.

Timeline

• December   1, 2026           Call closes
•  December   7–11, 2026    Selection panel
• December   14–18, 2026   Artists notified
• May   13, 2027                    Post Office installation 
• May   20–21, 2027            Gallery artwork drop off 
• May   24–28, 2027            Gallery installation
• May   31, 2027                    Artist Residency begins
• August   6, 2027                Artist Residency ends 
• August   9–10, 2027         Gallery artwork pick up
• September   8, 2027         Post Office deinstallation

For Questions Contact:

Dani Godreau   

Visual Arts Curator

Dani_Godreau@tempe.gov 

(480) 793-1257

The Project’s Final Report must be submitted by July 15th to the City of Tempe. Pursuant to the Grant’s terms and conditions, the City of Tempe has the rights to use any materials submitted in the Final Report for data collection and promotional purposes. 

Reminder: You must use the Final Budget Form when completing your Final Report. Do not use the original Application Budget Form. 

Additional information can be found at www.tempe.gov/ArtsGrants