Free to apply isn’t always free: the fees an open call can charge

What’s the difference between an entry fee and a hanging fee?

You pay an entry fee before selection, to have your work considered. You pay a hanging fee after selection, to have it shown.

An entry fee also goes by jury fee, submission fee or administration charge. It buys consideration, not a place in the show. If your work isn’t picked, the rules often say the fee isn’t refundable.

A hanging fee pays for showing selected work, per artwork, per wall or per exhibition. A participation fee is broader and might cover installation, publicity or an opening. The labels promise nothing on their own, so check the written agreement for what the organizer provides.

Here are the charges to look for. The Royal Academy figure is one real example, not a market rate. “Varies” means we couldn’t find a reliable general range, so ask the organizer for the number.

Is a participation fee after selection normal?

Some exhibitions do charge selected artists a participation fee, and that’s fine as long as the call says so before you apply.

Ask what happens if you say no after being selected. Do you owe anything? Is the entry fee refunded if the show is canceled? Are installation, storage or return delivery charged separately? Keep the answers with the call’s terms.

A clear fee isn’t automatically good value. If it’s more than the show is worth to you, say no. That’s a budget decision, not an accusation.

CaFÉ lets artists filter calls by entry fee and, separately, by participation fee. That’s a good reminder to check both, even when a call looks cheap in search results.

How much is a normal art competition entry fee?

There’s no single “normal” entry fee that tells you whether a competition is fair.

Compare the actual fee with the selection process, the venue, the services, the published terms and your budget. A high fee doesn’t mean a better show. A low fee doesn’t mean a legitimate one.

The Royal Academy’s 2026 Summer Exhibition, for example, charged £40 per artwork for one or two works. A digital round came first, and work that got through was delivered for further selection. That call has closed, and it shows one organizer’s model, not a recommended price.

Add up what the whole application really costs. Photographing work, preparing files, framing and time away from paid work can cost more than the entry fee. If you’re entering several works, check whether the fee covers all of them or just the first.

Set a personal limit: an amount you can spend even if nothing gets in. Pick it before you start browsing, and compare each paid call with the best free ones open to you. Don’t raise the limit because an organizer says the deadline is nearly here.

Are pay-to-play galleries worth it?

A paid show is worth it only if you can name what you’re buying and judge its value for yourself.

Renting display space isn’t the same as a gallery taking you on. When you pay to show, you might be buying wall space, an event or promotion. Check the venue, dates, opening hours, who can visit and who handles sales, and ask for evidence of past shows, not a promise of exposure.

Be wary of claims that showing in a famous city will boost your career. The venue, the curatorial context and the actual audience matter more than the city in the email’s subject line. Photos of an installation don’t tell you who came or what sold.

Compare the offer with renting a local room, joining an artist cooperative or putting on a small show yourself. If you want to meet curators, ask which curators came to earlier shows and how the organizer knows. If you want to sell, ask how sales are handled and when artists get paid.

For warning signs in paid invitations, read how to spot a scam open call or a vanity gallery.

What should “free” mean on an open call listing?

“Free to apply” should mean the application costs nothing. It doesn’t promise that every later cost is covered.

Four different things can look like “free”:

• No application fee: you can submit without paying to enter.
• No participation fee: the organizer doesn’t charge you to take part.
• Funded participation: someone else pays for specific costs.
• No fee information: the page doesn’t say.

A page that doesn’t mention a fee hasn’t confirmed there isn’t one. Read the application form and any linked conditions. The checkout page can turn up a required membership or another compulsory payment.

Missa’s cards show the fee, “No fee,” or “Fee not listed” when the organizer’s page doesn’t say. Our methodology explains that gaps are shown, not quietly filled in. Treat the label as a starting point for the application cost, then check for charges after selection on the organizer’s page. The guide to no-fee calls explains the same difference when you browse.

How do I find every cost before I apply?

Read the call, the application form and the exhibition terms together, then ask in writing about any cost that’s missing.

Search them, attachments and FAQs included, for “fee,” “participation,” “commission,” “shipping,” “insurance,” “catalog,” “storage” and “return.” Save a copy of the terms you applied under.

Find each of these before you apply:

Then budget for two outcomes. If you’re rejected, you’re usually out the application and preparation costs. If you’re accepted, add delivery, framing, attending the show, accommodation and return shipping. Neither budget should count on a sale.

Here’s a made-up example, not a real organizer. An exhibition is free to enter but charges selected artists a £50 participation fee. Add £80 for shipping there and back and £40 for packing materials. If you’re accepted, that’s £170 before framing or travel. “Free entry” was true about the first step and incomplete about the decision.

If there’s sales commission, ask what the percentage is calculated on and whether tax or transaction charges come off separately. The organizer should be able to show you a worked example using an artwork price. Don’t borrow another gallery’s commission formula for your own budget.

How should I decide whether to pay?

Pay only when a call passes three checks: you’re eligible, you can name what you’re getting, and you can afford the full cost.

1. 1
   Check that your work meets the requirements.
2. 2
   Name a specific benefit: a juried show that suits the work, a defined audience, a prize, or services you’d otherwise pay for.
3. 3
   Check that you can absorb the total cost if nothing sells and no further invitation comes.

A fee isn’t an investment with a predictable return. A show can be worth it for reasons other than sales, but the reason should be yours. Write it down before you pay. “Show this series in a venue whose program fits it” is clearer than “get exposure.”

If the charge is more than you can spend, look at free contests, no-fee calls, local programs or fee waivers. Writers have a separate guide to reading fees and tip jars, where the costs work differently.