A comprehensive list of opportunities for artists, writers, and art workers has been released for December 2025, featuring residencies, fellowships, grants, and open calls from various prestigious institutions. The monthly compilation by Hyperallergic provides essential resources for creatives seeking funding and community support to advance their artistic careers.

Several notable residency programs are currently accepting applications. The Athens Photo Research Center is offering its One Year Program focused on "The Photographic Condition," featuring a hybrid curriculum with in-person workshops, online lectures, and studio visits. Distinguished tutors include Laia Abril, Joan Fontcuberta, Susan Meiselas, Oluremi Onabanjo, and Taryn Simon. The program fee is $2,900 for early applicants and $3,500 after the early deadline of December 10, 2025, with final applications due January 13, 2026.

The Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program is accepting applications for its 2026-2027 residency period, awarding studio space to 17 visual artists for year-long residencies in Brooklyn, New York. Applications are being accepted from December 15, 2025, through January 15, 2026. Meanwhile, Ucross is offering Fall 2026 Artist Residencies on a majestic 20,000-acre ranch in Wyoming's High Plains, providing artists with uninterrupted time and space, private studios, chef-prepared meals, and a $1,500 stipend for a $40 application fee.

The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design's Roman J. Witt Residency Program stands out with its generous $20,000 honorarium, housing, studio space, and access to the renowned contemporary Institute for the Humanities gallery. Open to both established and emerging artists, the program awards one residency each academic year with a $15 application fee and deadline of January 15, 2026.

Specialized residency opportunities include the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft's 2026-27 Artist Residency, offering three to 12-month residencies with 24/7 studio access, a $1,000 monthly stipend, and professional development opportunities. The Laundromat Project's Create Change Residency provides a unique two-year program supporting NYC artists of color working within their communities, with up to four residents receiving $20,000 honorariums and $10,000 production budgets annually.

Grant opportunities feature significant funding for various artistic disciplines. The Virginia A. Groot Foundation continues its 30-year tradition of supporting sculptors across all forms and materials, offering unrestricted grants in three tiers: $60,000, $30,000, and $20,000, with applications due January 10, 2026. The Artists & Mothers Grant specifically supports NYC artists who identify as mothers with children under age three, providing $25,000 for childcare expenses.

Academic opportunities include multiple tenure-track positions at prestigious institutions. Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford is seeking an Assistant Professor of Sculpture beginning fall 2026, while Bates College's Art & Visual Culture Department is filling a position requiring expertise in printmaking and foundational studies. Smith College's Department of Art is inviting applications for an Assistant Professor position specializing in artists' books and publications, letterpress, and various printmaking processes.

Open calls for artistic work include the Museum of the Moving Image's 2025 Marvels of Media Festival, which specifically showcases and supports autistic media-makers including directors, writers, cinematographers, animators, and editors of all ages. The Tate is seeking papers for a special journal edition celebrating the conservation research project "Whistler's Finish," focusing on James McNeill Whistler's technique and process.

The Burlington Magazine offers travel bursaries ranging from $2,000 to $3,500 for emerging art historians to study European drawings in major collections worldwide, specifically focusing on Western art on paper from the Renaissance to 1900. Applications are welcomed from postgraduate and curatorial researchers globally with a deadline of February 1, 2026. These opportunities represent a diverse range of support systems for artists and cultural workers at various stages of their careers.