Artist Cohort Benefits:
Features at Events
Career Growth Education
Grants & Scholarships
Public Art Displays
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Program artists join a thriving creative community of local artists & alumni - a family that's been growing since 2014!
Artists also receive a one-year membership to the Guild of Charlotte Artists.
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Region-wide artwork displays on billboards, digital displays, and many other public advertising spaces!
This is made possible by our Program Partners, who donate public advertising space valued at over $8.5 million annually to feature local art!
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ArtPop aims to provide our Artist Cohort members with opportunities to learn artist business skills & professional practices. We are currently seeking funding to fuel these artist educational benefits - please consider making a donation here.
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Program artists are featured at our Community Art Market events, where they can connect with attendees and offer works for sale!
Features at other potential community events, exhibits, and activations are also possible!
Empowering Local Artists
Artist Cohort Program Benefits:
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Juried-in artworks are exhibited on numerous billboards and public advertising displays regionally and nationally!
This is possible thanks to our program partners, who donate public advertising space valued at over $8.5 million annually!
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Made possible through community investment, 2026 Artist Cohort members receive financial infusions towards their artist careers:
$2,500 Scholarships awarded to each of the 5 high school senior student artists.
$250 Artist Uplift Grants awarded to each of the 19 adult artists.
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Courses and opportunities for Artist Cohort members to learn business skills and professional practices.
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ArtPop Alumni Mentorship: Connecting each Artist Cohort member with an artist from a past program year for guidance and community connections.
Artist Webpage: Unique webpages in ArtPop’s online directory for visitors to connect with Artist Cohort members.
The Guild of Charlotte Artists offers a free annual membership to 2026 Artist Cohort members.
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Artist Cohort members have the opportunity to participate in ArtPop’s community events and exhibits, providing opportunities for them to connect with new audience members and collectors.
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Coming soon: an all-new benefit which will empower Artist Cohort members to give back to our community through outreach and beautification!
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Malaysha K. Belton
2024 Artist Cohort
“Being part of the ArtPop Artist Cohort has been a transformative experience. This program has not only provided invaluable exposure but also connected me with an inspiring community of artists. Seeing my work displayed in Times Square 3x was a surreal career-defining moment that further validated my creative journey and expanded my audience.” -
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Rico Marcelo
2024 Artist Cohort
“ArtPop helped me achieve dreams I didn’t even know I had. ArtPop is an opportunity; it’s motivation, it’s the validation of my work as an artist. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and all my creative self.”
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Eleanor Parks
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Creative and strategic in equal measure, our marketing director brings fresh ideas to every campaign. They turn insights into action and help our message resonate with the right audience. -
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Karl Holland
CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER
Friendly, attentive, and always ready to help, our customer service manager ensures every interaction is a positive one. They keep communication clear, timely, and human.
Join us for an extraordinary evening where art, sustainability, and high fashion converge. Don’t miss this unforgettable experience with a massive community impact!
Support Your Arts Community
Aid with ArtPop’s, programming, events, development, and more.
Join us in our mission to transform communities through art!
Form a meaningful relationship with your arts community.
Make a tax-deductible contribution towards the future of our mission.
Announcing the
2026 Artist Cohort!
Join us in welcoming the 24 talented local artists who have been juried into ArtPop’s 2026 Artist Cohort! Throughout the year, artworks by 19 adults and 5 high school seniors will be exhibited on billboards and public ad displays, and receive career growth benefits!
Submission Deadline: March 22nd, 2026 at 11:59pm
ArtPop invites local artists within the Charlotte region (NC & SC) to apply for our 2026 Open Call!
24 local artists (19 Adults and 5 High School Seniors) will be selected through a juried process to join ArtPop’s 2026 Artist Cohort, which activates public spaces with engaging art and empowers local creatives!
Before applying, artists must read through the Submission Guidelines below for crucial directions.
Jump to Section:
Dates & Steps to Apply - Artist Eligibility - Artwork Requirements - Cropping Your Artwork - Artwork Template - FAQ
OPEN CALL
OPEN CALL
ArtPop Artist Cohort
2026 Open Call
Opportunity for CLT-Region (NC & SC) Artists
Adults 18+ and High School Seniors
Apply by March 22nd, 2026 at 11:59pm
Important Dates:
TBA: Open Call Begins
TBA: Application Deadline
TBA: All applicants are notified
TBA: Public announcement of the 2026 Artist Cohort
TBA: Billboard installations begin and continue throughout the year.
Steps to Apply:
Review All Submission Guidelines: Carefully read the requirements below first. Applications which fail to follow the Submission Guidelines are ineligible.
Format Your Artwork File: Follow the specifications to properly crop and format your artwork file. Images that are improperly formatted are ineligible.
Apply Via CaFÉ: All applications will be accepted exclusively via CaFÉ. Applying artists must register for a free CaFÉ account, then submit your application here.
Application Checklist
What You’ll Need to Apply:
Formatted Artwork File
A digital image file of your artwork which follows all Artwork Requirements listed below - properly cropped & formatted.
Brief Artist Statement
A short statement describing your artwork and why you’re applying. Students should describe academic plans in the arts.
Artist Website / Social Media Profile
Adult applicants must have both.
Student Applicants are only required to have an artist social media profile.
CaFÉ Account (Registration is Free)
Applications are only accepted via CaFÉ, so all applicants must first register for a free account before applying.
Application Processing Fee
$35 for adults.
$10 for students.
Entry fees cover the cost of the CaFÉ application system.
Artist Eligibility:
First, artists should ensure they are eligible by checking the requirements below.
Residential Requirements
All applicants must currently reside in one of the following counties: Cabarrus (NC), Catawba (NC), Cleveland (NC), Gaston (NC), Iredell (NC), Lincoln (NC), Mecklenburg (NC), Rowan (NC), Stanly (NC), Union (NC), or York County (SC).
Age Requirements
Adult applicants must be 18 years or older.
High School Senior applicants do not need to meet any age requirements, but must be enrolled in their final year of high school, and should be planning to study the arts through higher education following graduation.
Social Media & Website Requirement
Adult applicants must have both an active artist website and a social media profile related to their artist practice.
High School Senior applicants are required to have a social media profile related to their artist practice, but are not required to have a website.
ArtPop “Alumni” from Past Program Years
Artists who participated in any past year of ArtPop’s Artist Cohort (previously known as the 'Cities Program’) are not eligible to reapply at this time.
We highly encourage our Alumni Artists to learn about how they can get involved with ArtPop’s additional programs.
Requirements for Selected Artists
The Artist Cohort program is a mutual opportunity, and a reciprocal partnership between the selected artists, ArtPop and its program sponsors, and the regional arts community. Selected artists are required to actively participate in the program by meeting the following criteria:
Engage with ArtPop’s Mission - The best fit for this program is any artist who is actively engaged with creating, connecting with community, and growing their career as an artist.
Provide High-Resolution Artwork Images - If your artwork is selected for the Artist Cohort program, you will be required to provide high-resolution image files, both un-cropped & cropped, to be used for ArtPop billboards & displays.
Attend the Private Reveal Event - All 24 selected artists are expected to join us for our private Reveal Event on April 22nd, 2026, where they will be honored and welcomed into the program.
Participate on Social Media - Each month in 2026, program artists will be required to make one public social media feed post about your involvement in the program. Those artists will be provided with a guide containing content tips and suggestions to make this easy!
Website Acknowledgement - Selected artists with websites will be required to to add content to their website about their participation in the Artist Cohort program, with a live link directing visitors to ArtPop’s website.
Failure to meet these requirements will result in removal from the program, incurring potential fees reimbursing ArtPop for billboard printing costs.
Artwork Requirements:
Review the requirements below to ensure your artwork is eligible and properly formatted:
One Artwork Submission Per Artist
Each applicant may submit exactly one (1) original artwork. Group and collaborative submissions are not eligible.
Artwork Must Be Original & Meet Content Regulations
Original artworks of any medium (traditional & digital) are eligible for this opportunity.
Plagiarized images, copyright infringement, and works created for paid commission projects are ineligible and will be disqualified. Images created with the assistance of Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) are not eligible. Per billboard regulations, artworks depicting smoking, nudity, slander, religion or copyrighted brand images, logos, and characters are ineligible and will be disqualified.
Artwork Must Be Cropped & Formatted
Submitted artworks must be properly cropped & formatted to be eligible. You may use the artwork cropping guide and Photoshop template below to ensure your file meets the necessary specifications:
• 5MB maximum file size*
• Exact dimensions: 7300px wide x 2200px high, at 300DPI
• Does not include the rectangular ArtPop brand panel
Note: If your artwork is selected for the Artist Cohort program, you will be required to provide high-resolution files of your accepted artwork, both cropped and un-cropped.
About the Jury Process
ArtPop’s Artist Cohort is a juried opportunity. All eligible submissions will be blind-reviewed by a jury of artists and art-lovers after the application deadline. Jurors will not have access to the applying artists’ identities, only the artwork image.
All artworks are first reviewed based on whether or not they meet the Submission Guidelines outlined here. Artworks that do not meet the Submission Guidelines are ineligible and will be disqualified.
Eligible artworks are then judged based on their successful artistic execution, and based on potential impact as a public art display. Artworks are considered both individually and collectively to curate a cohesive group with a variety of artistic mediums represented.