Postmark Teaching Opportunity

DEADLINE FOR FALL 2026 CLASSES: Wednesday,
May 27, 2026

Seeking talented and creative teachers to lead various creative and performing arts classes at the Postmark Center for the Arts. 

Please view our Teaching Opportunities (PDF) application form, which also outlines all requirements and guidelines. 

If you are interested in this opportunity, please fill out the above application form. For questions or to submit the Teaching Opportunities (PDF) form to apply, please email Arts Assistant, Jessamyn Irvine at jirvine@auburnmwa.gov.

2026 Postmark Center for the Arts Gift Shop

DEADLINE: Monday, June 15, 2026 at 10:59 PM PST

The goal of the Postmark Gift Shop is to provide a platform to support local Washington State artists and create a retail destination offering a variety of unique handcrafted items for Auburn residents and visitors to enjoy. 

Eligibility: Only Washington State artists will be selected for the gift shop, with a preference given to artists residing in the City of Auburn and surrounding areas.

For more information or to apply, please view the gift shop application.

2027 Galleries in City of Auburn

DEADLINE: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
at 10:59 PM PST

The City of Auburn is seeking artists and/or artist groups working in two-dimensional or small three-dimensional media to exhibit their work at City of Auburn gallery spaces in 2027. Galleries are within City operated buildings including the Auburn Senior Center (Cheryl Sallee Gallery) and the Community & Event Center.

Artists and/or artists groups of diverse mediums are encouraged to apply, including but not limited to: printmaking, painting, drawing, mixed media, textiles, mosaic, glass, recycled materials, photography, calligraphy, collage, fiber art, ceramics, jewelry, metal sculptures, etc.

Eligibility: Established and emerging artists and/or artist groups working in two-dimensional or three-dimensional media will be considered.

For more information or to apply, please view the gallery application.

2027 Site-Specific Art Galleries

DEADLINE: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
at 10:59 PM PST

The City of Auburn, Washington, seeks applications from regional artists to install 3-dimensional or multi-media art installations in two site-specific gallery spaces in downtown Auburn: the Art on Main Gallery and the Vault Gallery. Both spaces provide a $1,000 artist stipend to support the creation of new work and site-specific projects, or the installation of existing work.

Eligibility:

• Any individual artist or collaborative artist team in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho) may apply.
• Past participants of Art on Main or Vault Gallery are welcome to reapply

For more information or to apply, please view the site-specific arts galleries application.

Postmark Programming Grant

DEADLINE: Wednesday, September 30, 2026

The City of Auburn, Washington, seeks applications from regional artists to install 3-dimensional or multi-media art installations in two site-specific gallery spaces in downtown Auburn: the Art on Main Gallery and the Vault Gallery. Both spaces provide a $1,000 artist stipend to support the creation of new work and site-specific projects, or the installation of existing work.

Eligibility:

• Individuals, groups of people, neighborhood or business organizations seeking funding for an art program or cultural event at the Postmark Center for the Arts.

Project Budget: Grants are typically awarded from $500 to $2,000 per project.

Application Resources:

• Postmark Programming Grant Guidelines (PDF)
• Sample of a successful full grant application (PDF) Please note the income must match the expenses in the budget section.

For more information or to apply, please view the Postmark Programming Grant application.

Artist Project Support Grant

DEADLINE: Wednesday, September 30, 2026

The goal of this program is to provide support to arts-related projects and programs within the City of Auburn to encourage the growth, innovation, excellence, and accessibility of the arts. This is an opportunity for artists to create art projects or programs that have free public benefit for Auburn residents and visitors.

Eligibility: This is a call to artists residing in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon and Idaho).

Project Budget: Funding is typically awarded for $500 to $1,000.

Application Resources:

• Artist Project Support Grant Guidelines (PDF)

For more information or to apply, please view the Artist Project Support Grant application.

2026 Holiday Market Vendor Application

OPENS SUMMER 2026

The City of Auburn, WA seeks applications for art vendors for the annual Postmark Center for the Arts Holiday Market, taking place in November. This Holiday Market will be a small, cozy experience for holiday shoppers interested in unique, handmade arts by local creators. Located in the Postmark Center for the Arts, selected artists will receive one small 24” x 60” table to display a selection of their work for sale.

Eligibility: We welcome all Washington State artists and craftspeople making unique, handcrafted, and accessibly priced work to apply!

For more details and information, please view last year's Holiday Market Vendor application.

City of Auburn Poet Laureate

OPENS EARLY SUMMER 2026

The City of Auburn Poet Laureate recognizes and honors a citizen poet of exceptional talent and accomplishment. The Poet Laureate also encourages appreciation of poetry and literary life in Auburn. Once a Poet Laureate program is established the Auburn Arts Commission will forward a recommendation to the Mayor for final selection and appointment. The term of service for the next Poet Laureate will be three years, beginning in the January of 2027. The award is honorific. There is no financial compensation for the position.

Eligibility: Any member of the public may nominate a poet for the Poet Laureate position. Nominations for Auburn's Poet Laureate will be accepted for poets who meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Poet must be a resident of Auburn for at least one year.
• Applicant and nominee must be at least 18 years old.
• Poet must have produced work of the highest caliber and have contributed substantial service to the development of the literary arts as demonstrated by the submitted application.
• Poet's submitted work samples may be on any topic, although consideration will be given to works representative of Auburn and its history. All poetry forms will be considered.
• A poet may not self-nominate him or herself.
• No award will be given posthumously.
• Poet must not be: a member of the current Auburn Arts Commission, City of Auburn staff member, or be a person in a member’s or staff’s immediate family or household.

Auburn Art Showcase
Saturday, June 6 | 1 - 4PM
FREE

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: Wednesday, May 27, 2026

The Auburn Junior City Council is inviting high school artists from across the Auburn School District to showcase their creativity at the inaugural Auburn Art Showcase on Saturday, June 6 at the Postmark Center for the Arts.

Selected student artwork will be displayed during the event, giving young artists an opportunity to share their talents with the community and celebrate the arts in Auburn. Students interested in participating can submit their artwork online ahead of the showcase at the following link here: Auburn Art Showcase online submission form. 

Art Commons 2026/27 Teaching Artist Residency Program

DEADLINE: June 20, 2026 (early submissions are encouraged)

Are you a teaching artist, art docent, or an artist eager to inspire the next generation?

We invite you to apply to Art Commons’ Teaching Artist Residency in the Issaquah School District, where there are no visual art teachers on staff in grades K-5. 

The Teaching Artist Residency is a pilot program, so you will be a part of building a new resource in the community with potential for growth across the district. We are hiring three part-time teaching artists for the 2026-27 school year.

We highly encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply, especially those who share lived experience with students with the least access to consistent, high quality arts education, including people from BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrant, and low income communities. When children recognize parts of their own identity in a mentor and authority figure who is an artist, they can better see a pathway to becoming an artist and arts lover themselves.

Eligibility:

• You have a meaningful background in visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, etc.)
• You have a profound love for art education
• You are willing to collaborate with school staff and adapt lessons for diverse learners
• You can demonstrate the ability to create and implement schedules, timelines, and deadlines
• You are comfortable communicating in person and over email
• You have reliable transportation to and from school sites, sometimes multiple times a week, from October 2026 through May 2027

For more information, please visit artcommons.org/applytobeateachingartist.

To apply, please send your resume, examples of artwork and teaching experience, and a teaching artist statement to info@artcommons.org.

2027-2028 Helen S. Smith Gallery at Green River College

DEADLINE: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
at 10:59 PM PST

Helen S. Smith Gallery on the Green River College Campus is currently accepting proposals for solo or curated group exhibitions that will take place January 2027 through December 2028.

As a gallery on an academic campus, we are interested in hosting solo and group curated exhibitions that contribute to or engage social, cultural or conceptual dialogue. The Visual Arts Program at the college features painting, drawing, ceramics, photography and design. Though we favor exhibitions which highlight media being taught on campus and specifically watch for proposals that highlight marginalized voices, we are open to compelling proposals that employ wider experimentation.

Guidelines:

• Project description
• Work samples
• Image list
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Submission process

For more information or to apply, please visit Green River College's call for artists webpage.