Spring Fling is back on April 18, 2026 with a Margaritaville with a Twist theme celebrating the premiere of The Lost Shaker of Salt, a collaborative exhibition by Kelly Breez and Patty Gone set within a Margaritaville-inspired dreamscape refracting the fantasy of a reconsidered paradise. 

Spring Fling is our largest annual fundraiser supporting Locust Projects’ 28-year mission to provide local, national, and international artists with the time, space, and resources to experiment, push their practice, and create ambitious new work. Guests will enjoy a creative evening of art, fun themed cocktails, specialty bites, and live performances..

Like last year, this year’s Spring Fling features a Silent Art Auction designed to support both Locust Projects and our community of artists with an opportunity to show and sell their work to a broad network of collectors. Artists selected for inclusion in the Silent Art Auction have the option to receive 50% of the final bid price. Keep in mind, bidding starts at 30% of market value and works must be available to be shown in-person during the auction preview and event.

Remaining proceeds support Locust Projects programs and commissioned exhibitions.

DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS up to 75 artworks will be selected from a maximum of 125 submissions by the Artist Steering Committee consisting of Locust Projects Artist Board Members and Honorary Board.

DUE TO FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS: We can only frame select works - please apply early and deliver as soon as possible, we lean on a generous local framer for in-kind support

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 | 11:59pm: Rolling Open Call Deadline for Submissions - NO LATE SUBMISSIONS ACCEPTED 

• April 3: Final participating artists notified
• April 7 - Last day for works selected for framing to be delivered
• April 14: Last day to deliver works to Locust Projects 
• April 15-16: Works installed in Project Room - gives us a day for lighting and labels
• April 18: Spring Fling!

REVIEW CRITERIA:

• Submit one work for consideration with a minimum commercial value of $500 and maximum $7,500 - be willing to start bids at 30% of value 
• Two- and three-dimensional work within size limit of 36 x 36 inches overall.
• Install ready: Works must be ready to hang with mounting hardware and, if not straightforward, instructions provided; unframed works are considered on a case-by-case basis as our in-kind framing sponsorship is limited
• MUST provide complete checklist information: Artist name, artwork title, date, media, size, and retail value.
• MUST provide a HI-RES image.
• MUST be delivered before April 15 - shipping reimbursement not available

All submissions meeting the above criteria will receive:

• 1 complimentary ticket to Spring Fling ($250 value) in thanks 

All artists selected to participate and included in the auction will receive:

• 2 complimentary tickets (admits you and 1 guest) to Spring Fling ($500 value)
• Inclusion in the online catalogue with image and brief about artwork/artist
• Our deepest gratitude - you clearly get it, and are at the heart of all we do to support artists for nearly 30 years

Thank you for helping to make art happen at Locust Projects. We appreciate your consideration, time, and support of Locust Projects’ mission.

FOR PROJECTS STARTING AFTER SEPTEMBER 1, 2026. 

Annual incubator grant opportunity for Miami-based artists to bring experimental new ideas to life across Miami neighborhoods. Applications open February 1 at midnight. DEADLINE is April 1, 2026 at 11:59pm - no exceptions. 

About WaveMaker Grants

WaveMaker Grants at Locust Projects supports Miami’s visionary artists with incubator grants to research, kick off or re-energize innovative artist-driven projects that are shared with the public in unconventional spaces.

Since 2015, WaveMaker has awarded $690,000 in funding to 139 of Miami’s visionary artists. 

Grantees receive up to $6,000 each in three categories: New Work/Projects | Long-Haul Projects, and | Research & Development + Implementation. In the spirit of Locust Projects’ artist-driven, experimental mission, WaveMakers experiment and take risks, creating innovative work that is shared in unconventional public spaces.

WaveMaker Grants are made possible by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts' Regional Regranting Program, a network of 36 regranting partners across the country. 

Please review all available info at www.wavemakergrants.org before submitting. 

Deadlines

Deadline is April 1, 2026 at 11:59pm.

There is no application fee. Locust Projects is committed to making WaveMaker Grants accessible to all applicants.  Should you need any accommodations or assistance to complete your application, please reach out to digital@locustprojects.org.

Join us for the first WaveMaker VIRTUAL INFO SESSION of the year on Friday, February 20, at 12pm EST via ZOOM. Learn about the next cycle of WaveMaker Grants for Miami-Dade artists and how you can apply for up to $6,000 in one of three categories: New Work / Projects | Long-Haul Projects | R&D + Implementation.

Eligibility

Visual artists, cultural organizers/creatives, collectives, collaborators who reside in Miami-Dade County are encouraged to apply.

If you have received a WaveMaker Grant in the past 5 years you are ineligible to apply in 2026 unless you are a current R+D recipient.

Film, performance, dance, music, and other projects that fall outside a strict definition of visual art are eligible.  However, visual art must be the leading component and again, must be presented free to the public in a non-traditional venue - museums, galleries, other arts nonprofits are not acceptable as a nontraditional venue.

If applying as a group, the collaboration can be long-standing or initiated specifically for this project. Please identify one participant to serve as the lead contact. The lead contact and majority of participants must reside in Miami-Dade County.

Non-profit organizations and LLCs established for commercial enterprise are not eligible.

Selection Criteria

All projects must engage or be shared with the public at no cost in unconventional spaces in Miami-Dade County. This may include exhibitions, performances, events, workshops, screenings, programming at alternative or artist-run-spaces. Projects can NOT be presented at art museums or commercial galleries or other traditional arts venues or those venues requiring paid admission.

All proposals will be considered based on criteria including but not limited to:

• Overall idea, vision, and artistic innovation
• Relevance to the local social, cultural, and/or geographic context
• Accessibility of the project to the public for FREE outside of a museum or gallery, etc..
• In person gatherings in free, publicly accessible spaces are an essential requirement.
• Capacity of the applicant to realize the project on time and within budget
• Potential impact on the local community, the arts and culture landscape, and/or the artist’s growth

Grantees will be announced before the end of August 2026 and funded for projects starting after September 1, 2026.

Founded in 2015 by the former nonprofit Cannonball, WaveMaker Grants has been administered by Locust Projects, Miami’s longest running nonprofit alternative art space, since 2017. 

WaveMaker is made possible by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts' Regional Regranting Program, a network of 36 regranting partners across the country.