Know where you fall in terms of a media category prior to considering entering a juried show. Know if your work is abstract, watercolor, print or graphic art or sculpture. Some juried shows are limited by medium, and you would not qualify if your work is not a match to what they are asking for. Located in Central Florida, the Lake Mary Heathrow Festival of the Arts features a large variety of arts and crafts and has a juried art show that accepts a variety of media.
Doing a huge search of multiple juried art shows in Florida can mean receiving dozens of returns that you'll need to narrow down. Once you find the shows you're qualified to enter, be sure to consider the shows' deadlines. You can find an organized list by month at artfaircalendar.com that has a list of festivals and shows throughout the state. Annual shows like the Las Olas Art Fair in Ft. Lauderdale, the Hyde Park Village Art Fair in Tampa and the Naples Renaissance Festival all contain juried components to their fairs.
If you're open to competing outside the state or online, there are hundreds of these types of juried art shows that open you up to additional exposure and opportunities to compete. It is important to check the entry requirements and fees for these types of shows, as you may have to be willing to send your work out of the state and pay additional entry fees for being out of the area. The Water Street Studios in Illinois has an annual art show that is open to all artists in all media. To submit your work, there is no requirement to be an Illinois resident and you may submit your work via electronic files or mail a CD containing images of your work.
If you are looking to enter a juried art show in a specific city, the easiest way to perform a search is by starting with the city's artists' leagues. They are organizations or groups of artists that meet specifically to discuss issues that relate to the artist community. Alternatively, museums and galleries may serve as a meeting post for a similar focus. Both are known for hosting their own shows in order to interact with the community and promote vacant exhibition weeks for new artists. By getting connected on a smaller level for any given city, you can subscribe to their individual postings and, if in close proximity to you, you can arrange to attend monthly meetings. One of the main missions of the North Tampa Artists League is to promote art exhibitions and competitions, in addition to art educational opportunities. This is a common mission for leagues in every city.