Call for Submissions

This initiative builds on the commitment by the Canada Council for the Arts to address historical funding imbalances experienced by Alberta’s arts communities. Past related efforts have included organizing in-person outreach sessions in Lethbridge, Canmore, Edmonton and Calgary, including dedicated sessions for artists and arts organizations from Indigenous, Deaf and disability and racialized communities.

Starting in the spring of 2025, two Alberta-based arts liaison consultants will be retained to establish an on-the-ground presence for the Canada Council in Alberta. The consultants will engage with communities across the province to increase awareness of and access to funding opportunities and provide the Council with field intelligence with a view to ensuring impactful support of Alberta’s arts sector.

This latest two-year initiative will build on the Council’s previous investment in programs like Future Focus in Calgary and Invent and Adapt in Edmonton. Through ongoing collaboration with the Alberta arts sector, this initiative will expand the Council’s reach and impact in Alberta for the benefit of the entire arts ecosystem.

Learn more: canadacouncil.ca/about/requests-for-proposals

The Next Generation Short Story Awards is a not-for-profit awards program open to authors writing original unpublished short stories (5,000 words or less per story) in English. Brought to you by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (NGIBA) and Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group (IBPPG), the 2025 Next Generation Short Story Awards offers 30+ categories, and is open to all authors, even first-time authors, in the U.S., Canada or internationally.

The top short stories will be considered for a cash prize, gold medal, complimentary invitation to attend the annual NGIBA awards gala where you will be recognized if your story is a Grand Prize Winner, literary exposure, inclusion in an annual anthology, and recognition as one of the top short stories written this year!

The Next Generation Short Story Awards will honor and award 1 Winner and 3 Finalists in each of the 30+ categories and 3 Grand Prize Winners from all entries submitted this year. Winners and Finalists will receive the following:

Grand Prize Winners: $500 cash prize for 1st plus a trophy; $300 cash prize for 2nd; $200 cash prize for 3rd. Plus all Grand Prize Winners will receive a gold medal, complimentary invitation to attend the NGIBA awards gala, story and author bio published in the Anthology of Winners along with a complimentary copy of the Anthology of Winners.

Winners in each of 30+ Categories: $75 cash prize, gold medal, story and author bio published in the Anthology of Winners along with a complimentary copy of the Anthology of Winners.

Other benefits: Exposure for a full year as a Winner or Finalist on the Next Generation Short Story Awards website, social media coverage, complimentary Winner or Finalist gold award sticker image to display on writers' social media, potential literary acknowledgements and accolades.

The entry deadline date for the 2025 awards program is February 27, 2025. Enter at www.shortstoryawards.com.

The Strathcona County Art Collection Advisory Committee invites artists to submit their artwork for consideration to be purchased. 

Feb 15 - May 15, 2025

New for 2025! The program has expanded eligibility:

• residents of Strathcona County
• artists who identify as an equity deserving group residing within Treaty 6*
• artists who have significant connections to the County
• artists who have been part of a juried art exhibition or public art project with Strathcona County

www.strathcona.ca/recreation-events/arts-and-culture/public-art/art-acquisition

*Equity deserving groups: Women, Indigenous peoples, visible/racialized minority persons, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2S+ persons

Image Credit: Mirage: Stairway to Oinky's, Erik Johnson, 2023. From the 2024 Annual Acquisition. 

Community-Engaged Public Art 

Accepting applications until March 31, 2025

Strathcona County is excited to launch the Community-Engaged Art Program in 2025, a new initiative designed to connect artists with the community through creative processes that highlight the values of community, diversity, inclusion, and wellness. This program invites artists to propose temporary public art projects that will engage the public in meaningful ways and contribute to the cultural vibrancy of shared public spaces. 

Read the full call here:

https://www.strathcona.ca/recreation-events/arts-and-culture/public-art 

Submissions are now open for The Quenten Doolittle Memorial Gallery Exhibit: Emerging Artists! in association with the IGNITE! Festival for Emerging Artists April 17th – June 28th, 2025.

The Pumphouse Theatre is a vibrant facility with historical significance. It supports and presents all art forms and creates opportunities for engagement, enrichment, cultural experience, learning and inspiration, while serving all Calgarians. To enable this, the Quenten Doolittle Memorial Gallery provides accessible wall display space for Mohkinstsis (Calgary) visual artists to display and sell their work, free from commission. 

IGNITE! is a festival dedicated to supporting, mentoring, and presenting emerging artists of all disciplines. IGNITE! allows artists to embrace risks in a supportive environment while providing resources, a bridge to the professional arts community, and meaningful opportunities for collaboration and community building with their peers.

For this exhibit, we are looking for work that is created by emerging artists. This includes artists with less than 5 years of pro-fessional experience creating or exhibiting their work. Submissions of any style, from realistic to abstract, and in any visual art medium will be considered, provided it meets all gallery requirements below. The Pumphouse Theatre supports an inclusive and diverse community. We encourage any submissions of eligible visual artists from all communities including but not limited to the LGBTQ2+, BIPOC, and those with disabilities.

Submissions must meet the following requirements:

• Artist resides in Calgary and must be available for installation.
• Artist must identify as Emerging (less than 5 years of experience)
• Artwork must be delivered ready to hang (wall-space only)

Artists will be given a choice to opt into allowing their work to be adjudicated to become the official art piece of IGNITE! 2025. All submissions will be displayed from April 17th – June 28th, 2025. If selected to be the official art piece of IGNITE! 2025, the artist will receive an artist festival pass and an honorarium for the use of their image in marketing material.

Installation Requirements: All art MUST be equipped with picture hanging wire and D rings (a piece of metal hardware shaped like the letter D used on the back of frame or canvas as hooking device). Hanging cleats or flat metal hardware unfortunately will not be accepted. Dimensions must correlate with those provided on the submission form, otherwise they may not be installed upon being selected.

This gallery is intended to be available for in person and online viewing. Due to the uncertainty of COVID-19 pandemic, there is the possibility of this exhibit being online exclusively. All installation requirements are still necessary for this exhibit at this time.

In the event of an in-person gallery, The Pumphouse Theatre will install the work on behalf of the artists. Artwork may be dropped off or picked up by either the artist or a representative during the hours of 12pm and 6pm on the installation and take down dates provided. Artist must reserve an installation and take down date via a provided form or by contacting the Programming Director.

Timeline:

Submission Deadline: March 22nd, 2025 4pm
All artists who submit will be notified with a decision no later than 2-2 1/2 weeks after the deadline.
Installation: April 13th – April 15th, 2025
Exhibition: April 17th – June 28th, 2025
In the event of a virtual gallery only, this exhibition end date may be extended into the summer
Take Down: June 29th – July 2nd, 2025

To apply, please send the following information via email:

Completed Gallery Submission Form
Artist Biography (250 words max) (PDF or .doc format, please)

A short description of who you are and your art background, training, passion, and/or any combination of the fore mentioned information (PDF or .doc format, please)

Artwork: Photos, maximum of 5, do not send original works. (PNG or JPG format, please)
Images of artwork only; do not send original works with application

Applications or queries are sent to: Programming Director 2140 Pumphouse Ave SW Calgary, AB T3C 3P5 prod@pumphousetheatre.ca 403-263-0079 ext. 100

Selection Process: Art pieces are selected by a committee of no less than 3 people and are a mix of artists and administrators. Selection criteria is based on: suitability to the theme, technique, emotional response, creativity & innovation, and suit-ability for the Pumphouse Theatre gallery space and its patrons (ages 8-80 representing various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds). Unfortunately, we are unable to accept works that feature nudity.

Any artists who need assistance with their application, or have inquires and questions, are welcome to contact The Pumphouse Theatre at any point.
 

TREX Southeast invites artists based in southeast Alberta (see map) to submit proposals for consideration for upcoming visual art exhibitions. 

TREX Southeast is one of four regional partners who manage the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) Travelling Exhibition program (TREX). For over 40 years, this provincial program has curated exhibitions and distributed them to communities across the province, with displays often occurring in non-traditional gallery spaces such as schools and libraries. The goal of the program is to make professionally curated exhibitions of Albertan artwork accessible for all to experience and enjoy, and to support the work of Albertan artists. More information can be found at trexsoutheast.ca and affta.ab.ca. 

The TREX Southeast team strives to curate exhibitions that highlight the diverse stories, themes, artistic mediums and voices in our region. We encourage artists of all backgrounds and experience levels to apply. The aim of this Open Call is to connect with artists living in rural and urban communities in southeast Alberta. We want to know more about you and your work! 

View our Open Call information document for full submission details, and submit your application using this Google Form. The deadline to apply is February 28, 2025.