Call For Emerging Artist Submissions: The Quenten Doolittle Memorial Gallery

DATE : February 23, 2026

DEADLINE: March 31, 2026 - 11:59 pm

Call for Visual Arts Submissions: The Quenten Doolittle Memorial Gallery in Calgary

Submissions are now open for The Quenten Doolittle Memorial Gallery Exhibit: Emerging Artists! in association with the IGNITE! Festival for Emerging Artists
from April 24 to June 27, 2026.  

The Pumphouse Theatre is a vibrant facility with historical significance and a focus on showcasing community, emerging and early stage career artists. 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 professional 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! 2026. All submissions will be displayed from April 24th – June 27th, 2026. If selected to be the official art piece of IGNITE! 2026, the artist will receive an artist festival pass and an honorarium for the use of their image in marketing material.

Timeline: 
•    Submission Deadline: March 31, 2026 at 11:59pm
•    All artists who submit will be notified with a decision no later than 2-2 1/2 weeks after the deadline.
•    Installation: April 19 to April 21, 2026
•    Exhibition: April 24th to June 27, 2026
    In the event of a virtual gallery only, this exhibition end date may be extended into the summer
•    Take Down: June 29th to July 2nd, 2026

To apply, please send the following information via email:
•    Completed Gallery Submission Form
•    Artist Biography (250 words max)
•    A short description of who you are and your art background, training, passion, and/or any combination of the fore mentioned information
•    Artwork: Photos, maximum of 5, do not send original works. 
•    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  
Phone: 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 suitability 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.