Artist Still Here: Canada-Wide Open Call for Artists

DATE :

Arts opportunity Visual arts & new media Call for Submissions

DEADLINE: October 18, 2026 - 9:59 pm

Artist Still Here is a Canada-wide art initiative operated by ZIV & GENTLE LTD., created to celebrate original, human-made creativity and support artists at a time when AI is increasingly reshaping the creative industries.

Our first Canada-wide open call invites artists aged 18 and over who are living in Canada to submit one original and human-created artwork, with no required theme. We want artists to have the freedom to submit work that reflects their own practice, ideas, and visual language. And we welcome work across a range of visual disciplines, including painting, drawing, illustration, digital arts, graphic design, and other forms of original visual artwork.

Submitted work must be created by the artist and must not include AI-generated imagery, plagiarism, unauthorized copies, or third-party material used without permission.

Entry is free, and $3,200 CAD in prizes will be shared among the Top 10 selected artists.

Following the submission period, eligible artworks will move through the Artist Still Here selection process, including community voting. The Top 10 artists will be subject to final eligibility and originality review before results are confirmed. Participating artists will also have the opportunity to be featured through the Artist Still Here caps and apparel, with full artist credit and royalties.

Artists may submit one original artwork as a digital image in JPG or PNG format, RGB color mode, with a minimum long edge of 2000 pixels. Higher-resolution files are encouraged where available. Existing artwork is welcome, and artists may also create a new work specifically for the open call. 

Artists remain ownership and copyright of their artwork. Submission to the open call does not grant Artist Still Here or ZIV & GENTLE LTD. commercial rights to an artwork. Any commercial use would be discussed separately with the artist and would require a separate written agreement.

Submission open: September 15, 2026

Submission deadline: October 18, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST

Full eligibility requirements, submission guidelines, and application information are available at artiststillhere.com. For questions or additional information, you can also contact us at hello@artiststillhere.com.