Call for Applications: Cedar Ridge Creative Centre Summer Residency Program 2026

The Gardener’s Cottage at Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, site of the 2026 Summer Residency.

Cedar Ridge Creative Centre 2026 Summer Residency call is now open!

Application Deadline: April 11, 2026 at 11:59pm
Residency Dates: June 15 – September 24, 2026

About the Program

The Cedar Ridge Summer Residency offers one visual artist the opportunity to spend the summer immersed in their practice—surrounded by nature, community, and creative energy.

From June 15 to September 24, 2026, the selected artist will work in the Gardener’s Cottage, a dedicated studio nestled within Cedar Ridge park and gardens, overlooking the ravine and Highland Creek below. Steps from the Cedar Ridge Main House—home to galleries and art studios—the setting offers both quiet focus and connection.

The residency culminates in a public exhibition at Cedar Ridge Gallery in September, showcasing resident’s work. Open to emerging and mid-career artists, this residency is designed to support artistic growth, experimentation, and meaningful community engagement.

The City of Toronto Public Gallery Program operates five public galleries, including the Cedar Ridge Creative Centre Gallery. Guided by CARFAC (Canadian Artists’ Representation / Le Front des Artistes Canadiens) standards, the program is committed to equitable access to cultural spaces, strengthening support for artists, and advancing the goals of Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto.

What You’ll Receive

The selected artist will receive:

• Dedicated studio access in the Gardener’s Cottage during regular Centre hours
• A solo exhibition at Cedar Ridge Gallery (September 8 – 23, 2026)
• Promotion of the exhibition through City of Toronto channels
• $500 in art supply funding
• Support from Cedar Ridge staff to build community connections, expand professional networks, and pursue external funding opportunities
• Artist fees in accordance with the CARFAC schedule for Exhibitions with Art for Sale, including:
  ◦  An exhibition fee (Section 1: A.1.7)
  ◦  An installation fee (Section 4: C.7.0), based on number of artworks and installation duration

Cedar Ridge Creative Centre Main House

Eligibility

• Applicants must be current residents of Toronto and must not be enrolled in any arts degree or diploma program.
• Emerging artists are defined as artists who have recently completed post-secondary training in the arts and/or have begun to exhibit their work in a public context, having less than three years of experience in the field and beginning to gain recognition for their artwork through gallery exhibitions, grants, commissions or sales of their work.
• Mid-career artists are defined as artists that have specialized training in the arts and have maintained an independent professional practice for at least three years, are recognized as a professional artist by their peers, have produced an independent body of work and have made at least three public presentations of work in a professional context over a three-year period.
• All works must conform to the City of Toronto Human Rights and Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy and be suitable for a general audience. Cedar Ridge Creative Centre & Gallery reserves the right of final decision on the suitability of the content. For more information, please visit the City of Toronto display guidelines.
• Cedar Ridge Creative Centre is dedicated to engaging and supporting artists and encourages applications from members of equity-deserving communities.
• Artists who have exhibited at an Arts Services gallery are not eligible to be considered for an exhibition or residency at another Arts Services gallery in the following year.
• Current City of Toronto employees are ineligible to apply to the program.

Process

• No fee is required for submitting an application
• Applications received after the submission deadline will not be considered
• All applications are assessed by a jury
• Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview in April, 2026
• The successful candidate will be contacted via email by May 11, 2026
• All decisions regarding approval of applications will be final

The deadline to apply is: Sunday, April 11, 2026 at 11:59pm

For this Cedar Ridge Creative Centre Summer Residency Application, if you would like accessibility supports, accommodation and/or a different format, please contact the Cedar Ridge office at 416-396-4026 or crcc@toronto.ca (please use your business email address for any communication with us).

Submission Requirements

• Completed application form toronto.ca/ArtistOpportunities
• CV
• 10 to 15 images with a corresponding list of artworks
• If applying as a group, arts group members list

About the Cedar Ridge Gallery

The Cedar Ridge Gallery is a public gallery space owned and operated by the City of Toronto available for individual artists and arts groups. Gallery exhibitions are viewed by visual arts enthusiasts and by those at the Cedar Ridge Creative Centre attending courses and other events, providing a great opportunity to present the works on display to a larger community.

About the City of Toronto Cultural Centres and Galleries

Toronto’s Cultural Centres & Galleries is comprised of Assembly Hall, Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, Clark Centre for the Arts and Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery and the Ascent Gallery at the Etobicoke Civic Centre, all owned and operated by the City of Toronto. Collectively showcasing works by more than 800 artists in over 40 exhibitions annually.

More information about the City of Toronto’s Cultural Centres & Galleries can be found at toronto.ca/CulturalCentres or by following City of Toronto Culture on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.