Call for Submissions: 2026 John Fleming Award in Decorative Arts Writing

Typewriter photograph by Glenn Carstens-Peters

John Fleming Award in Decorative Arts Writing/Prix John Fleming de Rédaction sur les Arts Décoratifs

Submission Deadline: June 5, 2026

The John Fleming Award honours his lasting contribution to Canadian decorative arts scholarship and writing.

This $1,000 annual juried award recognizes an exceptional example of magazine writing on decorative arts in Canada. Decorative arts are creative works, often of a practical or useful nature, produced by a designer, craftsperson, artist, or amateur, which have aesthetic, cultural, or historical value.

The Canadian Society of Decorative Arts/Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs (CSDA/CCAD) publishes the article in Ornamentum magazine and on ornamentum.ca. Ornamentum critically addresses the aesthetics, meanings, traditions, and innovations of Canadian material culture in the areas of decorative arts and design for a general audience.

Eligibility

• Emerging writers, with fewer than five publications, are welcome to submit either an unpublished or published article written within the last two years
• The article must address an aspect of decorative arts, design, or craft in Canada; appeal to a diverse readership through an accessible approach; have an original topic or perspective and demonstrate literary excellence.
• By submitting an article, the candidate accepts the terms of the competition and agrees to submit their text and images to Ornamentum for editing and publication.
• Previous John Fleming Award winners and CSDA/CCAD board members and staff are ineligible.

Compensation

The successful recipient of the John Fleming Award will receive $1,000 and have their work published in an upcoming issue of Ornamentum magazine and on ornamentum.ca.

Photograph of John Fleming

Selection Process

A jury of three professionals with diverse decorative arts expertise and geographical representation will evaluate submissions based on originality of the subject or approach, contribution to the field of decorative arts in Canada, accuracy, and writing style. For further information, contact info@csda-ccad.org.

Submission Requirements

• Your name and contact information of phone number, email, and mailing addresses.
• How you heard about the John Fleming Award.
• Current CV with list of publications.
• Magazine article of 1500–2500 words, in English or French.
• Submission must be in electronic format of doc, docx, or pdf; double-spaced, with captioned images.
• If applicable, citations must be in MLA format.

How to Submit

Please send your submission with the package of materials to jfaward@ornamentum.ca

Submission Deadline: June 5, 2026

For additional information or questions, please contact:
CSDA/CCAD
info@csda-ccad.org

Download a PDF version of this information.

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Ces renseignements sont disponibles en français.

Canadian Society of Decorative Arts/Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs
P.O. Box 235, Station Q
Toronto, ON M4T 2M1
csda-ccad.org
info@csda-ccad.org
647-249-6280

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