Call for Submissions: Echoes of Time

Presented by Visual Arts of South Asia (VASA) – Arts Festival

An art lover at the VASA Arts Exhibition

Call for Submissions
VASA Art Exhibition Theme – Echoes of Time

Deadline for Entry: June 20, 2026, 11:59pm ET
Exhibition Dates: July 7 – 31, 2026
Gallery 35, 35 Queen Street West, Brampton, ON L6Y 1L9

History never truly disappears. It lingers in gestures, traditions, stories, and places—resonating through the present as quiet reminders of where we come from. These echoes reappear in the future, carrying traces of memory, identity, and cultural nostalgia.

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Visual Arts of South Asia (VASA) – Arts Festival, this year’s call for artists reflects on the enduring connections between memory, culture, and time. Over the past decade, the festival has created space for stories, traditions, and artistic voices that continue to shape our collective cultural landscape.

This year’s theme invites artists to explore the ways personal and collective histories continue to influence contemporary life. Through reflection, remembrance, and reimagining, we welcome works that capture the enduring presence of the past and its evolving connection to the future.

The festival welcomes submissions of original artworks from professional, emerging, and amateur South Asian artists across Ontario. Eligible artworks may include painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, textiles, and mixed media.

Select participating artists may also be invited to facilitate online workshops focused on their art form or artistic practice. Artists leading these workshops will receive an honorarium. Please email your expressions of interest and workshop details here, along with your submission.

Submission is Free!

Attendees interacting with the artists at the VASA Opening Reception

Important Dates

Deadline for Entry: June 20, 2026, 11:59pm ET
Notification of Selection: on or before June 23, 2026
Artwork Drop Off: July 4, 2026, 10am – 12pm
Opening Reception: July 11, 2026, 6 – 8pm
Artwork Pick Up: August 1, 2026, 12 – 3pm
Exhibition Dates: July 7 – 31, 2026

Submission Guidelines for Selection

• Artists can submit up to 2 images of original artworks. Artworks must be original, align with the theme, have been created in the last 2 years and not appeared in prior VASA art exhibitions. Artworks should not exceed size 36 x 36 inches, due to space constraint. Submission of application does not guarantee acceptance.
• Send your submissions here
• Name your submission images with your first and last name, followed by title of work e.g JohnDoeMoonDance.jpeg. Image files should have minimum resolution of 72 dpi.
• Results will be emailed by June 23, 2026, with further information. The curator will appraise artworks in accordance with the exhibition theme while looking for creativity that successfully represents the objective of the theme along with technical skill, form and concept. Only accepted artworks will be included in the exhibition. Curator’s decisions are final.

Final Submission

• If you are accepted, by submitting your entry you give VASA Arts Festival the right to publish your images for publicity purposes for the current year and within all future promotions.
• Artwork must be ready for display and arrive with professional framing and mounting with appropriate hardware securely attached. VASA Arts Festival will not be held responsible for damage caused by faulty hanging hardware.
• VASA Arts Festival reserves the right to refuse artworks that arrive with sawtooth, clip hangers, no wiring or faulty wiring. Art in unsuitable condition for display, copies, reproductions or controversial subject matters will not be accepted.
• Only accepted artwork by the curator will be included in the exhibition. All selected entries will remain on display until the final day of the exhibition.

Guests and patrons at the VASA Opening Reception

About the Curator

With a deep commitment to cultural preservation and storytelling, Aparna Rangnekar is an art professional whose work centers around the rich and diverse heritage of traditional arts of India. Rooted in strong academic foundation, her journey has been shaped by immersive engagements with artisan communities, master craftsmen and local traditions. Her aim is to advocate the rich South Asian cultural heritage, build meaningful access, visibility and respect for traditional arts in the broader community.

A compassionate art educator, Aparna is also engaged with various art groups and not-for-profit organizations promoting Arts and Culture in the community. Through a career spanning decades, independent projects and community-led initiatives, Aparna has built a practice that bridges her education and grassroots experience. She has facilitated numerous exhibitions and community art projects in the Greater Toronto Area, at the Vibrant Brampton South Asian Cultural Festival as well as for Ontario Culture Days in Milton.

About the Festival

Now celebrating its 10th year, the Visual Arts of South Asia (VASA) – Arts Festival, an initiative of the Arts & Culture Initiative of South Asia (ACISA), continues to celebrate the richness and diversity of South Asian art within Canada’s multicultural landscape. Founded by the organizers of the Vibrant Brampton Festival, VASA Arts Festival provides a platform for emerging and established artists to share evolving artistic practices shaped by culture, identity, migration, and lived experiences.

Over the past decade, VASA Arts Festival has fostered creativity, connection, and intercultural dialogue through the arts, while continuing its commitment to amplifying diverse voices and building community through artistic expression.

Aparna Rangnekar
Festival Director & Curator
vasaartsfestival@gmail.com

www.vasaartsfestival.ca
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