Call for Submissions: Erin Arts Festival 2026

Call for Submissions: Erin Arts Festival 2026
Juried En Plein Air Painting Competition & Photography Exhibition in Erin, Ontario

Submission Deadline: May 30, 2026, 11:59pm ET
Festival Date: June 20, 2026

The Erin Arts Festival invites submissions from Ontario-based artists working in en plein air painting and photography for participation in our 2026 live painting competition and group art exhibition.

Celebrating artistic responses to place, atmosphere, and community, the Festival brings together artists and audiences in the heart of Erin. We welcome emerging and established artists whose work demonstrates technical strength, clarity of vision, and a compelling engagement with environment and lived experience.

Selected artists will exhibit in a professionally curated presentation during the Festival.

Attendance is estimated to reach 1000 visitors.

Juried En Plein Air Painting Competition

Date: June 20, 2026 | 8:00am – 2:00pm
Location: Main Street and surrounding areas, Erin, Ontario

Selected painters will participate in a live, same-day painting event with all works being juried by the Erin Arts Festival Committee. Cash prizes to be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Artists will create a work on site during this six-hour period, responding directly to Erin’s streetscape, architecture, and landscape. Works must be substantially completed within the designated time frame and will be eligible for adjudication.

Exhibition-Only Submission (Painting & Photography)

Painters who do not wish to participate in the live competition may submit previously completed works for exhibition consideration.

Photographers are invited to submit original works completed after January 1, 2020.

We welcome submissions engaging landscape, architecture, community, or environment. All works must meet the framing and size specifications below:

• Canadian artists, 18 years of age or older
• Residing in Ontario
• Work must be original and completed after January 1, 2020
• Maximum dimensions: 16 x 20 inches, including frame
• Framed and ready to hang
• Available for the full duration of the exhibition

Artists may offer work for sale and are responsible for all sales transactions.

Artists participating in the group exhibition will have their work on display at local Erin hotspot “The Kitchen” located at 67 Main Street, Erin, ON N0B 1T0.

Submission Guidelines

Artists may submit 3–5 works per application compiled into one PDF document and emailed to: jm.erinartsfestival@gmail.com

An e-transfer of $30 (non-refundable) per application must accompany the submission payable to ra.erinartsfestival@gmail.com

Deadline: May 30, 2026, 11:59pm ET

The PDF must include:

• An image of each submitted work
• Exact dimensions (including frame)
• A brief statement (maximum 100 words per work)
• Artist name and contact information

Image & PDF Specifications
Submissions are reviewed digitally. Please adhere to the following:

• JPEG images only
• 1500–3000 pixels on the longest side
• Maximum 5 MB per image
• No watermarks or decorative borders
• Crop to the edge of the artwork (include the frame only if it is part of the size limit)

Name image files as:
LastName_FirstName_Title_Year.jpg

Combine all materials into one PDF (maximum 25 MB) titled:
LastName_FirstName_ErinArtsFestival2026.pdf

Incomplete or incorrectly formatted submissions may not be reviewed.

Selection & Notification

Submissions will be reviewed based on artistic merit, technical execution, and engagement with subject matter.

Artists will be notified no later than June 3, 2026.

Selected artists will receive an intake package with detailed exhibition and delivery instructions upon acceptance.

Delivery

Locations:
13 Lonsdale Road (side door), Toronto, ON; and
5583 Fourth Line, Hillsburgh, ON

Dates:
June 12, 2026 | 6:00pm – 9:00pm
June 13, 2026 | 9:00am – 6:00pm

Artists are responsible for packaging and insurance.

Thank you for your interest!

Please forward all application/submission materials to: jm.erinartsfestival@gmail.com

Please forward all application fees to: ra.erinartsfestival@gmail.com

For any and all inquiries please contact José at jm.erinartsfestival@gmail.com

Erin Arts Festival
erinartsfestival.ca
Instagram @erinartsfest