Call for Submissions: Ontario Biennial Juried Exhibition 2023

Thames Art Gallery

Photograph from the opening reception of the Ontario Biennial Juried Exhibition 2015

Deadline for Entry: Sunday, June 11, 2023, by Midnight
Exhibition Dates: August 25 – October 22, 2023
Opening Reception: Friday, August 25, 7pm

Thames Art Gallery
75 William Street North, Chatham. ON

The Thames Art Gallery invites emerging artists living in Ontario and working across disciplines to submit work for our biennial juried exhibition. From traditional and material-based work to digital installation, TAG is committed to promoting professional art and artists across the province.

All artists juried into the Ontario Biennial Juried Exhibition will receive a CARFAC regulated artist fee for their participation. Artists are responsible for shipping their work. One thousand five hundred dollars in award money will be distributed for Juror’s Choice Awards at the juror’s discretion which will be announced at the opening reception.

Photograph from the opening reception of the Ontario Biennial Juried Exhibition 2017

The juror for the 2023 Juried Exhibition is Carla Garnet. As a staunch proponent of emerging artists and a seasoned curator dedicated to pushing the boundaries and function of the gallery space, Garnet is a perfect choice for this exhibition as TAG continues its commitment to emerging professional artists post-pandemic.

About the Juror:

Carla Garnet is the Director and Curator of the John B. Aird Gallery. She has worked as the JOUEZ curator for the annual BIG on Bloor Festival of Arts and Culture in Toronto (2007-2010 and 2014-19), the curator at the Art Gallery of Peterborough (2010-2013), as a guest curator at Gallery Stratford (2009-2010), as an independent curator (1997-2010), and was the founder and director of Garnet Press Gallery (1984-97).

Garnet holds an Associate Diploma from the Ontario College of Art and Design and a Master Degree in Art History from York University.

Garnet is interested in the politics of the art exhibition and its potential to function as a common—a public space for dialogue. Her curatorial area of interest engages with an exploration of work that presents the possibility of existing simultaneously in many tenses or occupying more than one subject position at once, or both as a way to open up space for greater empathy. For Garnet, an artwork’s significance is tied up with an ability to say what otherwise might be unsayable.

Important Dates and Notes:

Deadline for Entry: Sunday, June 11, 2023 by 12:00 Midnight
All submissions must include an application form.

June 11
Deadline for submissions is Sunday at midnight

June 26
Notification by phone or email of works accepted for final jurying

August 4
Selected works must be received by the Thames Art Gallery on or before this date

August 25
Exhibition opens at the Thames Art Gallery, reception and awards presentation to take place 7 – 9pm

October 22
Last day of exhibition.

October 23 – 27
Artists must arrange for return of work during this week.

JURYING

Jurying will be a single stage process conducted through digital documentation only. Links to artists sites or social media are encouraged. Selected artists will be notified by email. All artists are responsible for shipping their artwork to and from the Thames Art Gallery.

ELIGIBILITY

• Open to all artists living in Ontario
• All media accepted
• All works must be original and completed within the last two years
• Works previously exhibited at the Thames Art Gallery are not eligible
• Professional artists only. Work done in class or under supervision is not eligible
• A maximum of three works may be submitted by each artist
• All work must be gallery ready with appropriate hanging devices in place. Special installation requests must be clearly noted within your digital submission. Inadequate or inaccurate installation, preparation or specification requirements may result in the work being disqualified

ADMINISTRATIVE FEE

A non-refundable handling fee of $35.00 per artist must be paid before the deadline. Payment can be made online here.

SUPPORT MATERIAL

The following should be submitted via WeTransfer to ckartgallery@chatham-kent.ca:

• Completed Application
• Artist Statement (200 Words, file type PDF or DOC)
• Your website or Social Media information
• Images of your submissions

Maximum number of images for 2-D work: two per work (JPEG only)
Maximum number of images for 3-D work: three per work (JPEG only)

All jpegs should not exceed 5 MB in size.

Video / documentation of a performance: Please do not exceed three-minute viewing time (MP4 files or Vimeo/Youtube links are accepted formats for the application process. Please indicate start and stop times (ie. 2:15 – 3:15)) if needed.

TRANSPORTATION AND INSURANCE

All shipping arrangements and costs are the responsibility of the submitting artist. The Thames Art Gallery will not accept collect shipments. The Thames Art Gallery will not be responsible for insuring the works while in transit. All works will be insured by the Thames Art Gallery while on the premises.

ARTIST FEES AND AWARDS

Applicable CARFAC group show fees will be paid to each selected artist.

Juror’s Award(s) in the sum of $1,500.00 will be presented to the selected artist(s) at the opening reception with increments determined at the juror’s discretion.

Works sold are subject to 30% commission to the Thames Art Gallery.

Photographs featuring the Thames Art Gallery space

The Thames Art Gallery is on the lands of the Anishinaabeg Nation. This is the traditional land of the Three Fires Confederacy: the Odawa, Potawatomi, and Ojibwe. We also recognize that this land is now home to the Delaware Nation. This land was settled through the McKee Purchase Treaty of 1790 and we, as beneficiaries of that treaty, must recognize our responsibilities including our collective responsibilities to the land and water.

The Thames Art Gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, Thursdays from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

For further information please contact: Phil Vanderwall at philv@chatham-kent.ca

Thames Art Gallery
75 William Street North, Chatham, ON N7M 4L4
www.tagartspace.com
ckartgallery@chatham-kent.ca
226 312 2023 ext 4425

Facebook @tagck
Instagram @thamesartgallery
Twitter @TAG_CK

Accessibility:
The Thames Art Gallery is accessible. For more information, visit here