Call for Submissions: Tradition Transformed 2026

Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH)

2025 participating artist Diana Hillman, Departure, Montreal, 2025, oil on wood panel, 40″ x 60″.

Tradition Transformed 2026

Submission Deadline: Friday, July 31, 2026
Jury Results: Friday, August 28, 2026
Exhibition: September 26, 2026 – January 16, 2027
Reception: Saturday, September 26, 2026 | 1 – 3pm

Our vast and varied landscape is as unique and diverse as the Canadians who inhabit it. The beauty of our landscape can be a source of national pride, but our land is also going through many challenges such as climate change, land claims, and loss of natural habitats. Tradition Transformed asks the question, what does the Canadian landscape mean to you.

This annual juried exhibition was created in recognition of landscape artist and Group of Seven member, Franklin Carmichael, who was born in Orillia. Now in its 25th year, this juried exhibition calls on artists from across the country to submit work that reimagines the Canadian landscape through the artist’s chosen medium, including but not limited to drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, media arts and mixed media.

Entry Fee:

There is an application fee of $40 (plus HST) per submission. Artists can submit up to 3 times, $40 (plus HST) each submission, one image for each entry.

Prizes:

Jurors’ Prize – $1500
Kevin J. Batchelor Emerging Artist Award – $1000
The Philip Jackman Photography Prize – $500
Norma Duggan Award – $300

Installation view of OMAH’s 2025 Tradition Transformed exhibition.

Jurors:

Tanya Cunnington is an artist, curator, and arts professional originally from Kirkland Lake and now a community member of Rama First Nation. She studied Drawing and Painting at the Ontario College of Art and Design and has exhibited across Ontario, including at the MacLaren Art Centre and OMAH. Tanya has also served as Owner and Director of Lee Contemporary Art and as Arts Programming Coordinator at OMAH.

Bewabon Shilling is an Ojibway painter from Rama First Nation whose work is inspired by the landscapes and communities surrounding Lake Couchiching and the Black River. A graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, he has exhibited internationally and received support from the Canada Council for the Arts. His work is represented by Roberts Gallery in Toronto, and his painting Field Series – Purples was recently acquired by the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Submission Information:

Submission info, including guidelines and the submission form can be found on the OMAH website.

Submission inquiries can be sent to Ninette Gyorody, Executive Director by email.

2025 Artists:

Installation view of OMAH’s 2025 Tradition Transformed exhibition.

For information/Media Contact:
Ninette Gyorody, Executive Director
705 326–2159 x101 | executivedirector@orilliamuseum.org

Orillia Museum of Art & History
30 Peter Street South
Orillia, ON L3V 5A9
orilliamuseum.org

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OMAH has been the hub of art, culture, and heritage in the heart of Orillia’s Arts District for over twenty-five years. Located in downtown Orillia, the clocktower of the Sir Samuel Steele Memorial Building is a beacon for the museum. OMAH’s mission is to provide inclusive space to engage community, inspire creativity and celebrate culture, by exploring art and history.

Museum Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 4pm | Suggested Admission is $5

The museum is fully accessible.

Acknowledgements

The Orillia Museum of Art & History respectfully acknowledges our presence on the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg which includes the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Pottawatomi nations, collectively known as the Three Fires Confederacy. We respect and observe the long and enduring presence of Indigenous Peoples – First Nations, Metis and Inuit – on this land. Their teachings and stewardship, culture and way of life have shaped our City’s unique identity.

The Orillia Museum of Art & History gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, the City of Orillia, and our community supporters and contributors.