Call for Submissions: Two Artist Opportunities at Gladstone House

2026 Artist Residency Program & 2026 DesignTO Exhibitions

Gladstone House

Opportunity 1
2026 Gladstone House Artist Residency Program

Submission Deadline: November 16, 2025, 11:00pm ET

Gladstone House, Toronto’s oldest operating hotel and a hub for creativity, invites applications for short-term (3 month) visual art or craft residencies in the hotel’s art studio. Residencies are self-directed: the artists work on projects of their own choosing. Work may be tied to a project, including preparation for an exhibition or show/sale, or may be for portfolio/practice development. There is no fee to use the space. Artists have access to the Art Studio 7 days a week, from 7:00am to 11:00pm.

Three artists share the space, with separate workstations in a large, open room. For more details, review the Call to Artists.

The Art Studio is accessed by stairs only – no elevator.

Project Requirements

Residencies are 3 months. Applications are accepted for 3 month blocks, beginning January 1, 2026 through to the end of 2026. Blocks are:

• January 1 – March 31
• April 1 – June 30
• July 1 – September 30
• October 1 – December 31

In exchange for free use of the space, the artist is expected to:

• work in the studio at least 2 full days or 4 half days per week with the door open and engage with hotel guests and members of the public
• contribute to the arts programming of the hotel, by exhibiting work in one of the hotel’s public spaces or rooms, offering a workshop, or another program or activation

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to:

• Professional artists at any career stage (must be at least 19 years old).
• Local artists
• Artists who do not have studio space outside their own homes.
• Artists who have not previously been Resident Artists at Gladstone House

Gladstone House is committed to equity and diversity. Qualified applicants with diverse identities and lived experiences are encouraged to apply.

Resident Artist Emily Pike’s workstation

Compensation

There is no fee to use the space. No stipend is provided. This residency offers workspace only, no accommodation.

Selection Process

Artists are assessed on their work, statement, work plan, the fit of the practice to the space and the artist contribution, and the timeslots available.

Submission Requirements

Please read the Call for Artists on the Gladstone House website for complete details on how to apply.

• Artist bio
• Work plan
• Preferred dates
• 5 images of your work
• Your website and Instagram for your art practice

How to Submit

Complete details on how to apply are in the Call for Artists.

Submission Deadline: November 16, 2025

For additional information or questions, please contact:
Lee Petrie, Curator
lpetrie@archivehospitality.com

Opportunity 2
2026 Gladstone House DesignTO Exhibitions

Submission Deadline: November 9, 2025, 11:00pm ET

Gladstone House, Toronto’s oldest operating hotel and a hub for creativity, seeks artwork for exhibitions for the 2026 DesignTO Festival. Gladstone House’s 2026 exhibitions will be built around the theme machine. Our relationships with machines and technology are complex. We use them daily to communicate, to assist with tasks and learning, for fabrication. While machines and technology can increase accessibility, allow for creative exploration and expansion, and connect us, there are also concerns that they can be alienating, replace human labour and contribute to overconsumption.

We’re looking for work that is informed by our relationships with machines. Work may conceptually explore ideas around machine or may use machines and technology (new or old) as part of the creative process in a way that contributes to the discussion.

Exhibition Dates: January 16 – April 28, 2026

Exhibition Spaces: Stairway Gallery (2-person exhibition, 5-7 works per person), Lobby (1 work), Lobby corridor (1-person exhibition, 3-5 works)

Georgina Lee Walker paintings at Gladstone House, DesignTO 2025

Project Requirements

For complete details, see the Call for Artists.

Media: 2D media including drawing, printmaking, collage, painting, photography, textiles, images printed/mounted on dibond or other rigid substrate, works on canvas or panel. Textiles and works on paper should be framed under glass/plexi for protection.

Size: maximum width 60 inches, maximum height 60 inches. These spaces are better suited to medium to large work – works under 24 inches wide or high are not suitable.

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to:

• This call is open to professional artists* in Toronto and region (approximately 50km radius from Toronto).
• Gladstone House is committed to equity and diversity. Qualified applicants with diverse identities and lived experiences are encouraged to apply.
• In order to offer opportunities to more artists, artists who exhibited work at Gladstone House in 2021-2025 are not eligible to apply.

Compensation

Artist fees range from $250 to $420 per person, depending on the space. We do not offer production fees.

Selection Process

Artists are selected based on the quality of their work, the works’ connection to the theme of machine, and fit for the space.

Submission Requirements

For complete details, see the Call for Artists.

• Artist bio
• Statement about the work and it relates to the theme machine.
• 5 images with captions or image list
• CV

How to Submit

Complete details on how to apply are in the Call for Artists.

Submission Deadline: November 9, 2025

For additional information or questions, please contact:
Lee Petrie, Curator
lpetrie@archivehospitality.com

Gladstone House
1214 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M6J 1J6
www.gladstonehouse.ca
lpetrie@archivehospitality.com
416-531-8047 (Front desk)

Facebook @gladstonehouseto
Instagram @gladstonehouseto

Accessibility:
Gladstone House is partially accessible. The Art Studio/lower level is accessible by stairs only. For more information, contact info@gladstonehouse.ca.