Open Call for Submissions: 5th Annual Uptown Pride Exhibition

Women’s Art Association of Canada

Martin Murphy, Pan, 2025, oil on canvas, 60″ x 40″

Open Call: 5th Annual Uptown Pride

Submission Deadline: May 11, 2026, 11:30pm ET
Exhibition Dates: June 11 – June 28, 2026

The Women’s Art Association of Canada (WAAC) is celebrating Pride with a vibrant juried open call exhibition that uplifts and honours the 2SLGBTQI+ community through art, storytelling, and shared history. The 5th Annual Uptown Pride exhibition will take place at the Dignam Gallery, 23 Prince Arthur Avenue, Toronto, from Thursday, June 11 to Saturday, June 28, 2026.

Guided by the vision of Pride Toronto—“to create a world in which all people feel safer, valued, celebrated, and included, regardless of how they identify or who they love”—WAAC invites artists to submit work for consideration in this juried group exhibition.

4th Annual Uptown Pride exhibition installation, 2025

Juror & Curator
Elaine Fleck
Director of Gallery, Women’s Art Association of Canada

Elaine Fleck is an established curator and art dealer with extensive experience supporting and exhibiting contemporary and emerging artists. As WAAC’s Director of Gallery, she brings a discerning curatorial perspective to this year’s Uptown Pride exhibition.

Accepted artists will be notified by email no later than May 19, 2026.

To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, WAAC will host an opening reception on Saturday, June 13, 2026, featuring live music, food, and refreshments, with access to our outdoor terrace (weather permitting).

Artists are invited to submit work for this exhibition, presented as an official affiliate event of Pride Toronto 2026, part of Canada’s largest Pride celebration.

Artwork Requirements

• There are no size limitations.

Submission Fee

• $50 (non-members)
• $40 (members and returning participants)

Sales

All artworks must be available for sale. WAAC will process the sale on behalf of the artist. A handling and service fee applies on all sales between the submission date and the closing date of the show, plus up to two weeks after the show closes (New for 2026: 25% of the sale price for Members | 35% non-members).

4th Annual Uptown Pride exhibition installation, 2025

Important Dates

• Submission Deadline: Monday, May 11, 2026 at 11:30pm ET
• Artists Notified by Email: No later than May 19, 2026
• Artwork Intake: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | 11:00am – 3:00pm
• Exhibition Installation: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 (artist attendance not required)
• Exhibition Dates: Thursday, June 11 to Saturday, June 28, 2026
• Opening Reception: Saturday, June 13, 2026 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm
• Artwork Pick-up: Tuesday, June 30, 2026 | 10:00am – 12:00pm

How to Submit

For complete guidelines and to submit, please visit the online submission form.

Women’s Art Association of Canada
23 Prince Arthur Avenue
Toronto, ON M5R 1B2
womensartofcanada.ca
waac@womensartofcanada.ca
416-922-2060

Accessibility: The Women’s Art Association of Canada is regretfully not wheelchair accessible, there are steps to enter. For more information, visit womensartofcanada.ca.