Recommenders for Exhibition Assistance

Priorities

• Projects that address issues of social and political relevance
• Applicants from Indigenous and historically under-represented communities
• Significance of the exhibition in the development of the artist’s career, particularly exhibitions at artist-run venues.

Deadline(s)

• September 19, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• December 12, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 09, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Aesthetics engage in dialogue with contemporary and recent practice, and subject matter is relevant to the contemporary moment
First-time applicants demonstrating artistic merit
Significance of the exhibition and/or venue in the development of the artist’s career (e.g.: major gallery exhibitions are a higher priority than venues charging rental fees)
Culturally diverse applicants

Deadline(s)

• September 12, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 05, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Priorities include artists with a strong artist statement and those exhibiting at a public art gallery or equivalent non-commercial venue.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
The AGB will maintain a regional focus in supporting contemporary artists who are dedicated to placing critical conversations at the fore.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
The AGG prioritizes artists from the Guelph region working in any media who are addressing issues and ideas with social and public relevance, have a research-based art practice that is community-focused, and represent Indigenous or historically under-represented communities.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities

• Support for established and emerging artists in the Hamilton region
• Importance of the exhibition to the artist’s career.
• Work that demonstrates critical engagement with contemporary practice.
• Encourage applications from Indigenous or historically under-represented communities.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities

• Artistic merit
• Significance of exhibition to the artist’s career
• Public impact of exhibition (including location and duration of exhibition)
• OAC priority groups and artists living within our catchment area

Deadline(s)

• September 12, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• December 12, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Supports and recommends Indigenous artists, emerging and regional artists and artists with disabilities working in a variety of disciplines including craft, photo-based, traditional and new media works. 

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
We support the many, varied and diverse media explored in contemporary art with an emphasis on critical research and experimentation. We welcome applications for projects taking place in non-traditional, artist-affiliated and/or outdoor, public spaces.

Deadline(s)

• June 30, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• October 31, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Art Windsor Essex (formerly Art Gallery of Windsor) supports professional artists from Windsor-Essex and Southern Ontario at various levels of their career through this grant. It is a valuable resource for Windsor-Essex artists intending to develop a professional practice. AWE prioritizes the work’s artistic merit, impact on the artist’s career and viability of the project as well as diversity, equity and inclusion.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities

• Artistic excellence
• Contemporary visual arts
• Significance of exhibition and/or venue in the development of the applicant’s career
• Priority support to first-time applicants demonstrating artistic merit.
• Regional activity
• Culturally diverse projects and applicants
• Experimentation and risk-taking
• Artist’s contribution to, and participation in their local artistic community
• Priority support to BIPOC/LGBTQIA2+/Femme applicants demonstrating artistic merit

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Deadline(s)

• September 05, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 09, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Support the region’s Francophone and Francophile professional artists.

Submission Instructions
Accepts French-language applications only.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
Galerie 815 will give priority to emerging artists and artists who show creativity, innovation and uniqueness in their practice and exhibition techniques. Nevertheless, applications will be accepted from artists at all career levels and in all disciplines to encourage all Francophone artists in Ontario.

Submission Instructions
Accepts French-language applications only.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
Applications are assessed according to excellence in the field of professional craft practice.

Deadline(s)

• August 15, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• November 14, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Priority will be given to solo exhibitions in public galleries and artist-run centres. A reasonable budget must be presented outlining project costs and the amount requested. Priority will be given to artists in underserved areas.The importance of the exhibition to the development of the artist’s career will be taken into consideration.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
The gallery fosters contemporary multidisciplinary artistic initiatives, artistic and cultural experimentation, and dialogue within the arts community. To promote and assist emerging and established artists from Northwestern Ontario in developing their professional artistic careers, priority is given to exhibitions and works presented in professional galleries, as well as to artists who demonstrate artistic excellence in their genre in professional exhibitions at the regional, national, or international level.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
Open to media artists at all levels of their career and throughout the province. DARC supports installation, performance, and online exhibitions of all forms of media art: video, film, new media, digital and audio.

Deadline(s)

• September 02, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• December 01, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
We prioritize artists working within smaller budgets, those who are self-funding the presentation of their work and first-time applicants for Exhibition Assistance. We support the exhibition of media art: single channel, installation, audio art, performance, and cross-disciplinary presentations involving media art. We are open to non-gallery presentation venues.

Deadline(s)

• July 11, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• December 19, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities

• Emerging artists
• Importance of the body of work and the exhibition in the artist’s career
• Artistic merit

Deadline(s)

• July 20, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• October 10, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 05, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
The GNO recommends exhibitions by Francophone professional artists in all disciplines and from all parts of Ontario. Special consideration is given to artists from Northern Ontario.

Submission Instructions
Accepts French-language applications only.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
Ontario-based artists with a confirmed exhibition of photography or photo-based work.

Deadline(s)

• July 31, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• November 28, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities

• First-time applicants
•  Importance of exhibition in the artist’s career
• Exhibitions in a public art gallery and museum 

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities

• emerging to mid-career artists, priority given to culturally diverse applicants or applicants from marginalized communities
• experimental projects and platforms for collaborative research and knowledge-production
• we encourage projects with capacity for long-term engagement with contemporary socio-political issues and resonance beyond the art community

Deadline(s)

• September 29, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 05, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities

• First-time applicants or applicants who have not recently received a grant
• Importance of the exhibition to the artist’s career
• Extent of the public access to the exhibition

Deadline(s)

• September 05, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 09, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Hamilton Artists Inc. focuses on critical, unconventional, and challenging contemporary art practices that contribute to regional and national discourses. We accept applications from artists of all career levels and working in across disciplines. 

Deadline(s)

• October 01, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 09, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
To support the exhibitions of craft and design artists in formal and alternative presentations.

Deadline(s)

• September 15, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 15, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Excellence in the fields of new media, electronic and kinetic art, sound art, computer-driven works, code-based art, bio art, and other emerging art forms.

Deadline(s)

• September 26, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• December 12, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Priority given to projects that represent a significant opportunity for the applicant’s career. Decision will take into consideration the strength of the applicant’s visuals, exhibition history, CV, and demonstrated commitment to professional development. We will also take into consideration OAC's priority groups and supporting historically under-represented voices and practices. 

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities

Le Labo welcomes submissions from emerging and established Francophone artists and collectives that identify with any community and diversity of genres, with an emphasis on the following criteria:

• Importance of the exhibition to the artist’s career
• Quality of the artistic practice
• Thoroughness of the portfolio and budget presented

Submission Instructions
Accepts French-language applications only.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
Promotion of regional artists to national attention; supporting the development of emerging artists regionally; and supporting the development of artists from culturally diverse, historically underrepresented, and Indigenous communities.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities

• Cultivation and support of practicing artists including emerging artists
• Potential impact of the exhibition on the artist’s career
• artists from underrepresented groups
•  

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
Artists who demonstrate an interest and consideration of art as a medium for social change and action.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities

• Contemporary art across all disciplines with priority given to a strong artist statement and a demonstrated commitment to artistic practice
• Significance of the exhibition in the development of the artist’s practice, particularly invitational exhibitions at artist-run venues, public art gallery or equivalent non-commercial venues
• Potential impact of the exhibition on the critical public reception of the artist's work including significance of the project and/or venue in the development of the artist’s career (e.g.: major gallery exhibitions are a higher priority than projects hosted at venues charging rental fees.)

Deadline(s)

• September 12, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• December 19, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Support emerging artists, first-time applicants, diverse regional practices, artists from OAC's priority groups, and work that is experimental or adventurous in nature.  

Deadline(s)

• September 26, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• December 05, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Quality of application 

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities

Nia Centre is a recommender for Black-Canadian artists.

Priorities:

• First-time applicants to the program
• Project’s capacity to support the applicant's career development and artistic practice
• Project's ability to expand and push Black visual aesthetics and cultural development

Deadline(s)

• September 12, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 09, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Original and innovative, engaging and compelling, reflective of our diverse and changing community, challenging to the intellect, stimulating to the imagination, and multi-faceted in its ability to communicate.
 

Deadline(s)

• October 15, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 09, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities

• Indigenous artists from Northern Ontario.
• Local exhibitions, as well as further in Canada and abroad.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
Contemporary art - all media.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities

• Artistic excellence
• Diversity
• Impact of exhibition on artist’s career 

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
Artistic excellence.
Diversity.
Impact of the exhibition on the artist’s career.

Submission Instructions
Accepts French-language applications only.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities

• Contemporary visual and media art by artists of colour
• Projects that offer a multitude of perspectives on the contemporary world through experimental, challenging, or critical approaches to form, medium, and/or subject matter
• Significance of the presentation opportunity in the development of the artist’s career

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities

• Regionally significant works
• Some consideration is given to print-based practices, honouring the Station Gallery’s commitment to the history of printmaking in Canada as represented in our permanent collection.
• Priority is given to first-time applicants.

Deadline(s)

• September 15, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 15, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
Recommender for Latin American Canadian artists.
LACAP is a physical place for inspiration, interpretation, teaching, learning, sharing, and exploring various approaches to engaging with Latin American art. Our vision is to find innovative ways to interpret and showcase Latin American art by offering opportunities for audiences to understand its relevance in today's global context.

Deadline(s)

• July 25, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• November 26, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities

• Deaf & Disability Arts, Deaf artists and artists with disabilities, including Mad Art & Artists
• Artistic merit: contribution to the growth and development of Deaf & Disability Art

Deadline(s)

• September 15, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• December 08, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities

• Northern Ontario artists
• Indigenous artists
• Variety of media

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
We support contemporary art practices and presentations/projects across all disciplines, with special priority given to artists and collectives living in the Algoma District of Zone 5, at all stages of their careers. We accept and assess applications at two deadline dates annually (October 1 and January 15).

Deadline(s)

• October 01, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 15, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
We welcome applicants from all artists residing in Zone 6. Our main priorities are supporting Northwestern Ontario artists with exhibitions outside their home communities and/or first time applicants to the program.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
We will assess applications based on artistic excellence and innovation, appropriate budget, and the impact of the proposal on the artist's career. This year, we will especially support: (1) new works (2) projects that address topics relating to the environment (3) projects that embody diverse representation.

Deadline(s)

• August 27, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• November 26, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
We encourage applications from artists from York Region, as well as focus on artistic merit and professional context of the project. We encourage applications from artists that reflect the cultural diversity of our region.

Deadline(s)

• July 07, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• December 15, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
We prioritize emerging artists under OAC's New Generation priority group aged 18-30 years who demonstrate clear artistic development, critical approaches to exhibition-making, and potential for meaningful community engagement. We value artists who can connect with diverse audiences, particularly those from racialized, queer, disabled, and working-class communities. Ideal candidates will show how this opportunity would significantly expand their practice in ways not otherwise accessible, and demonstrate the capacity to execute their proposed projects effectively. Our gallery offers a platform for experimentation and social transformation, supporting the "underdog artist" who might not find space elsewhere in the traditional art world. If you fall outside of the 18-30 age range, please visit our collaborate page (https://whippersnapper.ca/collaborate) to learn about other ways we can work together.

Deadline(s)

• July 7, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• October 6, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 12, 2026, 1 p.m. ET

Priorities
In addition to the OAC program priorities and criteria, the Gallery prioritizes applications from artists at a significant point in their practice, helping them to disseminate their work beyond their locality and increasing the public’s capacity to view contemporary art across Ontario.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
Our program supports Indigenous artists, including emerging, mid-career, and established artists showcasing exhibitions significant to their careers. This includes but is not limited to first time solo exhibitions, group exhibitions, international exhibitions, and retrospectives. Artists can be showcasing their work in a variety of mediums and venues including digital exhibitions.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
The Woodstock Art Gallery is committed to the promotion of practising artists who are exhibiting their work in professional spaces for periods of time greater than three weeks. Preference will be given to non-profit exhibition venues/organizations.

Deadline(s)

We accept and assess applications on an ongoing basis until funds are spent.

Priorities
Workman Arts is happy to receive Exhibition Assistance applications from artists who self-identify as Deaf and/or having a disability. We particularly welcome applications from artists who have lived experience of mental health and/or addiction issues.

Deadline(s)

• September 15, 2025, 1 p.m. ET
• January 15, 2026, 1 p.m. ET