Exhibiting at Kawartha Art Gallery
Exhibition Opportunities & Information for Artists and Organizations
Kawartha Art Gallery welcomes exhibition proposals from individual artists, collectives, cooperatives, artist networks and community arts organizations.
BEFORE YOU APPLY
As the Gallery moves into its new home, the Gallery’s exhibition program is evolving.
This information is intended to provide prospective exhibitors with a clear understanding of what Kawartha Art Gallery now offers, what the Gallery expects from exhibiting artists and organizations, and what artists can expect throughout the exhibition process.
Please take the time to carefully review the information provided here before submitting an exhibition proposal.
Current exhibition planning
Kawartha Art Gallery is currently accepting exhibition proposals for 2028 and future exhibition periods.
Artists and organizations are encouraged to submit proposals well in advance, particularly when an exhibition is connected to a significant anniversary, milestone, community event, cultural celebration or other date-specific occasion.
The Gallery will consider requested dates as part of its exhibition planning. A requested date is not guaranteed until it has been confirmed in writing and included in a signed Exhibition Agreement.
What artists and organizations can expect
Kawartha Art Gallery's role extends beyond providing exhibition space. Artists exhibiting at Kawartha Art Gallery can expect:
- Professional exhibition planning, coordination and presentation of work
- Gallery installation and deinstallation of the works
- Promotion through Gallery communications
- Opening reception and engagement opportunities
- Gallery artwork sales administration, where applicable
Specific services, responsibilities and expectations will be discussed with the artist or organization and confirmed in the Kawartha Art Gallery Exhibition Agreement.
Exhibition opportunities
Kawartha Art Gallery offers two exhibition pathways. These pathways provide clarity about the type of exhibition being presented and whether a professional artist exhibition fee may be available.
Professional Exhibition
Intended for exhibitions involving artists who meet recognized criteria for professional artistic practice, including criteria used by the Canadian Artists Representation / Le Front des artistes Canadiens (CARFAC).
Where applicable, Kawartha Art Gallery may provide a professional exhibition fee in accordance with the CARFAC-RAAV Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule. Any professional exhibition fee offered by the Gallery will be clearly identified in the signed Exhibition Agreement.
Community Exhibition
Provides opportunities for artists, groups, collectives, networks and community arts organizations whose exhibitions may include artists at different stages of artistic practice or whose exhibition structure does not fit within the Professional Exhibition pathway.
Community Exhibitions receive the Gallery's regular exhibition support and presentation opportunities. However, a CARFAC professional exhibition fee is not included as part of this pathway.
Applicants do not need to determine which pathway applies to their proposal. The Gallery will discuss the appropriate pathway as part of its proposal review and exhibition planning process.
Artist collectives and group exhibitions
Kawartha Art Gallery welcomes proposals from artist collectives, cooperatives, networks and community arts organizations. For group exhibitions, the Gallery will consider factors including:
- Number of participating artists
- Nature and focus of the exhibition
- Composition and professional artist eligibility of participating artists
- Number and scale of artworks
- Installation and space requirements
Exhibition length
Exhibitions are generally scheduled for 5 to 10 weeks.
Artists and organizations may indicate a preferred exhibition length when submitting a proposal. The final exhibition length will be determined by Kawartha Art Gallery based on the nature of the exhibition, available space, the exhibition calendar and overall programming schedule.
The requested exhibition length is not guaranteed until confirmed in the Exhibition Agreement.
Professional artist fees
The Gallery is committed to supporting professional artists while ensuring that exhibition opportunities remain financially sustainable and accessible to a broad range of artists and organizations.
Where a professional exhibition fee is offered, the amount and terms will be discussed with the artist or organization and clearly identified in the Exhibition Agreement.
Artists and organizations should not assume that a CARFAC professional exhibition fee applies unless it is specifically identified in the signed Exhibition Agreement.
Exhibition Agreement
All accepted exhibitors are required to enter into a written Kawartha Art Gallery Exhibition Agreement before an exhibition is confirmed. The agreement will outline the specific terms of the exhibition, which may include:
- Exhibition dates and duration
- Exhibition pathway
- Artist or organization responsibilities
- Installation and deinstallation
- Promotion and publicity
- Copyright and image use
- Artwork sales and commissions, where applicable
- Artist participation and engagement
- CARFAC professional exhibition fee, where applicable
The signed Exhibition Agreement is the final confirmation of the exhibition terms. No CARFAC professional exhibition fee should be assumed unless it is specifically identified in the signed agreement.
Promotion and copyright
Kawartha Art Gallery promotes exhibitions through its website, social media, communications channels and other promotional activities.
For exhibitions presented by an organization, collective, network or group, the Gallery may use the organization's name and logo for promotional purposes.
The Gallery will not reproduce individual artists' artwork for exhibition promotion without the appropriate permission or rights. Where images of artwork are required for promotional purposes, image use and any applicable copyright or reproduction fees will be addressed in accordance with the applicable agreement and requirements.
Artist participation and engagement
Exhibitions may include opportunities for artists to engage with Gallery audiences and the community. Depending on the exhibition, engagement may include:
- Individual artist talks
- Group presentations
- Moderated discussions or panels
- Demonstrations
- Artist conversations
- Community engagement activities
- Other public programming related to the exhibition
The format and any participation requirements will be discussed with the artist or organization and confirmed in the Exhibition Agreement.
Artwork sales
Where artwork is available for sale, Kawartha Art Gallery administers sales on behalf of exhibiting artists. The Gallery's current sales commission structure is:
Membership must be established before the first day of the exhibition to qualify for the member commission rate.
Planning for a significant date or milestone
If an exhibition is connected to a significant anniversary, milestone, community event or other date-specific occasion, applicants are encouraged to identify this when submitting their proposal. Examples may include:
- Organization or group anniversaries
- Artist or artistic practice anniversaries
- Community, cultural or historical anniversaries
- Significant events or occasions
- Other important milestones
Providing this information helps the Gallery consider scheduling opportunities when developing future exhibition calendars. It does not guarantee that the requested date will be available.
What you will need to submit an application
The Exhibition Proposal & Application asks applicants to provide information about the proposed exhibition, including:
- Exhibition proposal (maximum 250 words)
- Artist biography
- Artist statement (maximum 250 words)
- Up to 10 high-quality images
- Image list with artwork details
- Group or organization information, where applicable
- Number of participating artists
- Preferred exhibition period
- Significant anniversary, milestone or date information, where applicable
- Previous Kawartha Art Gallery exhibition information, where applicable
The application is designed to give the Gallery enough information to understand the proposed exhibition while also helping applicants consider the practical requirements of presenting the work.
What happens after you apply
- Application acknowledgementThe Gallery will acknowledge receipt of a completed application within 10 business days.
- Proposal reviewProposals are reviewed in relation to the Gallery's exhibition program, available space, scheduling, resources and the nature of the proposed exhibition. Some proposals may require additional information or discussion before a decision can be made.
- DecisionApplicants can generally expect a decision within 12 weeks of receipt of a complete application.
- Exhibition discussionIf a proposal is accepted, the Gallery will discuss the exhibition pathway, proposed dates, exhibition length, artist participation, fees and other applicable terms with the artist or organization.
- Exhibition AgreementAn exhibition is not considered confirmed until the Exhibition Agreement has been signed by the Gallery and the artist, group or organization.
No public announcement or commitment of exhibition dates should be made before written confirmation has been provided by the Gallery.
Important information
- Kawartha Art Gallery welcomes individual artists, collectives, cooperatives, networks and community arts organizations.
- Two exhibition pathways are available: Professional Exhibition and Community Exhibition. Applicants do not select the exhibition pathway. The Gallery will determine the appropriate pathway as part of the proposal review and exhibition planning process.
- Artists and organizations should not assume that a CARFAC professional exhibition fee applies unless it is specifically identified in the signed Exhibition Agreement.
- Submission of a proposal does not guarantee acceptance or a particular exhibition date.
Still have questions? Contact the Gallery at art@kawarthagallery.com.
