Call for Submissions
Helpful Tips for Completing your Application
Visit the space you are applying to exhibit in
When applying for an exhibition, if you aren’t familiar with the space, we recommend going to visit. Seeing the space gives you the opportunity to think about how your artwork will function in the context of the facility and gives you a better concept of how many of your works might fill the space. Visiting exhibition spaces also informs your artistic practice. Seeing the work of others is important for understanding where your creative practice fits into local and global communities.
Review the application
Review the application requirements and the application checklist. If there is anything within the call that you are unsure of or would like clarification on, email our us at info@pembinahillsarta.com in advance of the application deadline.
The Application Form
Ensure all required fields on the application form are complete. Consider that any sections left blank may leave the jury with questions about what you are proposing.
What you include will be reviewed. If the application has space to include links to social media, but your Facebook profile doesn’t include any relevant information about your artistic practice, leave it out.
List of artworks
You may only have a few examples of the work you are proposing to exhibit at the time you apply and that’s okay. However, be very clear in your list of artworks how many works are in progress and/or how many works you expect to complete if you were selected to exhibit. If you are only proposing to exhibit a total of 5 artworks but every exhibition space can hold at least 20 average-sized works, you might want to consider teaming up with other artists with similar artistic intentions to present a group exhibition.
Writing Your Artist Statement
The jury is likely reviewing several submissions, and your artist statement is a component of your application where you can highlight how your work is unique from the other submissions.
If you do not have experience writing about your artwork, this can be a challenging task. Know that it may take some time to write, edit and re-write your statement to get it right.
Below are some questions to consider addressing in your statement:
As an artist, what unique or new ideas are you contributing to the discourse on your proposed concept/theme?
Why do you make the work that you do? What is your approach to making art? What inspires you?
How does your concept/theme fit into our local and global communities?
Does your proposed concept/theme in your artist statement reflect the images you are submitting with your application?
Once complete, review your statement to check for any errors and have a friend read through it and provide feedback on the clarity of your concept.
Images
While a digital image may not capture the details within your artwork, these images are the jury’s only visual representation of your artwork.
Take advantage of the maximum number of images that can be submitted, if you only have 8 artworks complete for the application and you can submit 10 images, consider including a couple of detail images to highlight a specific texture or technique used.
Photograph your work in natural light and crop your images to the edge of your artwork.
Original artworks will not be accepted for submission purposes.
Overall Presentation of your Submission
Consider the overall presentation of your submission, it is the first impression the jury will have about you and your artwork.
Once you have all the components of your submission, take some time to read through your full application package to catch any spelling mistakes and ensure you’ve completed all elements of your submission.
Exhibition Terms and Conditions
Eligibility: Pembina Hills Arts Council (PHAC) provides gallery space for exhibitions by Pembina Hills Arts Council Artist members and other artists interested in exhibiting in southern Manitoba. Artwork must be original and can take on any form (visual or installation.) Artwork cannot have been previously displayed at PHAC.
Deadline and Schedule: Exhibitions applications will be taken in through until August 31, 2023, upon which all applications will be reviewed and juried, acceptance emails will be send out in October 2023. Not all applications will be selected for an exhibition at the PHAC.
Process: PHAC reviews all applications and determines an exhibition schedule that reflects a diversity of artwork and community members. Applicants will be notified of the schedule a minimum of 3 months before their exhibit.
Hanging: Artists are responsible for ensuring that their work is show-ready. For example, hanging means framed, wired and compatible with our wire and track hanging system. Work that is not show-ready on install date will not be hung. Artists must hang and strike their own exhibition during gallery hours on a date and time prearranged with staff. Artists are responsible for damage caused by poor installation.
Hours: Regular gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday 12-5 pm, and Saturdays from 10am-3 pm.
Reception: Receptions will be supplied at PHAC discretion, contact us at info@pembinahillsarts.com to discuss availability.
Artist Talk: Exhibiting artists are encouraged to speak briefly about their work and process during a 10-15 minute presentation to take place during the reception. This is a great opportunity to share ideas, personal history, and process with visitors to the reception.
Space: Please note that the gallery is a shared space. PHAC offers a variety of workshops for youth and adults, along with children’s programming. While the programs are facilitated by professionals, exhibiting at the PHAC does not offer exclusivity over the space.
Marketing: PHAC will include the exhibition information on our website, E-bulletins and ‘blasts’, on our Facebook and Instagram page, as well as on posters at select locations. Artists are responsible for any additional marketing efforts and costs. Printed materials must include the PHAC logo and be preapproved by staff.
Fees: There is no fee to exhibit. PHAC receives 30% on any sale of work that is generated during the duration of the exhibition. Purchases will pay PHAC, who will in turn pay the artist at the end of the exhibition, less 30%. All artwork must remain on display until the end of the exhibition schedule.
Liability: PHAC has the right to refuse any piece. While all due care will be taken with artwork, Pembina Hills Arts Council does not assume liability for theft, loss, or damage of artwork, however caused.