About Our Artistic Programming and Curatorial Vision

Open Studio is committed to providing an equitable platform for public programming that reflects innovative, cross-cultural approaches to contemporary printmaking. We prioritise applications from equity-deserving communities, including racialized persons (BIPOC), persons with disabilities, those living with mental illness, and individuals of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Our programming aims to foster audience engagement with printmaking’s evolving role in contemporary culture, promoting diverse interpretations of the medium. This includes non-Eurocentric printmaking, digital and analogue forms, DIY practices (zines, posters, pamphlets), and other traditional print techniques.

We encourage proposals that explore the industrial, digital, commercial, and craft-based aspects of print, as well as those that combine print with other media or address its conceptual aspects such as sequencing, multiples, and layering. We welcome both solo and group exhibition proposals.

We aim to create inclusive programming that supports innovative, non-hierarchical approaches to contemporary printmaking from diverse, cross-cultural perspectives. Our goal is to elevate print as a medium and shape audience understanding of its relevance in contemporary culture.

Eligibility

Applications must be print-based or conceptually related to printmaking. Artists who have had solo or two-person exhibitions (in either the Main Gallery or Project Space) must wait one year before reapplying. This restriction does not apply to group exhibitions (three or more artists). These eligibility criteria do not apply to offsite or special exhibitions.

Board and staff members are ineligible during their term, except in cases where an artist was accepted for an exhibition prior to assuming a board or staff role.

Please note: At this time we are currently only accepting proposals from artists based in Ontario, Canada.

All proposals must clearly demonstrate a connection to analog printmaking methods or print-based practices. Entirely digital works will only be considered if they incorporate analog printmaking techniques.

Submissions

The Main Gallery is open to all print artists, while the Project Space is reserved for artist members. You can read more about artist membership here.

Exhibition opportunities are available through the submission documents listed below, which are reviewed by the Programming & Collections Manager.

Submissions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and notifications are typically sent within two weeks of submission. Please note that due to the high volume of submissions, we may not be able to provide detailed individual feedback.

Thank you for applying!