Guide

Open calls and juried shows: how they work and the red flags

How open calls, juried exhibitions and art competitions work in Canada, normal fees versus pay-to-play, what a real call states, and where to find them.

For artists · published 19 October 2026

Three kinds of call

“Call for artists” covers several different things. It helps to know which one you are reading.

  • Open call for proposals. A gallery, usually an artist-run centre or municipal space, invites artists to propose an exhibition or project for a future season. You send a proposal; a committee chooses a handful. Selected artists are typically paid an exhibition fee.
  • Juried exhibition. An organizer sets a theme or eligibility rule, invites entries of existing work, and a jury picks the pieces for a group show. Art societies, regional galleries and festivals run many of these.
  • Competition or prize. Entries are judged for cash awards, sometimes with an exhibition of finalists.

Residencies, public art commissions and grants also run on calls. See artist residencies 101 for those.

How the jurying works

A good call is reviewed by people with relevant expertise who are independent of the applicants. CARFAC Maritimes’ best-practice standards for juried exhibitions say organizers should keep the jury at arm’s length, not influence its decisions, publish the jurors’ names in the call, and notify artists promptly.

Jurors usually look at images first, then read the statement or description to confirm that the work and the thinking hold together. They often see hundreds of entries, so clear images and a short, plain statement matter. Our guides on artist statements and the artist CV cover the paperwork.

Fees: what is normal and what is pay-to-play

Canadian artists’ organizations take a firm line. CARFAC Maritimes’ standards for juried exhibitions call entry fees “inappropriate to the exhibition of works by professional artists” and say exhibiting artists should be paid fees under the CARFAC-RAAV schedule. CARFAC Ontario’s members’ newsletter will not list exhibitions that charge application or submission fees.

In practice, many juried shows still charge an entry fee, especially those run by art societies, festivals and small non-profits that use it to cover jurying. A fee alone does not make a call a scam. What matters is whether the call is transparent about the money. For example, the Society of Canadian Artists’ 2026 online open charged $50 to $80 for up to three works, depending on membership, named both five-person juries, and published $20,000 in awards.

Pay-to-play is different. Watch for calls where:

  • the main charge comes after you are accepted: a hanging fee, wall rent, a “participation” or “exhibition” fee, a mandatory catalogue page or a promotion package
  • the fee is large compared with any prize, and the organizer clearly earns more from artists than from anything else
  • almost everyone who applies seems to be accepted

For galleries built on charging artists, see how to spot a vanity gallery.

What a legitimate call states

The CARFAC Maritimes standards list what the prospectus for a juried exhibition should include. Use it as a checklist:

  • Who is organizing it, with a real address and contact person
  • The jurors’ names
  • Eligibility: who can enter, which media and formats, size limits
  • Deadlines and notification dates, with enough lead time (the standards suggest about three months for national or major regional shows, two for local ones)
  • Every fee, before and after selection
  • What artists are paid: exhibition fees, and how and when
  • Awards and the criteria for them
  • Insurance, including damage, loss or destruction while work is in the organizer’s care
  • Sales: whether work can be sold and what commission applies
  • Shipping and return dates, and who pays
  • The venue and dates of the exhibition, and any touring

If several of these are missing, ask. If the answers are vague, walk away.

Red flags

  • No jurors named, or jurors who are the organizer and their friends.
  • “International” online exhibitions that accept hundreds of artists, charge each one, and show the work as thumbnails on a website.
  • Prizes that cost money: a “winner” must pay for the trophy, the ceremony, the catalogue or the trip.
  • Flattering emails or messages saying you have been “selected” for something you never applied to.
  • Organizations that are hard to find outside their own website and social media, with no history of past shows you can check.
  • Pressure to decide quickly or pay a deposit to hold your place.
  • Terms that claim rights to use your images commercially, beyond promoting the show.

Where Canadian artists find real calls

  • Artist-run centres’ annual calls. Most centres post them on their own sites once or twice a year. Start with our list of artist-run centres in Canada, or browse by city, such as artist-run spaces in Montréal.
  • Akimbo. A Canadian visual art information service with a dedicated calls for submissions section, plus listings for learning opportunities, residencies and jobs.
  • CARFAC. CARFAC Ontario’s weekly ONline newsletter lists calls, residencies and funding for members, excluding exhibitions that charge submission fees. Other regional CARFAC offices share opportunities too.
  • Municipal arts programs. Cities announce juried calls for their galleries and public art. Montréal accepts exhibition proposals for its Maisons de la culture year-round, free of charge.
  • Provincial and territorial arts councils. Mostly grants rather than exhibitions, but their newsletters and partner listings carry calls.
  • The Canada Council for the Arts. Grants rather than calls, including support for creation and for international residencies.
  • For US calls: CaFÉ, run by Creative West (formerly WESTAF), is the main platform for US juried exhibitions and public art calls.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal to pay an entry fee for a juried show?

Many juried shows charge one, but Canadian artists’ organizations consider entry fees inappropriate for professional exhibitions. If you pay, make sure the call names its jurors, lists every fee and says what selected artists are paid.

What is the difference between an open call and a juried exhibition?

An open call usually invites proposals for a future solo or group project. A juried exhibition selects existing works for a single group show.

How can I tell if a call is pay-to-play?

Look at when and how much you pay. If the main cost comes after acceptance, or the organizer earns more from artists than from sales or funding, treat it as pay-to-play.

Where can I find free calls for artists in Canada?

Artist-run centres’ annual calls, municipal galleries, and listings that screen out fee-charging exhibitions, such as CARFAC Ontario’s members’ newsletter, are good places to start. Akimbo also lists many calls.

Sources

  • Artist residencies 101

    Kinds of artist residencies, what they cost and what they pay, how to apply, Canadian examples from Banff to Dawson City, and how to fund one.

    For artists

  • How to write an artist statement

    What an artist statement is for, how long it should be, a simple four-part structure, what to leave out, how to revise, and two short example statements.

    For artists

  • Artist CV template

    The sections Canadian galleries and juries expect on an artist CV, in order, with rules for listing shows, residencies, grants and collections, plus a template.

    For artists