Emergence Call For Submissions

Exhibition Dates: April 18 – June 20, 2026
Submission Deadline: Monday, March 30, 2026, at 5:00 PM (or until capacity is reached)

About the Exhibition
Emergence 2026 is the Tom Thomson Art Gallery’s first biennial exhibition celebrating the creativity and perspectives of emerging young artists from across the region. Students in Grades 9–12 are invited to submit original artwork. Eligible participants must currently attend a public or private high school—or be homeschooled—within Grey or Bruce Counties.

Eligible Media
Submissions are welcome in all media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, textile, and digital works.

Exhibition Details
Emergence 2026 is a non-juried exhibition. The Gallery reserves the right to decline work that contains extreme, discriminatory, or hateful content. All accepted works must be exhibition-ready and suitable for display.

Awards
Awards include the TOM Curator’s Choice Award, Artistic Innovation Award, and People’s Choice Award.

Please complete complete the Online Submission Form below so we can prepare to accept your artwork for Emergence 2026.

Emergence - Owen Sound

Questions or Assistance
For assistance, please contact Ian Dickey at idickey@owensound.ca or 519-376-1932 ext. 5007.