Call for Submissions:
151st Annual Open Juried Exhibition, 2025
Ontario Society of Artists (OSA)
& the Donna Child Fine Art Gallery
‘The Unquiet North/ le Nord agité’
Submission Deadline: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 11:59 PM EDT
Exhibition Dates: June 18 – July 8, 2025.
Jury Notification: Monday, May 24, 2025.
Delivery Date: delivered by Friday June the 6 or, Saturday, June 7, 2025.
Exhibition Reception and Awards ceremony: Sunday, June 21,s, 5-8pm, Awards: 6pm.
Pick Up Dates: by 4pm on Monday, July 9, 2025.
The Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) invites Canadian artists to apply for our 2025 Open Juried Exhibition.
This is an annual exhibit of the OSA with the purpose of promoting the best art that Canada has to offer. The OSA is Ontario’s Longest Running Art Society, with a long history of excellence.
Theme: The Unquiet North
Art does not exist in silence. In a time of shifting politics, evolving identities, and a search for unity of spirit, ‘The Unquiet North’ theme calls on artists to respond.
We are looking for work that speaks to the present moment—whether through defiance or reflection, resistance or resilience. Some will honor the past, others will challenge the future, but all must carry the energy of a North that refuses to be still. From bold statements to quiet tensions, we invite artists across all mediums to capture the raw, unfiltered spirit of a country in motion.
Now is the time. Now is the place. What will you say?
Le Nord Agité
Nous recherchons des œuvres qui parlent du moment présent, que ce soit par la défiance ou la réflexion, la résistance ou la résilience. Certaines honoreront le passé, d'autres défieront l'avenir, mais tous doivent porter l'énergie d'un Nord qui refuse l'immobilité. Des déclarations audacieuses aux tensions apaisées, nous invitons des artistes de toute horizons à saisir l'esprit brut et sans filtre d'un pays en mouvement.
Awards:
Best in Show: $1,000
Eleanor Besen Award to an OSA member: $1,000
Life Member’s Award: $300
Ethel Raicus Student Award: $200
Two Honourable Mentions: $200
Additional Awards
Our Jurors:
Melissa La Porte
Melissa La Porte has been the Executive Director/Curator at the Temiskaming Art Gallery since 2017 and is a founding member of the Yes We Can curatorial collective. She holds a Master’s degree in Comparative Literatures and the Arts from Brock University and a Master’s degree in Art and Visual Culture from Guelph University. She is passionate about innovative, inclusive art projects that are accessible to everyone, while pushing the boundaries of the status quo. She is a firm believer that art makes the world a better place.
Virginia M. Eichhorn
Virginia M. Eichhorn has over 30 years of experience in the visual arts. A professor at Georgian College (Barrie Campus), she specializes in post-graduate museum and gallery studies. She holds a degree in Art History from Queen’s University and pursued further studies at the University of Toronto.
As an independent curator, she has focused on ecological and non-traditional exhibition spaces, presenting exhibitions at prestigious venues, including the XII Biennale of Art in Portugal. She has collaborated with renowned artists such as Judy Chicago, Maria Hupfield, and Tim Whiten, curating for institutions like the Royal Ontario Museum.
In addition to curating, she has written numerous catalogue essays and contributed articles to prominent Canadian magazines, including *Canadian Art*, as well as international publications such as *Ceramics Monthly*. Her writing has also been featured by institutions like the National Gallery of Canada and the MacKenzie Art Gallery.
Her artistic practice explores feminist narratives through both traditional and non-traditional media. Critic Robert Reid describes her curatorial approach as bridging fine art and craft, challenging convention and elitism.
Cesar Forero,
artist, architect & performer.
President of the Ontario Society of Artists
Forero is a Colombian/Canadian, BIPOC and member of the LGTBQIA2S+ artist with background in architecture, sculpture, painting, and public performance. He is currently the president of the Ontario Society of Artists. He is a member and exhibition coordinator of the International Academy of Ceramist AIC/IAC. He holds an MA from the Minnesota State University and MFA from the University of Waterloo, Ontario. His artworks and performances are shown worldwide, stand in public and private collections and has been nationally and internationally awarded. His practice emphasizes on social humanitarian and environmental issues. He is fluent in English, Spanish, French and German. As a hobby, Forero cultivates a passion for bonsai.
His artistic practice has focused on the protection of our society rights and the wellbeing of our planet, which go hand to hand. A big portion of his artwork is dedicated on creating opportunities to present the artwork nationally and around the globe for himself and his colleagues. He is an exhibition leader and facilitator at several national and international art organizations.
The Exhibition Space:
The Donna Child Fine Art Gallery
365 Evans Avenue, Suite 101, Toronto, ON M8X 1K2
https://donnachildfineart.com/
A premier Toronto-based art gallery representing a diverse group of Canadian and international painters, sculptors, and photographers. Their expert team specializes in art acquisition, collection management, curation, project management, art installation, placement, insurance valuation, restoration, conservation, and custom framing design.
Entry Guidelines
If you are a Canadian artist who has been recognized by your peers, and living in Canada, we invite you to apply following the entry guidelines:
1. An artist may submit a maximum of TWO entries. All work must be original, created by the entrant, no older than three years and not previously shown at any of the Ontario Society of Artists Exhibitions.
2. Only enter works for the Call which will be available for display during the exhibition.
3. A brief (200 words maximum) written statement of each work must be included with the entry. Works not including this statement will not be accepted.
4. All works must be completely dry and ready to hang or display. Unframed work must be on minimum 1.5” Gallery depth surface with Finished edges. Regular depth surface must be framed. All accepted two-dimensional works must be ready to hang with D-rings and multi-strand picture wire. Three-dimensional works must be supplied with a suitable plinth for display. Video productions must be accompanied by all necessary equipment to display
2D: Maximum size is 40x40 inches.
3D: Maximum dimensions 36" x 24" x 24" (92cm x 61cm x 61cm) and a weight limit of 30 lbs (13.6 kg). Crates should be able to fit through a standard single door.
5. Shipping of work to and from the exhibit is the sole responsibility of the artist. The Donna Child Fine Art Gallery or the OSA assume no responsibility or liability for loss or damage that may occur in transit or off Gallery property.
Shipping costs must be pre-paid or prearranged prior to the initial shipment of the work.
6. All shipping and packaging materials must be labelled with the artists name and work, and include an inventory of all materials necessary for shipping.
7. Items will be inspected upon arrival, photographed, and recorded. Any damage will be reported to the owner immediately.
8. Entries that are accepted must be on display from June 18th to July 8th, 2025. They must be picked up no later than 4pm on July 9th, 2025, unless prearranged with Gallery staff. After that, a $10 fee will be charged per day as the gallery does not have the space to accommodate excess artwork. The works must be picked up during gallery working hours (11:00 am to 5:00 PM).
9. The exhibit is juried by digital images and video files. Do not send original artwork. Only representations of the work need to be submitted and originals will be delivered if accepted. Digital files must be jpeg or png format, no more than 5MB in size and readable on a PC. For sculpture entries, please submit at least 2 images per artwork.
10. Accepted work must be received at the Donna Child Fine Art Gallery on Friday June the 6t, or, Saturday, June 7th, 2025, no later than 5pm on gallery working hours. (11:00 to 5:00 PM).
11. The digital jurying will be the final selection for works accepted for the show.
12. Successful entrants will be notified by email by Monday, May 24th, 2025.
13. Accepted works must be received by the Gallery no later than Saturday, June 7th, 2025.
14. Sales: all works must be available for sale; a total 45% commission is deducted from the sale price by the Gallery and the OSA.
20% of sales will go to the OSA; 25% will go to the Donna Child Gallery.
15. Video works: Video art will need to include all the necessary equipment for displaying of works at the gallery. The video should not be longer than 10 minutes.
16. The exhibition is open to all artists who are residents of Canada eighteen and over. We welcome all manner of original 2D and 3D visual art (drawing, printing, painting, photography, mixed media, sculpture and video works)
17. All submissions must be the original work of the submitting artist, and completed
after 2022. No derivatives or copies are eligible. All works must be the sole
conception of the artist. No use of Ai generated images for reference may be
used. Artists may be required to submit images of work in progress should there
be question. Works done under instruction are not eligible.
Selection Process:
Entry Fees:
Check further important information on OSA’s Criteria and Entry Instructions on our website available here
How to Submit:
Details on how to submit are on our OSA website
www.ontariosocietyofartists.org/OJE
Deadline is Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 11:59 PM EDT.
Accepted artwork must be delivered to Donna Child Gallery by Saturday, June 7, 2025
For more information and to submit your work, please go to ontariosocietyofartists.org
For additional information or questions, please contact:
Marlene Kawalez: marleneak777@gmail.com
or Kelly Borgers: fuzzybeastphotography@gmail.com
Personal information on this form is collected under the authority of Ontario’s Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and will be used for the operational logistics of the exhibition in question.
By submitting to this exhibition, you agree to allow reproduction of your digital files for educational, publicity and archival purposes, unless we are informed otherwise in writing.
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