Call for Submissions

EXHIBITION ASSISTANCE

Deadline: January 15, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

SAVAC is a recommender for all artists of colour at any stage of their career. Follow the guidelines below to apply! For more detailed information on the Exhibition Assistance grant visit the OAC website.

Preparing Effective Support Material for Visual Arts and Craft Grant Applications — This video will take you through what you need in preparation for applying to the Exhibition Assistance grant.

Grant amount(s)

minimum $500, maximum $2,000

You may submit up to three Exhibition Assistance applications at a time.
Each application must be for only one exhibition. You can apply to different recommenders for the same exhibition, or for different exhibitions.
You may receive up to $2,000 in Exhibition Assistance grants, for applications submitted during the program year. This amount can be from more than one recommender, and towards one or more exhibitions.
If you are awarded more than one grant in a single third-party recommender program within its 2024-25 year, these grants will count as one grant toward your three-grant limit for 2024. The recommender programs are: Indigenous Visual Artists’ Materials, Exhibition Assistance, Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators and Recommender Grants for Writers.
Due to the number of applications received and the limited funds available, grants awarded may be smaller than the amount requested.
If your application includes ineligible expenses, OAC may reduce the recommended amount to cover only eligible expenses or withdraw the application.

Important:

If you have submitted three Exhibition Assistance applications during the 2024-25 program year, you must wait to be notified of the results of one of them before you can submit another.
If you have applied for the same expenses to more than one recommender, and are awarded a grant by one of them, you must contact the OAC. You cannot receive more than one Exhibition Assistance grant to cover the same expenses.

Recent changes

The application questions have been reworked to better align with OAC’s current strategic plan.
Applicants no longer need to apply before their exhibition start date. When the 2024-25 program opens, applicants may apply for exhibitions that start on or after January 16, 2024.
Photo printing is now an eligible expense.

Eligible applicants

professional visual artists, craft artists and media artists who reside in Ontario and have a confirmed, public exhibition
Ontario-based visual, craft and media artist collectives that have a confirmed, public exhibition

Collectives

For this program, eligible collectives are defined as unincorporated groups of two or more artists who create collaboratively and exhibit together.
Collectives may apply in the name of the collective, or may choose an individual to represent it as the applicant.
Only one individual can apply on behalf of the collective at any time. An amount awarded in the name of the individual counts towards their $2,000 limit for the program year.
If the collective applies, OAC issues the grant cheque in the name of the collective. Grant cheques cannot be re-issued in the name of an individual.
For a group exhibition, where artists present their own individual work, each artist must apply individually for their own expenses.

Read the Guide to OAC Project Programs for more eligibility information.

Ineligible applicants

undergraduate or graduate students enrolled full-time at an educational institution
incorporated not-for-profit or for-profit organizations
curators

What this program funds

Grants assist with the artists’ costs related to the presentation of artwork in a confirmed, public exhibition.

Eligible expenses:

presentation costs, including framing, display structures, mounting and installation hardware and supplies and construction of structural elements specific to an installation, photo printing for exhibition
audio-visual presentation equipment
technical and installation expenses and fees, including the cost of preparing or documenting artwork to present in a virtual/online exhibition
crating and transportation of works of art
exhibition venue rent or booth fee
exhibition promotional expenses
insurance

Only costs that are the artists’ responsibility, and not covered by the gallery or presenter, are eligible. See further details in the expenses section of the application.

Eligible exhibitions:

exhibitions in Ontario, in other Canadian provinces and in international locations
exhibitions in public art galleries, artist-run centres and commercial art galleries
solo and group shows
do-it-yourself (DIY) or self-presented public exhibitions
exhibitions in alternative public locations such as community centres, restaurants or rented spaces
art fairs, collective studio tours and exhibits at trade fairs

Note: Virtual/online exhibitions are eligible if presented by a gallery/museum or other professional exhibition platform. Self-presented virtual exhibitions are not eligible.

What this program does not fund

Ineligible expenses:

art materials, studio costs and other expenses related to the creation of artwork
artist’s fees for exhibition and installation
artist’s travel (travel costs are only eligible for performance art and site-specific installation)
artist’s accommodation
catalogues and documentation of artwork
hospitality

Ineligible exhibitions:

exhibitions in venues that are not open to the public
theatrical-style screenings of film or video
exhibitions presented for credit in a secondary or post-secondary program
self-presented virtual/online exhibitions, including online exhibitions and e-commerce sections on an artist’s own website
presentations in online shops

Activity timing

The exhibition for which you are requesting funding:

must start on or after January 16, 2024
must be completed no more than two years after you receive the grant notification

Final report requirements

If you receive a grant, you must complete the project and submit a final report in Nova. Do not submit your final report before receiving your grant cheque. See Terms and Conditions – receipt of OAC project grant funds for more information on reporting obligations.

Important: You must notify OAC to request approval if your exhibition venue or dates change. You must do this before any changes take place.

Final reports for this program require grant recipients to provide:

a description of the project undertaken and its outcomes, including details on any approved or minor changes to what had been outlined in the application
final expenses, if different from original application expenses
an exhibition announcement or other document used to promote the exhibition to the public (1 to 3 images or a link)
- If the exhibition announcement did not include the OAC and Ontario government logos or a statement recognizing OAC funding, also describe how you recognized OAC support during or after the exhibition: social media mention, verbal acknowledgement during an artist’s talk, etc. For more information, see OAC’s Recognition Requirements for Project Grant Recipients.

To apply

Complete and submit an application in Nova, OAC’s online grant application system. Before applying, you must create or update your profile in Nova.

Your application will include:

basic information about the exhibition
a budget of eligible expenses
your answers to application questions
name of recommender you are applying to
artistic examples – images or video documentation of your work:
maximum of 8 images or 8 minutes of video
support documents:
- résumé
- letter/document confirming your exhibition (contract, letter of confirmation on letterhead, or email correspondence). This document must include:
  - exhibition start and end dates
  - name and contact information of exhibition organizer
  - location and address of exhibition venue

Complete instructions and requirements are in the application in Nova.

For details on creating a profile or submitting an application in Nova, see the Nova User Guide.