EXHIBITION ASSISTANCE
Deadline: September 25, 2024, 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.

Call for applications: Centre for South Asian Critical Humanities Artist in Residence Program Winter 2025

This is a call for applications for a contemporary artist to come to the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) as an artist-in-residence at the Centre for South Asian Critical Humanities (CSACH) for the winter semester (February-April 2025). Our community partner for this initiative is the South Asian Visual Arts Centre (SAVAC).

We invite applications from contemporary practicing artists for developing and installing artistic projects, who will come to UTM to develop work that will be site-responsive or site-specific, culminating in an eventual installation on campus. The art can be digital or material or performative, in any medium. At present we can guarantee office space, we cannot guarantee access to studio space. 

As the artist develops their creative work at UTM, discussion of their practice will be integrated into courses in History, History of Religions, Women and Gender Studies, Visual Culture and Communication, Art History, Studio Art, and/or Cinema Studies. Interested classes will invite the selected artist to come and speak about their work and engage students in participatory/experiential activities related to artmaking as a response to political and social transformations in contemporary South Asia and the South Asian diaspora. The artist will also be expected to give one public lecture about their art practice at the University towards the end of their residency.  

The vision and purposes of this artist-in-residence program are:

1. To use art practice and display to build bridges between UTM and its wider communities.
2. To engage university and non-university communities in the ongoing potential of art in education.
3. To encourage more of our students to see themselves as active participants and contributors to Canada’s and Mississauga’s cultural landscape.

The artist residency will invite art into the academic spaces of our university, disrupting existing forms of communication and achievement, and giving students and faculty spaces to think about the role of contemporary art in public conversations. With the diverse student body of UTM and the larger Mississauga area, this program will help to develop an appreciation of contemporary visual art as practised by racialized artists in a wider community and significantly contribute to UTM’s cultural landscape.  

What we can guarantee:

• Artist’s fee: 3 months residency (February-April) x $5,000/month= $15,000.00 (accommodation and parking are not included). For the duration of the residency (February-April), the artists’ fee will be paid in monthly installments.
• Production budget (up to $4,000) negotiable based on projected material needs.
• Shared office space (there is no available studio space)
• University resources (Wi-Fi, library card)
• Access to SAVAC’s archives and research centre
• Intellectual property retained by artists

What we seek from the artist:

• Weekly presence on campus (min. 2 days a week)
• Consistent community engagement via talks, workshops, seminars, class-visits
• One public lecture
• Non-permanent installation on campus

Please send applications to shabina.moheebulla@utoronto.ca, copied toCSACH.Director@utoronto.ca  by September 23, 2024, 11.59 pm. Applications should consist of the following:

• Contact information – full mailing address, phone, email, website and/or social media (if available)
• A cover letter that includes your artist statement and a description of the proposed project at UTM (2 pages maximum)
• Resume or CV (3 pages maximum)
• Visual portfolio as a single PDF (minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 of digital images of different artworks with brief descriptions (i.e. Title, date, medium, location, etc.). For video/sound/multi-media works, please include Vimeo or YouTube links.

Applications will be jointly reviewed by interdisciplinary jurors appointed by CSACH and SAVAC. We thank all artists for their interest and taking the time to share their practices with us. Due to the high volume of applications, we can only notify short-listed applicants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this residency for?

This residency is intended for racialized artists who have been practicing in their fields for at least five years or more. Individual artists are invited to apply.

Are the residency dates flexible?

While we may be able to accommodate minor changes (1-2 weeks), the residency cannot occur at a different time of year.

How many artists will be selected?

One individual artist will be selected.

Can I collaborate with other artists or community members for my project?

Absolutely. If you are proposing a participatory project, you may wish to expand on your methodology and any ethical considerations in your cover letter.

Do I need to be located in the Greater Toronto Area to be eligible?

No, artists based anywhere are invited to apply. However, this is an in-person residency at UTM Mississauga. The artist is responsible for their own travel and accommodations. CSACH and SAVAC can provide a confirmation letter to the selected artist, should they wish to pursue travel grants.

Can I apply if I am a full-time student?

Given the time demands of this residency, we encourage students to apply after they have graduated to be able fully immerse themselves into the residency experience.

What volume of work am I expected to complete?

This is an opportunity for an artist to focus on their practice. Apart from the expectations to engage with the University and student learning, we are not imposing additional expectations on artistic outcomes and deliverables for this short-term residency.

Are there art studios or facilities I can use?

Unfortunately, studio access is not available. The selected artist will have a $4000 production budget to support their project needs.

Can I propose a project that is very different from my past work?

We encourage artists to experiment and take creative risks. A residency can be a great place to explore new directions in your practice. Be sure to elaborate on your artistic goals and motivations for the shift in your cover letter.

Can I exhibit at the Blackwood Gallery at the end of this residency?

No, this initiative is not run by the Blackwood. However, we strive to introduce the artist to colleagues in other organizations. Typically, the final output is collectively determined between CSACH and the selected artist. Past examples have included artist talks, screenings, temporary installations, and performances.