Call for Submissions: Collective City Gallery Project
OUR SPACE | ELIGIBILITY | HOW TO APPLY
Deadline for submission: July 31, 2026
Collective City Arts
Since 2011, Collective City Arts has produced documentary videos about the storied history of Toronto’s dynamic Artist Collectives and the fluid spaces in which they exhibit. Now, we’re excited to expand this mission to include a dedicated Gallery Project of our own.
Collective City Gallery Project
The Collective City Project will be hosted at different locations over the course of it’s run. Its current location is Dupont Rail Gallery where we are hosting eight exhibitions in 2026. Future locations will include Awkamon Gallery, 2-303 Lansdowne, and The Red Head Gallery.
We invite individual artists, artist collectives, and curators to submit a proposal for a 2-week show as part of our exhibition season in 2027. Successful candidates will receive rent-free access to the contemporary exhibition space at a gallery space in midtown or downtown Toronto. The Gallery Project will also provide a part-time sitting attendant, and promotional support for the show.
Collective City’s aim is to showcase and celebrate the work of independent artists working in the Toronto region. We define “independent” as having a studio practice with output that is not represented by a commercial gallery or institution.
Our Theme: None
For this call, there is no restriction on genre or medium of artwork. We encourage applications from anyone, regardless of age, gender, colour, and creed, with a serious professional commitment to visual artmaking, and who has some exhibiting experience.
Our Spaces:
1) Dupont Rail Gallery
Dupont Rail Gallery is a bright and modern exhibition space is located at 1444 Dupont Avenue (West of Lansdowne). The 800 sq. ft venue features an open layout, gallery lighting, automatic garage-door, and full kitchen and washroom. Visit their website for more information. dupontrail.ca
2) Awkamon Gallery
Awkamon is a space in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood for people to connect over art and craft.
All art is also craft; all craft is also art. This gallery is founded to support artist showings, craft fairs, workshop hosting and community events.
3) 2-303 Lansdowne
Located at 2-303 Lansdowne the gallery consists of three distinctive Exhibition Spaces; the window space which is street facing and publicly viewable 24/7, the Main Space which is best suited for collectives or collaborative exhibitions, and The Project space which is best suited for solo shows. Track lighting is installed in all three exhibition spaces. Applicants should note that hanging from the ceiling is not permitted in any exhibition space other than the Window Space.
4) Red Head Gallery
The Red Head Gallery, founded in 1990, is Toronto’s longest-running artist-run collective gallery and comprises 18 artist-members. The collective brings together established and emerging artists who are engaged in a wide range of contemporary practices, fostering an environment of critical dialogue, collaboration, and mutual support. It has stood the test of time as an exhibition space as well as a collective where critically engaged, highly productive artists enjoy curatorial control over the presentation of their work. Over the past three decades, more than 150 artists have contributed to over 400 exhibitions, with work recognized in major publications and held in prominent collections, including the Art Gallery of Ontario and the National Gallery of Canada. Through its exhibitions, partnerships, and exchanges, The Red Head Gallery supports artistic development, outreach initiatives, community engagement and contributes to contemporary visual culture
Eligibility
Artists and Collectives must be based in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to apply.
Proposals are invited from one of three categories of applicants:
1) Individuals – Artists may apply to present a solo exhibition.
2) Artist Collectives – Groups of people whose practice is combined are asked to choose one person as a representative of their proposal. To qualify as a Collective, the group must supply evidence of a previous collaboration in at least one other venue.
3) Curators – Proposals are invited from those seeking to assemble a show of selected works. Applications must include imagery and text that provides a meaningful overview of the show’s purpose and intent, as well as a list of artists whose work will be featured.
Sales
The Collective City Gallery Project takes no commission on sales of works in any show.
Contact
For more information, please contact us at collectivecitytoronto@gmail.com
How to Apply
Applicants are asked to complete an online Submission Form and to pay a $30 submission fee.
With your application, please also include:
- 10 images of representative work from each individual artist proposal, or 20 images of representative works from any artists’ collective or from two or more artists chosen by a curator.
- Images can be either jpg, jpeg, png, or gif and each file must be under 2MB.
- Files should be named in this format: “LastName_FirstName_Title.png”.
- A Curriculum Vitae for each proposed Artist, and, if applicable, the Curator’s as well. (pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
- A brief outline of the proposed show (up 250 words)
- Contact information of the Applicant
Collective City will present eight exhibitions, each two weeks in length, to be scheduled during the year 2027. Please make clear in your application if there are any times during this period when you would be unable to show. Each application is limited to a single show.
Proposals will be evaluated by an independent jury comprised of established arts practitioners, including one member of Collective City. The jurors are Avalon Mott (curator), David Liss (artist/curator), Tanya Read (artist/Collective City member) and Kate Wilson (artist).
Selected shows will be staffed by an on-site gallery attendant from Wednesday to Friday during the run of the exhibition. Exhibitors are required to attend the space on Saturdays and Sundays.
Application Process: Next Steps
Please submit your exhibition proposal and ensure you submit your $30 fee. Please e-transfer $30 to collectivecitytoronto@gmail.com. Please include your name and show title in the message field.
Alternately, you may send a cheque payable to “Collective City Arts” for $30 to “Collective City Gallery Project, 155 Franklin Ave., Toronto, ON M6P 3Y9”