2025 Application Deadline: October 21, 2024
The City of Kelowna - Kelowna Community Theatre is currently accepting programming submissions for the Art@KCT exhibition program for the 2025 exhibition calendar.
While work inspired by all themes will be considered by our selection committee, for the coming year, in response to the City of Kelowna’s Council Priorities, we encourage artists to propose works that touch on the theme of the natural environment by reflecting on environmental issues, the impact of human activity on our ecosystem, and the interconnectedness of all living things.
Art@KCT, presented by KPMG, is a professional exhibition program within the lobby of the Kelowna Community Theatre presenting the work of visual artists from the Central Okanagan through a schedule of year-round professional exhibitions featuring accessible, thought-provoking visual art.
The program presents the work of a variety of local visual artists to showcase Kelowna’s expansive creative community and provides professional development and progression opportunities for local artists. It consists of two professional exhibition spaces:
Rise@KCT is a 42 linear-foot exhibition wall in the southeast quadrant of the Lobby. It features encased plywood walls, gallery lighting and is well suited for exhibiting large and small-scale 2D artworks.
Cube@KCT is a 11 linear-foot exhibition space in the northwest quadrant of the Lobby. It features encased plywood walls, gallery lighting and is well suited for exhibiting medium and small-scale 2D artworks. There is also limited capacity to exhibit 3D or digital works in this area.
Program exhibitions are chosen through an annual Selection Committee comprising of arts professionals, practicing artists and Kelowna Community Theatre staff. Local artists may propose work for inclusion through an open call for submissions. Artists selected for exhibition in this program will receive appropriate CAR/FAC royalties for the presentation of their work.
Art@KCT is rooted in the following values:
Professional
Art@KCT exhibits the work of established and emerging artists in the Central Okanagan who have completed their training period. The program helps artists to live and work as artists in our region by paying appropriate CAR/FAC fees, and by employing a professional curatorial process to aid in professional development. Artworks exhibited as part of Art@KCT must adhere to professional exhibition standards.
Accessible
For exhibiting artists, this means offering a clear, transparent submission and selection process. This includes requests for feedback to expand inclusivity and welcoming adjustments to the submission process to enable engagement with the whole of the arts community.
For the viewing public, this means presenting exhibitions that are connected to / relevant to our community, appropriate for the audiences who visit the Theatre, and supplementing these exhibitions with didactic panels using clear and concise language.
Diverse
Artwork exhibited through the Art@KCT program should be diverse in medium and theme, as permitted by the physical limitations of the exhibition space available.
Art@KCT is intended to complement existing exhibition opportunities in Kelowna, and support emerging and established local artists who may not be served by other programs or organizations.
Art@KCT welcomes submissions from under-represented artists of all backgrounds including, but not limited to, Indigenous, Black, and racialized persons; refugee, newcomer and immigrant persons; two-spirit, LGBTQ+ and gender non-binary persons, persons with diverse abilities, and those on low-incomes or living in poverty. Art@KCT is committed to ensuring equitable access to our submissions process. Submitting artists are invited to contact the Program Consultant if they require any accommodations to participate.
Eligibility Requirements
● Artists must be current residents of the Central Okanagan, comprising the City of Kelowna, City of West Kelowna and the surrounding municipalities (ie Peachland to Lake Country).
● If consisting of more than one work, proposals must form a cohesive collection or project on a unified theme.
● Proposed artworks must be completed and ready for presentation (for example, artworks must be framed, canvasses must be stretched etc). Unfinished or prospective works will not be considered.
● Proposed works must be appropriate for the KCT viewing audience, including families and visitors of all ages.
Submission Requirements
The online submission must include:
● Name, Address, Email, Website, Phone Number.
● Exhibition space (Rise@KCT or Cube@KCT) you are proposing work for.
● Declaration of residence (tick box).
● Declaration that proposed project is completed (tick box).
AND, in a single PDF document, the following information:
Overview of your artistic practice. Include information about your artistic vision, concepts and ideas that motivate your artistic practice (maximum 250 words).
Overview of the project you are proposing to exhibit. Include information about the context for your project, how it supports your broader creative practice, and your vision for the space once the work is installed (maximum 250 words).
(Optional) Overview of proposed public outreach activities to support your exhibition (for example, workshops, artists talks etc). Please note, acceptance of your exhibition proposal does not guarantee acceptance of your outreach proposal. If your project requires both components to be accepted, please indicate this clearly in your submission.
CV summarizing your professional history and achievements. If more than one artist is included in your proposal, include CVs of all involved artists. Maximum two pages per artist (ie: two artists = four pages).
Maximum 10 high-quality portfolio images in support of your application.
o Images must include documentation of the proposed project.
o Images should correspond with those listed on the image list.
o One image per page. Images may be oriented vertically or horizontally.
o If your work is focused on video, sound or other media, please utilize a sharing platform to store your work and provide links and passwords to appropriate files in your image list.
Image list for your portfolio. Include: artist name, title of work, medium, date of creation and dimensions. Links and passwords to video support material should also be included in this section, as required.
Presentation Details.
o Include information on how works are framed or finished for public presentation, preferred hanging / installation method or special installation considerations (maximum 100 words).
Useful resources for preparing your application
4 Steps to Photographing Your Art Like a Professional Or How To Photograph Your Art
How to Photograph Art WIth Your Phone Or Photographing your 3D Art with an iPhone/Smartphone
Floor Plan of Exhibition Spaces at Kelowna Community Theatre (PDF)
Note: Please title your submission PDF as follows:
Rise Gallery Submissions: KCT_RISE_[LAST NAME]_[FIRST NAME].pdf
Cube Gallery Submissions: KCT_CUBE_[LAST NAME]_[FIRST NAME].pdf