Call to Artists - Stack Gallery Exhibition

"Something from Home"

The City of Orillia, in partnership with Lakehead University, invites artists, students, and members of the public to submit new or existing original artworks for exhibition at the Stack Gallery in the Orillia Recreation Centre.

The theme of the exhibition is “Something from Home.”

The exhibition will explore the many ways people understand and experience home. Home may be a country of origin, a hometown, a family home, or a place of significance. It may be connected to ancestry and lineage, reaching back generations, or to a particular person, place, tradition, food, object, landscape, memory, or story.

Artists are invited to interpret the theme broadly. Concepts may include, but are not limited to:

• Objects, places, people, and memories associated with home
• Food, taste, sound, smell, and other sensory connections to place
• Cultural traditions, customs, and celebrations
• Family, community, and relationships
• Journeys, migration, travel, and experiences of being away from home
• Creating a sense of home in a new place
• Experiences of belonging, comfort, identity, and connection
• The different ways people understand and experience “home”

Submissions may include photography, painting, drawing, poetry, recipes, lyrics, textiles, digital prints, mixed-media works, or other creative works. Works must be capable of being mounted or otherwise installed on a gallery wall.

The project is intentionally open to interpretation and welcomes a range of perspectives and creative approaches. Through this exhibition, the City of Orillia and Lakehead University aim to celebrate the multiculturalism and diversity of our community, highlighting the many cultures, backgrounds, traditions, places, and experiences represented within Lakehead University and the City of Orillia.

Whether connected to a distant homeland, family roots and ancestry, a childhood home, or a place that has become home more recently, “Something from Home” celebrates the many people, places, and experiences that shape our community and our sense of home.

EXHIBITION DURATION
December 2026 – June 2027

SUBMISSION DEADLINE
The deadline for submissions is Friday, October 23, 2026, at noon.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Name of Artist(s)
• Contact information: address, phone number and email
• Brief bio of participating artist(s)
• Artist(s) statement related to the piece
• Description of artwork: title, date, medium, size (h, w, d), weight (lbs), value
• 3 images of the work (wide shot of the front, close up of the front and side)

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

• The Stack Gallery is an area located within the lobby of the ORC next to the reception desk. It includes a 25’ rail system and 10’ ceilings suitable for two-dimensional artwork. There are no specific size restrictions as long as the artwork fits within the exhibition space and can be accommodated by the rail system.
• Artists may interpret the theme through any subject matter meaningful to them, provided the work is suitable for display in a public building and appropriate for a general audience. Artworks containing nudity, sexual content, depictions of violence, substance abuse, discriminatory or hateful imagery, offensive language, or other material considered unsuitable for public viewing and for minors in a public building will be ineligible for display. The City reserves the right to decline works considered unsuitable for public exhibition.
• All submitted artwork must be the original creation of the applicant(s). Submissions must not incorporate copyrighted material owned by others without permission and must not be generated wholly or in part by artificial intelligence (AI) image-generation tools.
• Multi-media works are accepted provided they can be securely hung, do not extend more than 2 inches from the wall, and do not require external power (sound or video components cannot be accommodated). All artwork must be suitable for framing or wall display, such as pieces created on paper, canvas, or similar surfaces.
• Selected artwork must be ready to hang upon arrival using our existing hanging system. Please install one to two D-ring hooks (or comparable hardware) rated to hold your piece's weight, positioned near the top corners so the piece hangs level and flat against the wall. D-rings should be installed a minimum of 1 inch below the frame’s edge to ensure the hooks are not visible when displayed (see figures a and b).
• Ensuring your piece is properly equipped for display is the artist's responsibility, as our team cannot modify or repair hanging hardware on-site. Pieces arriving without this may need to be returned for adjustment.

TERMS

• Artists selected will be required to enter into an artwork loan agreement and waiver of liability agreement with the City of Orillia.
• Work will be installed and displayed by City staff. The City of Orillia is not liable for any loss or damage that may occur in relation to the art exhibit.
• The City of Orillia reserves the right to remove any work at any time subject to Policy 1.12.6.1 and will notify the artist upon removal.
• There are no fees for exhibiting work in the gallery.
• No artist fees will be paid for the participation in this exhibition.
• Pieces may be priced for sale but must remain part of the exhibition until the closing date. Artists may indicate that works are available for purchase and provide a sale price at the time of submission.
• Should a piece sell, a $25 administration fee will apply. Artists are encouraged to factor this into their pricing. 
• The City of Orillia does not provide insurance for artworks during the exhibition period. Artists are responsible for obtaining their own insurance if desired OR must sign a waiver releasing the City of Orillia from liability for any loss, theft, damage, or vandalism.
• Artwork will be exhibited for approximately six months from hanging the exhibit.
• In accordance with the Municipal Act, the City is unable to host opening receptions for these exhibitions. This is to ensure compliance with regulations that prevent the use of public funds to facilitate the sale of artworks or provide financial benefit to individual artists through taxpayer-supported events.
• In the event all submissions cannot be accommodated, applications may be considered for future exhibitions.
• By submitting to this call, applicants confirm that the work is their own original creation and that they hold full rights to the submitted design.
• The City reserves the right to request supporting materials (such as sketches, process work, or layered/source files) to verify authorship if required.

NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS
Submissions will be juried and selected in partnership with the City, Lakehead University, and creative community members. Selections will be based on artistic merit, diversity of mediums, and contribution to the overall narrative of the exhibition. Only those whose work has been selected will receive notification once a final decision has been made. The City reserves the right to not select any and all artwork submitted for consideration. 

For more information, please contact Allie Bradford, Culture Coordinator, City of Orillia
Email: abradford@orillia.ca
Phone: 705-325-4530