Call for Proposals: Student Exhibitions
Open to: Queen’s University students in all disciplines/levels of study
Location: Main Space (Summer 2026, Fall 2026); Project Room and Feature Wall (Winter 2027)
Union Gallery invites Queen’s University student artists to submit exhibition proposals for our 2026-2027 curatorial year. For the Summer and Fall semesters, we are seeking submissions for the Main Space; for the Winter semester, we are seeking submissions for the Project Room and Feature Wall. Submissions can be for an individual or group artwork or project. Individual artwork submissions may be curated into group exhibitions.
We are open to proposals from any current Queen’s University students for exhibitions relating to our 2026-2027 curatorial theme – living together – responding to crises in ways that draw us into deeper kinship.
Living together deals with themes of collaboration, coexistence, and cooperation in times of crisis. It asks how we can learn from and be in solidarity with our neighbours – human and more-than-human – through emerging, ongoing and intersecting disasters, including but not limited to:
Climate change / global warming / ecological collapse
(Rising) fascism / reactionary politics
Global conflicts / war / imperialism / colonialism / displacement
Late-stage capitalism / neoliberalism
How can we not only respond to crisis and rebuild after collapse, but build more imaginative and desirable futures?
Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis throughout the year, with key submission deadlines on April 20 (Summer), June 29 (Fall), and October 5 (Winter).
If you have any questions or require accommodations during the submission process, please reach out: ugallery@queensu.ca / 613.533.3171
About the Gallery
Union Gallery is a not-for-profit, student-centred public contemporary art gallery at Queen's University. UG is a space centred in community and conversation, driven by play, curiosity, curation and research-creation. We are the primary public gallery at Queen's dedicated to showcasing the range and excellence of students' artistic and curatorial practices. UG also supports local (based in Katarokwi-Kingston), regional and national professional artists to foster a diverse network of artistic production, presentation and interpretation. We’re committed to supporting creative growth through merging technical and critical understandings of the arts, as well as a deeper understanding of how art can reflect the most important issues of our time. UG is centrally located on the first floor of Stauffer Library on Queen's main campus. All are welcome and admission is always free.
STUDENT EXHIBITIONS
Union Gallery exhibits artwork by Queen’s University students alongside work by local and national professional artists throughout the year. Professional artists are programmed on an invitational basis and through occasional juried calls, while student artists are selected from themed open calls throughout the year. While our local and visiting professional artists are compensated according to the CARFAC fee schedule, we are unable to offer financial compensation to student artists at this time.
As a gallery that is centred in experiential learning, all exhibiting artists are responsible for installing their own artwork. Gallery staff and volunteers provide support, guidance and consultation during the entire process. We provide a full inventory of installation materials such as plinths, tools, fasteners; and AV equipment including projectors, flat screens, speakers, media players. AV equipment is limited, must be reserved in advance of installation, and availability depends on concurrent exhibition needs. Any special hardware and equipment are the responsibility of the artist.
AVAILABLE SPACES
Main Space: 1,000 square feet with a ceiling height of 12 feet. The gallery's structure includes an overhead grid that supports artworks suspended from the ceiling.
Project Room: 160 square feet with a ceiling height of 12 feet and overhead grid. Ideal for solo exhibitions and installations including new media, video, and sound.
Feature Wall: located on the right side through the entrance to Union Gallery and measures approximately 19 feet long. Ideal for single artworks or small collections.
For floor plans and additional information, please see our Proposals + Submissions page.
Timeline + Key Dates
SUMMER 2026
Proposals due: Monday, April 20, 11:59pm
Notification of selection: Saturday, April 25
Install: June 2-5
Exhibition: June 9-August 29
Deinstall: September 1-3
FALL 2026
Proposals due: Monday, June 29 11:59pm
Notification of selection: Saturday, July 18
Install: October 6-9
Exhibition: October 13-December 19
Deinstall: January 5-8
WINTER 2027
Proposals due: Monday, October 5, 11:59pm
Notification of selection: Saturday, October 31
Install: February 22-25
Exhibition: March 2-May 8
Deinstall: May 11-14
What to Include in your Application
1. Proposal (~250-300 words max.)
Please outline your interest in this call for submissions for an exhibition.
If you are applying for a Summer exhibition, tell us about the work you plan to include and its connection to the curatorial theme outlined in the call above. How will the work be installed in the space and what kind of support do you require, if any?
If you are applying for a Fall or Winter exhibition, tell us about the work you plan to create and its connection to the curatorial theme outlined in the call above. How have you considered the feasibility of your project? What kind of guidance can we offer as you create this work?
2. Artist Statement (~150 words max.)
3. Visual Support (5-10 .jpeg images, up to 5 minutes of video)
Summer proposals: please upload documentation of your proposed works.
Fall and Winter proposals: please select and upload 5-10 works that best represent your skills and ideas. These examples do not need to relate directly to the call for submissions.
EQUITY STATEMENT
Union Gallery is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our programming and operations. UG welcomes applications from qualified individuals of all sexualities, races, gender identities, socioeconomic statuses, and (dis)abilities. We strongly encourage applications from equity-seeking communities. UG recognizes that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour), QPOC (Queer People of Colour) and 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, +) are disproportionately underrepresented within institutional art spaces. Due to ongoing systemic barriers, UG prioritizes applicants who self-identify as BIPOC, QPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+. If you would like to, please indicate if you self-identify as a member of any equity-seeking groups in your submission.