CALL FOR ARTWORK

 

Art has always been at the heart of this community.

The TOSH Kellett Art Prize & Exhibition is a new juried exhibition celebrating the exceptional work being made on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and Haida Gwaii. We are inviting artists from across the region to submit their finest wall-mounted work for consideration by a distinguished panel of judges.

This is an open competition with CASH AWARDS and a public exhibition in March 2027. The top prize is $1,500, and there are 5 further prizes of $500.

Whether you are an emerging artist or have been working for decades, we want to see what you are making.

 

Submission Details

  • Open to artists residing on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and Haida Gwaii

  • Up to two works per artist

  • All submissions must be original works created exclusively by the artist

  • All wall-mounted media welcome (note: digital art and photography will not be accepted at this time)

  • Submissions should exhibit exceptional technical proficiency and artistic excellence

  • No AI-generated work will be accepted

  • All entries must adhere to TOSH's inclusivity standards, respecting diversity and cultural sensitivities

  • All artists must be over 18 to participate

ARTWORK REQUIREMENTS

Presentation All artworks must be equipped with appropriate hanging hardware, whether framed or otherwise finished, and ready for wall-mounted exhibition.

Size Limits Artworks, including any framing, cannot exceed 48 inches by 60 inches.

Labeling Each submission must be clearly labelled with: artist's name, title of the work, year created, medium used, and price (all works must be for sale).

Jury Package

For each submitted work, artists must prepare and include the following:

  • Up to three high-quality digital images per artwork (JPEG or PNG), showing the entire work, properly cropped

  • File naming format: Lastname_Firstname_Title_Year.jpg

  • For each work: title, year completed, medium, dimensions, and price

  • Artist statement of up to 250 words

  • Brief biography not exceeding 150 words

ENTRY FEE

$20 submission fee

ENTRY FORM

ENTER HERE

Dates

Submission deadline: 30 September 2026

  • Artists will be notified of jury decisions by November 30th 2026

  • Exhibition opens: March 1st, 2027

  • Exhibition closes: April 23rd, 2027

Unsold work must be collected on the closing date.

A Word from Jan Kellett

TOSH has been part of this community for a long time. It is a place where people come to see something that moves them, or to make something they are proud of, or simply to be reminded that beauty is possible. I think that matters enormously, and I wanted to do something to help keep it going.

My name is Jan Kellett. I am an artist and a member of this community, and this prize is my way of contributing to something I care about very much. The TOSH Kellett Art Prize is an open competition for artists in our region, with a cash award for the winner and an exhibition of the work right here at TOSH. I hope it will encourage artists to bring their best work forward, and give the rest of us the pleasure of seeing it.

I am also establishing a legacy fund to keep the prize running year after year. I am not a wealthy person, but I do believe that ordinary people giving a little regularly can achieve something lasting together. If you enjoy what TOSH brings to this town and would like to help secure its future, even a small monthly contribution to the arts centre makes a real difference.

TOSH was built by people in this community who gave what they could because they believed the arts were worth it. I feel that same way. This prize is simply my small effort to pass something worthwhile on.

I do hope you will come to the inaugural exhibition in March 2027. It would mean a great deal to see you there.

Jan Kellett

Questions?

Email Amy at toshartprize@gmail.com