The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is currently accepting programming submissions for our PROJECT GALLERY.

Application deadline: March 21, 2021 (Midnight)

In 2022, the Alternator is launching a pilot exhibition program in our 350 sq. ft Project Space. 

Works will be selected by our Programming Committee based on the following criteria:

• Compatibility with the Alternator's mandate

• Quality of the artwork (with an emphasis on experimental approach)

• Clarity of the written proposal

• Production cost and availability

Further, the Programming Committee seeks diversity of perspective, medium and theme when establishing our annual exhibition calendar. 

We are committed to fostering artists' professional autonomy and are proud to pay successful applicants CAR/FAC fees. The Project Gallery is considered a ‘Single Work’ exhibition site and is well suited to very early-career artists seeking a first professional exhibition opportunity. Works may include media, small projects, installations or work in progress.

Submission Requirements:

All items must be included in one PDF document titled PROJECT_GALLERY_[LAST NAME]_[FIRST NAME].pdf submitted through our online submission form.

Please be sure to include your name, contact details and page numbers in your PDF and organize it in the following order:

1. Overview of your artistic practice. Include information about your artistic vision, concepts and ideas that motivate your artistic practice. (Maximum 500 words.)

2. 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. Please consider how it aligns to the Alternator mandate and/or why this work is relevant to our place and time —socially, politically, regionally or otherwise. (Maximum 300 words.)

3. CV summarizing your professional history and achievements. If more than one artist is included in your proposal, include CVs of all involved artists. Maximum three pages per artist ( ie: two artists = six pages).

4. Image list for your portfolio. Include: artist (if applicable), 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.

5. Portfolio images in support of your application. Image(s) should correspond with those listed on the image list. One image per page. Images may be oriented vertically or horizontally. Maximum 20 images.
   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.

6. Budget (optional) In exceptional cases, the Alternator may provide additional assistance with production expenses. Examples of applicable production expenses that may be considered include: customization to the gallery space essential to the installation (such as building temporary walls), rental of electronics (such as projectors, monitors or media players), or items that may need to be maintained or changed throughout the duration of the exhibition (such as flowers). Items that will not be considered as production expenses include: framing or expenses related to the creation of work, research or project development.
   If you require assistance with production expenses, please include a detailed description and budget of production expenses as part of your programming submission as well as expected installation schedule/timeline. Please indicate if production funds are ‘required’ or ‘preferred’.

Submissions for the 2022 Project Gallery exhibition schedule should be received by March 21 2021 (midnight). Applications received after this deadline will be considered for the following year.

Applicants included in this intake can expect to hear final results of their submission by September 30, 2021.

DIVERSITY AND EQUITY 

We welcome 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. We are committed to ensuring equitable access to our submissions process. Please contact us if you require any accommodations to participate.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US

Artists selected for exhibition will be supported in the following ways:

• Exhibition royalties in accordance with the current CAR/FAC Fee Schedule (Category 1)

• Staff assistance with exhibition installation

• Photo documentation of your exhibition in our space

• Letters of Support to supplement artist’s applications to funding bodies for travel and production assistance.