Annual Call for Submissions

Calling all artists on the North Shore, Sea-to-Sky corridor, Bowen Island & Sunshine Coast. Submissions are now open for the 2025 Ferry Building Gallery exhibition program (for both solo and group exhibitions). Submissions are accepted ONLINE only.

The Ferry Building Gallery is a public community art gallery operated by the District of West Vancouver and is located in the heart of Ambleside at Ambleside Landing. Situated in a heritage building, the gallery serves as a hub for arts and culture. The gallery presents up to 11 exhibitions annually and promotes art education and appreciation through a wide range of events and programs, including participating in the annual Harmony Arts Festival.
 

OUR MANDATE

The Ferry Building Gallery enlivens, enriches, engages, informs, and educates our community by presenting enriching, artist-led experiences for the community, including a mix of juried and invitational exhibitions, lectures, tours, and programs which reflect the cultural diversity of the North Shore.

The gallery is open and accessible to all and is a place for the community to experience and celebrate the arts. It supports the development of emerging and established artists from the North Shore, the Sea-to-Sky Corridor, and the Sunshine Coast.

Submissions will be adjudicated by a jury comprised of professional artists and curators to select works based on the mission and criteria. Selected artists will be available to exhibit from January to November 2025, as either a solo or group exhibition (decided by the jury).

Exhibitions are approximately 3.5 weeks long. Please note that no more that 10% of your exhibited works can be “Not for Sale” and the gallery retains thirty percent of exhibition sales. The Ferry Building Gallery is responsible for the installation of each exhibition: the final curation, placement of the works, and the final number of pieces that will be exhibited.

We strongly encourage applicants of all races, ethnicities, identities, abilities, ages, and genders, to apply.
 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

All submitting artists must:

• be a past or present resident of the North Shore, Bowen Island, Sunshine Coast, or Sea-to-Sky corridor
• not be exclusively represented by a commercial gallery in British Columbia
• have exhibition-ready artwork. We accept two-dimensional (paintings, drawings, photographs, collages and prints) and three-dimensional (sculptures) works. Due to size constraints of the gallery, we cannot accommodate large-scale installations, nor do we have the exhibition hardware for digital, video, or sound installations
• pay a $20 processing fee. If this fee creates a barrier to entry for you, please reach out to us at [email protected]
• Note: Preference will be given to those who have not had an exhibition at the Ferry Building Gallery, Kay Meek Arts Centre, Silk Purse Gallery, West Vancouver Art Museum, or West Vancouver Memorial Library in 2023 or 2024.

Submission checklist:

• an exhibition proposal including a cohesive concept or proposed theme in writing.
• up to 5, and at least 3 images of artworks to be exhibited. Each artwork should be titled in the following format: ArtistName_WorkTitle_Date_Medium_Dimensions
• a list of works corresponding to the images, including titles, date of production, medium, dimensions (height x depth x width in inches), and prices
• an up-to-date, concise CV and a short biography.
   

For group show submissions:

• each artist must complete their own submission on the online platform
• include the name(s) of the group exhibition artist(s) in your exhibition proposal
• you may want to include a proposed title for the exhibition
• the jury retains the right to include or exclude other artists in the group and change the title of the exhibition

Important dates:

• Submissions Open: June 21, 2024
• Submissions Close: September 13, 2024
• Applicants notified by the end of October 2024
   

The Ferry Building Gallery will promote the exhibition by:

• designing and distributing promotional materials
• press release
• social media
• gallery newsletter
• exhibition reception
• Meet the Artists event (First Saturday or Sunday after the exhibition opening from 2-3 p.m.)
   

Apply here