Call for Proposals

Open to: Queen’s University students in all disciplines/levels of study
Location: Project Room (Summer 2025, Fall 2025); Main Space (Winter 2026)

The deadline for Summer exhibition proposals is Monday, April 14, 11:59pm ET.

 

Union Gallery invites student artists in all disciplines to submit exhibition proposals for 2025-26. For the Summer and Fall semesters, we are programming solo exhibitions in the Project Room; for the Winter semester, we are seeking individual applications to join a group exhibition in the Main Space.

We are open to proposals from any current Queen’s University students for exhibitions relating to our upcoming curatorial theme – in this economy?! – responding to manufactured scarcity, late-stage capitalism, economic precarity, and the improvisation of everyday life in the face of these challenges.

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis throughout the year, with key submission deadlines on April 14 (Summer), June 30 (Fall), and October 6 (Winter). For more details, see "Timeline + Key Dates" below. 

 

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

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.

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. 

For floor plans and additional information, please see our Proposals + Submissions page.

Timeline + Key Dates

 

SUMMER 2025 - PROJECT ROOM

Proposals due: Monday, April 14, 11:59pm
Notification of selection: Saturday, April 19
Install: May 20-23
Exhibition: May 27-August 9
Deinstall: August 12-15

 

FALL 2025 - PROJECT ROOM

Proposals due: Monday, June 30, 11:59pm
Notification of selection: Saturday, July 19
Install: October 21-24
Exhibition: October 28-December 13
Deinstall: December 16-19

 

WINTER 2026 - MAIN SPACE

Proposals due: Monday, October 6, 11:59pm
Notification of selection: Saturday, November 1
Install: February 24-27
Exhibition: March 3-May 9
Deinstall: May 12-15

Applicant Information

Proposal Information

Please outline your interest in this call for submissions.

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?

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+.