Visual Fringe 2026 Application

Visual Fringe Application 2026
CALL FOR VISUAL ARTISTS

Hamilton Fringe Festival is the city’s biggest, boldest 12-day arts festival, lighting up spaces across town with live comedy, plays, music, dance, art, film, family fare, and more.

A key part of our free festival programming, Visual Fringe is a city-wide exhibit of visual arts. In true Fringe Festival spirit, our Visual Fringe artists are chosen randomly via lottery – giving every one who applies an equal opportunity to take part.

Confirmed venue partners in 2026 include Relay Coffee (27 King William St), Vintage Coffee Roasters (977 King St E), and may include others to be confirmed.

Artists do not need to have completed pieces in order to apply! Completed pieces must be ready for public display by July 2nd at the latest. The Hamilton Fringe Festival does not curate the pieces or provide any editorial feedback.

Please complete the application form and hit "submit" below.

Note: If you are interested in entering the KIDS VISUAL FRINGE, for artists aged 16 and under, CLICK HERE!

Find out more about HFTco/Hamilton Fringe and our programming, mission, mandate, and values at HFTco.ca!
KEY DATES:
- Applications must be submitted by 11:59PM ET on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
- Artists will be drawn by lottery on Friday, May 15, 2026 at 1pm EST.
- The Hamilton Fringe will assign venues to artists and confirm the venue location with the artist on or before Monday, June 8, 2026.
- Artists will have an opportunity to see their hanging space once their venue is confirmed. The Hamilton Fringe will be in touch with artists to coordinate venue visits mid-June.
- Artists must be available to assist with the installation of their piece(s) (exact date TBC with your venue, late June/early July).
- Artists will be notified about installation removal dates once they have been accepted and assigned a venue.
- Selected artists' artwork MUST commit to their work(s) remaining on display for the duration of Visual Fringe, from installation in late June/early July to July 31.
THE BASICS including FEES:
- Artists will receive a maximum 4 feet by 4 feet of wall space to display up to 4 pieces. All pieces must be wall-based, and there is a maximum weight limit at each venue (details TBC).
- Only one application per artist is allowed.
- An artist accepted into the Hamilton Fringe Festival cannot sell or transfer their spot to another artist. If an artist is found to have done this, both artists will be removed from the festival.
- There is a minimum of 9 artist spaces available and will be selected by lottery, with a potential for space increase. After the quota has been filled, up to 6 artists will be drawn and put on a waitlist. Should any artist withdraw, the next artist on the list will be contacted to fill their place.
- Artists will be selected by random draw and aired via livestream on HFTco's YouTube and Facebook pages. Results will be posted on social media within 72 hours and selected participants will be contacted in the following days. Selected participants’ names will also be listed on HFTco.ca and any social media content in the lead up and/or during the festival.
- A non-refundable $15 application fee is required, by PayPal or by cheque (cheques must be received within 10 days of online submission). Cheques must be made payable to "Hamilton Festival Theatre Company."
- There is no additional fee for artists selected by lottery to take part.
- Artists may choose to simply display their work, or they may choose to offer them for sale. No commission will be collected by HFTco/Hamilton Fringe.
Please note:

You agree to adhere to the laws of Ontario, and the policies, procedures and safety guidelines as set forth by Hamilton Fringe Festival. The festival reserves the right to remove any artist that does not abide by the policies of the Hamilton Fringe.

Please contact us if you have any questions or need clarification of these details. We recommend that you print a copy of this page for your own records.

Applications must be accompanied by your non-refundable application fee ($15.00). Applications received without the application fee will NOT be included in the Visual Fringe lottery.
I AGREE:*

I have read, understand, and agree to all Fringe policies and Visual Fringe key dates as outlined above.

The Work
Artist Name (for public use)*
Cannot be changed after May 15, 2026
Total Number of Pieces to be Displayed*
Maximum of four (4) wall-mountable pieces
Title(s) of Work(s)*
If the work is not complete, please put 'TBD'. For multiple pieces, please separate titles with a comma.
Space Requirement for Work(s)*
Space allocations are 4 feet x 4 feet total. If your work is not complete, please put 'TBD'. For multiple pieces, please separate space requirements with a comma.
Primary Contact Information
Primary Contact Name (for internal use, does not need to match Artist Name)*

First NameLast Name
Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip CodeCountry
Phone Number*
Area code and phone: (123) 123-1234Format: (000) 000-0000.
E-mail*
Payment Agreement*

I agree to pay the $15.00 non-refundable application fee online at the time of my submission; OR I will mail a cheque and enclose a copy of my printed form.
If paying by cheque: please mail to HFTco, 41 King William Street, Unit 206, Hamilton ON, L8R 1A2. Cheques must be made payable to Hamilton Festival Theatre Company and dated for the day you submitted your online application. Please include a printed copy of this application form, so we know who you are paying for!
Fee Payment*
prevnext( X )
Pay Online via PayPal - Visual Fringe$15CAD
If you choose to pay your fee online, you will be re-directed to PayPal when you push the "Submit" button at the bottom of this form.

Pay via Cheque (Mail-In) $ FreeCAD
Cheques must be received within 10 days of online submission, or your entry will be considered INVALID.

Total $0.00CAD
Please print a copy of your application for your records. Once you have printed your application, please click "Submit".

When you have successfully completed your application, you will be redirected to a confirmation page and receive a confirmation e-mail.
Thank you!
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Visual Fringe Application 2026