Established in 2007, the Kwi Am Choi Exhibition Scholarship is an annual award of $2,000 that recognizes an emerging BC artist between the ages of 18 and 32. This scholarship is designed to fund the costs of creating new artwork and mounting a solo exhibition at PoMoArts. This fund provides recent Fine Arts graduates and students with the opportunity to display their work in a public art gallery, receive curatorial mentorship, and network with other artists and art professionals. Proposals are evaluated through a blind jury process.

 Applicant Criteria:

• Between 18 and 32 years of age.
• Enrolled in a Fine Art program in a recognized Canadian post-secondary institution or within 2 years (24 months) of graduation with a Fine Art degree from a recognized Canadian post-secondary institution.
• Considered an emerging artist. We define emerging artists as those in the first few years of their professional development and not currently making their entire living from their artwork.
• A current resident of British Columbia.
• There is no fee to submit an application.
• Only artists proposing a solo exhibition are eligible for this award.
  Note: Current PoMoArts staff, instructors, sitting board members or their immediate family are not eligible to apply.

Use of Scholarship Funds:

Scholarship funds are to be applied to the artist’s costs of creating a new body of work, or adding to an in-progress body of work in order to mount a solo exhibition to take place from August-October 2027 at PoMoArts. These costs may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Preparation costs in the creation of new art works, and completion of works in progress to be shown in the exhibition, including materials, tools, or framing.
• Transportation and packaging costs for artwork.

If you have any questions about this exhibition scholarship opportunity, please email submissions@pomoarts.ca. 

• Scholarship Application Deadline: November 22, 2026, 11:59pm PST
• Recipient Notification: Scholarship recipients will be notified by December 22, 2026
• Exhibition Dates: August 12 – October 24, 2027
• Exhibition Opening Reception: August 12, 2027, 6pm-8pm
• Gallery Installation: August 2 – 11, 2027 (Date and times TBD)
• Artwork Pick-Up: October 27 - 28, 2027
• Monthly Progress Meetings: Virtual or in-person (dates TBD)*

*Note: Participation in these key dates and meetings is essential to support the exhibit development process and to ensure the artist receives mentorship and guidance throughout the project. Please confirm below that you are available to participate in all of the key dates listed above before proceeding with your application. 

Please provide two references who can speak to your artistic practice. Ideally, at least one should be a professional in the arts or an academic familiar with your educational program. Your references will be contacted to complete a brief recommendation form as part of the screening process.

Beedie Living Gallery Space:

• Wall Space: 1067 cm or 35 linear feet
• Floor Space: 145 SF 

Ann Kitching Gallery Space:

• Wall Space: 884 cm or 29 linear feet
• Floor Space: 280 SF 

Gallery floorplans can be found here. 

Please include the following documents in your application:

• Cover Letter – This letter should highlight your artistic goals, and how the scholarship will support the development of your practice. 
• Proposal Document – A brief outline of your proposed exhibition concept and the artwork you intend to create if awarded the scholarship. Please include relevant details such as scope, estimated number of works, medium, and how the project is achievable within six months. (One page maximum).
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) – A summary of your professional, educational, and artistic experience.
• Artist Statement – A general overview of your artistic practice, process, and themes (125 words maximum).
• Artist Biography – A brief summary of your background. (125 words maximum).

Please note: The artist statement and biography may be used in promotional materials if your application is successful.
 

Artwork Images

Please upload up to 10 images of your artwork that reflect the style, medium, and scope of your artistic practice, or direction of your proposed exhibition. You may also include concepts, diagrams, or other supporting images that help illustrate your proposed exhibition, but samples of past work are required. Images should be of professional quality to facilitate evaluation.

Image Upload Requirements: 

• Please name each image file using the following format:
  LastName_TitleOfArtwork (e.g., Smith_RisingTide)
• If the work is part of a series or represents multiple installation views, please include numbering (e.g., Lee_QuietFields01, Lee_QuietFields02)
• After uploading images, the file names are listed below the image upload button. Input each file name into the image list below then fill in the corresponding fields.