Calls To Artists

Night of Art Calls to Artists - Details and how to apply

The City of Niagara Falls is proud to present the 14^th Annual Niagara Falls Night of Art on Thursday, September 18, 2025. This dynamic, one-of-a-kind evening will be packed with visual art, live music, video installations, artisan markets, improv performances, and unexpected moments of creativity around every corner.

• Deadline: Friday, July 25, 2025, at 11:59 pm
• Mandatory art installations meeting deadline: Thursday, July 18, 2025 (email culture@niagarafalls.ca)
• Event date: Thursday, September 18, 2025
• Event location: Takes place across the Niagara Falls Exchange, the Niagara Falls History Museum, and the surrounding grounds
• Awards:  Artist fees are available at $250/$500/$1,000/$1,500 - $2,000. Plus, one standout installation will receive $2,500

Apply

• We call on Installation Artists, Performance Artists (non-main stage), and Artisan Vendors working in any medium. Think mixed media, dance, immersive experiences, hands-on activities, audience engagement projects — if it’s creative, we want to see it
• Applications will be reviewed based on creativity, originality, and feasibility. We especially encourage Niagara-based artists and students to apply! (Standard conflict of interest guidelines apply)
• Complete the online application: Niagara Falls Night of Art 2025 Call Out

Juried artist exhibition - details and how to apply

Show your art in the 2025 Juried Art Exhibition! A panel of judges will look at all submissions and choose which pieces to include. You can send up to two finished, original artworks. We won’t accept unfinished work.

It’s free to enter! Please note that not all entries will be chosen for the show.

Important dates

• Call opens: March 1, 2025
• Call closes: May 30, 2025 (at 11:59 pm)
• Artists notified: June 25, 2025
• Deliver art: Saturday, July 26, 2025 (10:00 am to 3:00 pm delivered to the Café area)
• Show opens to the public: Thursday, August 7, 2025 (10:00 am to 4:00 pm)
• Awards event: Thursday, August 7, 2025 (6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Market Hall)
• Niagara Falls Night of Art: Thursday, September 18, 2025 (6:00 pm to 10:00 pm)
• Show closes: Saturday, October 25, 2025, at 4:00 pm
• Art removal: Sunday, October 26, 2025 (10:00 am to 3:00 pm)

Location 
The art exhibition will take place at:
The Exchange – Atrium Gallery
5943 Sylvia Place, Niagara Falls
During regular operating hours

The show will be open to the public for three months, starting August 7, 2025. It will also be featured during the Niagara Falls Night of Art!

Entry rules

• Open to all Niagara Falls residents 18+
• You may enter up to two original artworks
• Your art must not have been shown in a past Niagara Falls Art Exhibition
• Art must be no larger than 36” x 36”
• Accepted mediums include painting, drawing, fibre, digital, and photography. Sculpture is not accepted
• We cannot accept artwork made with consumable materials
• Winning art may be shown at City Hall in November
• Artists allow the City to use artwork imagery for social media and/or promotional purposes for the Niagara Falls Art Exhibition only
• Winners must agree to share their name and photo for promotion
• The City of Niagara Falls will handle all artwork with care, but is not responsible for loss or damage

How to enter

• Complete the Online Entry Form
• Include images for up to two original artworks. Upload one JPEG image per artwork when you apply:
  • Image must show the full artwork, straight on, not cropped
  • Name the file: lastname.firstname
  • File size: under 2MB
• Only selected artists will be notified for artwork delivery

Winning entries

Preparing your art:

• Your art must be ready to hang with a tight wire on the back (no hooks). Attach the wire across the back, one-third from the top, with no slack
• Label the back or underside with your name, age, and phone number
• Deliver your art on Saturday, July 26, 2025 (10:00 am to 3:00 pm to the Exchange Café)

Awards ceremony

• Date and time: Thursday, August 7, 2025, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
• Location: The Niagara Falls Exchange in the Market Hall at 5943 Sylvia Place, Niagara Falls
• Cash prizes:
  • $500 - Emerging Artist (someone at the early stages of their career)
  • $1000 - Mayor’s Selection
  • $1000 - Best in Show

Artists are invited to create a mural for Culture Days (Sep. 30 to Oct. 4, 2025), and selected artists will receive compensation for their work.

• Deadline: May 9, 2025, at 5:00 pm
• Award: $7,200 plus HST if applicable
• About the mural space: Niagara Falls Exchange is located at 5943 Sylvia Place, Niagara Falls. The wall is 26 feet long and 11 feet high for a total of approximately 300 square feet. The wall substrate is aluminum panels.
• Details: 
  • Up to five (5) artists will be shortlisted and paid $500 CAD (plus HST if applicable) each to create proposals that include proposed designs. One artist or artist collective will then be selected to produce the mural artwork
  • Two (2) Niagara Falls artists will be selected to be Mentees after the selection of the lead artist, based on style compatibility. These artists will be chosen from the Artist Database, to apprentice with the selected lead artist. The artists will be selected in August 2025.

The Exchange Art Lab: Murals in Motion

Seeking artists to create live murals during events, offering a dynamic experience for both artists and the public. Artists to paint a 7’ x 7’ mural, live at $750 each, inclusive of all supplies.

• Theme:  Ideas Factory
• Key dates:
  • Call opens April 1, 2025
  • Deadline to apply: May 1, 2025, at 11:59 pm
  • Artists notified: Mid-May
  • Location: Exterior courtyard or interior of the Exchange Market Hall

What you’ll do

• Paint live on a portable mural wall in a public space
• Complete the mural over two sessions during market hours:
  • Saturday: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm (4 hours)
  • The following Friday: 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm (4 hours)
• Each mural will be painted on one side of the wall only
• Later in the season, another artist will paint over your work using the same wall
• Painting happens rain or shine (we’ll provide a canopy if needed)
• You may prime your wall ahead of time if you ask
• Artists must use exterior-grade, water-based, semi-gloss paint and a tarp to protect the ground

Mural painting schedule 

All artists must commit to creating work on site during the market hours. Pick your preferred dates, and we will try our best to accommodate you. Spots are limited.

• Saturday, May 31, and Friday, June 6
• Friday, June 20, and Sunday, June 22
• Saturday, June 28, and Friday, July 4
• Saturday, July 26, and Friday, August 1
• Saturday, August 30, and Friday, September 5
• Saturday, October 4, and Sunday, October 5

How to apply

Complete two forms to apply:

1. IFC Artists Database Form: This also puts you on the list for future projects
2. Live Market Mural Application
   • Upload four portfolio images that show your artistic style
   • Include a short written outline of your mural idea
   • You may team up with another artist, but only one side of the wall can be painted

Share Your Skills at the Niagara Falls Exchange: Meet-ups, masterclasses and pop-up workshops.

The Exchange will be hosting Workshop Weekends! We invite applications for innovative sessions (workshops, crafting, artist tutorials, talks, etc.) to be presented at the Exchange Cultural Hub in Niagara Falls. 

Artists, crafters and leaders in the community can share workshop and program ideas for our culture-building sessions. These programs are exciting opportunities for everyone to learn from passionate presenters like you to develop their skills, explore interests and create fun projects.

• Deadline: March 17, 2025, at 11:59 pm
• Application notice: Selected applicants will be notified by May 2, 2025. Applications will also be kept on file for referral
• Workshop dates: Workshops will be one day per month, between May and November 2025
• Workshop location: Niagara Falls Exchange, 5943 Sylvia Place, Niagara Falls

Apply