Calls To Artists

Niagara Falls Night of Art 2026 - Call for submissions

Event date: Thursday, September 17, 2026
Submission deadline: Friday, June 19, 2026 (by midnight) - Closed
Mandatory installations meeting deadline: Friday, June 12, 2026

About the event

Get ready for a night like no other! The City of Niagara Falls is proud to present the 15th Annual Niagara Falls Night of Art — a dynamic, one-of-a-kind evening packed with visual art, live music, video installations, artisan markets, improv performances, and unexpected moments of creativity around every corner.

Location: This vibrant celebration takes place across The Niagara Falls Exchange, the Niagara Falls History Museum, and the surrounding grounds.

What we are looking for

Installation Artists, Performance Artists, and Artisan Vendors:

• Artisan Vendors: Creators who want to display and sell their work on a table
• Installation Artists and Performance Artists working in any medium: Including mixed media, dance, acrobats, immersive experiences, hands-on activities, and audience-engagement works. Sorry, we are not looking for main stage musical acts.
• Performance Artists: Usually, multiple performances are held in sequence in the same location and are rotated hourly. 10 to 15 minute performances are ideal. Other options will always be explored.

Fees

Artisan Vendors: Artisan vendors will pay a $50 fee upon selection and are responsible for their own sales and staffing.

Installation/Performance Artists: will be paid fees for their work. You must request a dollar amount for your work. Please be specific as to how much you are requesting. Select from: $250, $500, $1000, $1500, $2000, $2500. While acceptance does not guarantee your requested funding, we make every effort to support participants wherever possible.

Important details

• Installations must be stable, secure, and safely anchored
• All works are subject to approval by Museum staff
• Artisan vendors will pay a $50 fee upon selection and manage their own sales and staffing

Before you submit: All performance and installation artists must have a mandatory informal phone chat with the Culture team about their idea by June 12, 2026. Email us at culture@niagarafalls.ca to book yours.

Selection process

Applications will be reviewed based on creativity, originality, and feasibility. We especially encourage Niagara-based artists to apply! (Standard conflict of interest guidelines apply.)

This is your chance to be part of one of Niagara’s most beloved art events.
Ready to make your mark?

Applications are closed.

Juried show

This year's Art Exhibition will be a juried show, and it is free to enter. Artists may submit a maximum of two finished works for consideration by the jury. Please be aware that only selected works will be included in the exhibition, and not all submissions will be selected for display.

2026 applications are closed.

Important dates

• Call opens: March 3, 2026
• Call closes: May 30, 2026 (at 11:59 pm) - Closed
• Artists notified: June 25, 2026
• Deliver your art: Saturday, July 25, 2026 (10:00 am to 3:00 pm)
• Show opens to the public: Thursday, August 6, 2026 (10:00 am to 4:00 pm)
• Awards event: Thursday, August 6, 2026 (7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Market Hall)
• Niagara Falls Night of Art: Thursday, September 17, 2026 (6:00 pm to 10:00 pm)
• Show closes: Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 4:00 pm
• Art removal: Sunday, November 8, 2026 (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 6, 2026. It will also be featured during the Niagara Falls Night of Art!

Awards presentation

The awards ceremony will be held at the Exchange Market Hall on Thursday, August 6, 2026, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The venue is located at 5943 Sylvia Place, Niagara Falls, ON, L2G 1S9.

Cash awards will be presented in the following categories:

• $500 - Emerging Artist (someone at the early stages of their career)
• $1000 - Mayor’s Selection
• $1000 - Best in Show

Artwork may be presented in any medium, including painting, drawing, photography, fibre, or digital art. Sculpture is not accepted at this time.

Definition of Emerging Artist: An emerging artist is usually defined as someone at the early stages of their career.

Terms and conditions of entry

• There is no fee to enter
• The competition is open to all Niagara Falls residents 18+
• Each artist may submit up to two works of art to the adjudication process
• Artwork must be original and must not have been previously entered into the Niagara Falls Art Exhibition
• Winner’s artwork may be requested to be on display at City Hall for the month of November
• The City of Niagara Falls ensures that reasonable care will be taken in the handling of all artworks, but does not accept responsibility for loss or damage
• Artists allow Art Exhibition organizers the use of artwork imagery for social media and/or promotional purposes for the Niagara Falls Art Exhibition only
• Winners must provide permission to the Art Exhibition organizers to have their names and photos published

How to enter

• The online entry form is closed
• Only selected artists will be notified for artwork delivery. You will receive a confirmation email with the selected artwork for inclusion in the show.
• Each artist may submit up to two pieces for entry into the exhibition and competition
• Artwork must be no larger than 36” x 36”

Selected artist information

• Artwork must be ready to hang with a secure, tight wire to hang across the back. Hooks are not sufficient. Attach the wire straight across the back, 1/3 of the way down the artwork, without slack.
• Artwork must be labelled clearly on the back or underside with the artist’s name, age, and phone number. All works will also be labelled at intake.
• Artwork may be presented in any medium, except sculpture: painting, drawing, photography, fibre or digital art. Sculpture will not be accepted.
• No consumable materials will be used in the manufacture of any artwork
• Artwork to be delivered to the Cafe in the Exchange
• Artists must upload 1 JPEG of each work entered. The image must be:
  • Straight on image, centered in the picture frame but not cropped in any way
  • Labelled with artists’ last name.first initial
  • No larger than 2MB

Presented by

The Annual Art Exhibition is presented by the Niagara Falls Culture Committee.

Musician, spoken word, and comedian database

Criteria

Join our local database

In creating the Trail Mix and other projects, we aim to showcase the best of Niagara Falls talent. With this in mind, we are looking at diversity, accessibility and connections to Niagara Falls. Being in the database does not guarantee a gig, but it helps us connect with you. We are doing our best to support all our local talent!

We use a matrix which includes: