Our Annual Call for Submissions is now open and will close on May 1st, 2026.

Cultivate Art Commons has three exhibition spaces that artists can apply for: the Main Gallery, State of Flux Gallery, and the Window Gallery.

Cultivate Art Commons accepts proposals for solo and group exhibitions, as well as performances, curatorial projects, and collaborations, each year from January to April when our Annual Call for Submissions is open. Proposals are not accepted outside of this timeframe. Cultivate Art Commons schedules one year in advance, and therefore selected exhibitions are presented the following year.  

Applications will be assessed by a jury chaired by the Executive Director.

The Call for Artists opens every year in the Spring with the show presented in the Summer.

The Annual Juried Exhibition is a group exhibition presenting new works by Cultivate Art Commons Members. It serves to highlight the ongoing and developing practice of local and regional artists. Themes for the Annual Juried Exhibition are decided upon by the Executive Director and Programming Committee and presented each year during the Summer.​

The Coalesce Residency is a month-long program designed to engage and challenge creators while fostering meaningful connections within the Katarokwi/Kingston artist community. Artists are randomly paired or grouped into collectives and invited to collaborate on the creation of new work. These pairings function as incubators for innovation—encouraging skill sharing, experimentation, and the growth of professional networks.

Syphon is an arts and culture publication produced by Cultivate Art Commons that is meant to act as a conduit between the arts community in Kingston and communities elsewhere. It was created in response to the lack of critical arts commentary and coverage in local publications, and seen as a way to increase exposure to experimental and non-commercial art practices.

Syphon has a mandate to feature local arts coverage in conjunction with national and international projects, and an emphasis on arts scenes and activities that are seen as peripheral. It acts, in essence, as a record and communiqué for small regional arts communities throughout the country.

The Remix Residency will return this August 2026.

The Remix Residency is a space for QTBIPOC artists to explore how archives—personal, community-based, and institutional—can be used as tools for remembering, queering, reframing, and remixing the past in order to envision liberatory futures. Centered in Katarokwi/Kingston, the Residency supports five selected artists who critically engage with QTBIPOC histories, challenge colonial narratives, and co-create knowledge rooted in resistance, memory, and collective care. In a time of growing political repression, the Residency affirmed the urgency of reconnecting with ancestors, examining positionalities, and queering archives to disrupt the historical and ongoing erasure of QTBIPOC histories and lived experiences.

RE:MEMBER is our Annual Members' Show and Sale that runs every year in November-December.

RE:MEMBER is an exhibition fundraiser that celebrates artists and community — with proceeds shared equally between participating artists and the Commons. Since 1983, Cultivate Art Commons has hosted this fundraiser to support our mission to nurture contemporary artistic practice and community connection in Katarokwi–Kingston.

Hosting its first sale forty-two years ago in Confederation Park, the effort has taken on multiple formats from live auction to direct sale and many venues including the Ramada Inn Walkways, The Grand Theatre, The Kingston Arts Council Office, 21A Queen Street and the Tett Centre. This event allows Kingston to see the contemporary art present within its community as well as celebrate the growth and development of our space, members, and supporters.