General call for submissions

The FOFA Gallery is inviting submissions for exhibition proposals and programming to be presented with our gallery during the 2026-2027 seasons.

Deadline: January 19, 2024

As we have limited solo/group exhibition slots, we are also interested in engaging other aspects of gallery programming.  

We invite you to submit the following:

•  solo/group exhibitions 
• curatorial proposals 
• film, video art, digital art, and sound art installations 
• conferences, workshops, and educational programs  
• screening programs 
• residencies 
• performance art  
• online projects 
• publications or zine launch/presentation 
• public art projects  
• sustainability initiatives

We are happy to review and discuss new ideas.

If you have any questions about the application process or need specific accommodations to help you succeed in applying, please get in touch at info.fofagallery@concordia.ca. 

Eligibility

This call is open to current and past graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni from the Concordia University Faculty of Fine Arts including those from Art Education, Art History, Contemporary Dance, Creative Art Therapies, Design and Computation Arts, Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, Music, Studio Arts, and Theatre programs.

Graduate students are welcome to apply but the FOFA Gallery does not showcase MFA thesis exhibitions.

Undergraduate students are invited to apply for our annual Undergraduate Student Exhibition.   

The FOFA Gallery is committed to paying exhibition fees to all artists, curators, and cultural workers in line with the CARFAC fee schedule. We offer hands-on technical and curatorial support with installation, and we can provide basic tools, hanging hardware, display furniture (plinths, benches), painting supplies, and some media equipment. If you need specialized equipment, technicians, or assistance to present your project, please indicate this in your proposal and check with us in advance to see what is feasible. If you need additional financial resources to produce or present your project, we can also offer letters of confirmation and support with grant-writing.  
 
We provide professional documentation of each exhibition as well as promotional material and presence on our website and social media platforms. Our Sustainability team may also be able to provide advice on exhibition design, consultation and production of signage, and material sourcing/repurposing. Opportunities for artist talks, tours, publications and educational programming can be explored on a case-by-case basis. We have a limited budget and generally cannot cover shipping and travel.

If you have any questions about whether your project is suitable for our space, please get in touch before submitting your application. It is strongly advised to have a look at our Past Exhibitions to see the kinds of projects we’ve presented before. 

The FOFA Gallery’s Indoor exhibition spaces include the Main Gallery, the Sainte-Catherine Street Vitrine, the Black Box, and the York Corridor Vitrines.  

Our Outdoor spaces include the exterior wall of Courtyard (the ‘Image Grid’) suitable for large-scale banners and projections, and the Courtyard space directly outside of the gallery (suitable for performances, public art installations, gatherings)

Applicants are invited to visit the FOFA Gallery during opening hours.

Projects will be selected based on artistic impact, feasibility, and the scope and clarity of the project statement. The committee will also strive for balanced representations of diverse communities and media. 

The FOFA Gallery selection committee (composed of Gallery representatives, Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni) will jury the submissions and aim to notify applicants within 2 months of the submission date. 

Successful proposals from this call will be presented between Spring 2026- Fall 2027.

Guidelines

• Please submit a project proposal that describes the work or project that you would like to present. If the work is not yet made, please provide sketches, references, or documentation of relevant past work.

• Applicants are encouraged to consider the physical spaces of the FOFA Gallery and indicate which space would be most suitable for their needs. 

• If you a have a preferred timeframe for when you would like to present your project, please indicate this in your application.

• Submissions will be accepted in either French or English.  

• Only proposals submitted via SlideRoom will be considered.

   

Submissions must include the following:

• Curriculum vitae including contact information and Concordia ID (if available) for the applicant(s)

• Artist statement and project proposal (max. 2 pages), include space requested and technical requirements. Provide details about any assistance needed from gallery staff in order to install/present the work. If your project is not exhibition-based (conference/workshop/residency/etc.), please use these 2 pages to describe your proposed project (include rough budget, timeline and required support)

• Support material:

• Maximum of 10 digital images 

• Maximum of 2 video OR 2 audio recordings, no longer than 3 minutes each (if longer please indicate section to be viewed). Links must be viewable for at least 2 months after the deadline. Please include passwords for password protected content.

• Supplementary materials are optional and could include sample writing, press/reviews, sketches, 3D mockups, or extra information about your submission. 
  

• Descriptive information about materials with artist(s) name, title, date, media and size/duration 

The FOFA Gallery is working towards dismantling barriers in its work, structure and programming. It is our aim to create an environment where individuals with diverse backgrounds and knowledge are valued and welcomed.

We strongly encourage, among others, Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC), people with disabilities, people identifying as 2SLGBTQIAP+, formerly incarcerated or institutionalized people, immigrants, and people from working class backgrounds to apply. 

As part of our commitment to anti-racist and decolonial ways of working, we recognize that whiteness carries immense privileges which shield white and white-passing artists from the marginalization that racialized artists have faced from and within arts institutions. We also recognize that the term 'BIPOC' and other acronyms can flatten nuances of identity, and that experiences of privilege and discrimination are intersectional and complex. 

Should they wish, applicants may self-identify as belonging to an equity-seeking group. 

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the team at the VAV Gallery who have generously shared their Equity process and Anti-Oppression Statement with us and allowed us to adapt parts of it here.