FREE ENTRY / Struts Gallery - Exhibition Summer & Fall 2025

“Nowhere may be nowhere but it obviously must also be somewhere. Artist-run centres have often seemed to me incarnations of nowhere. And, insofar as they are nowhere, the possibility of real risk is palpable, and the impossible sometimes seems possible...”

- John Murchie, decentre, concerning artist–run culture, YYZ, 2008.

Struts Gallery is seeking proposals for an exhibition or installation that fully considers and transforms our gallery space. We invite proposals from artists and artist collectives based in so-called Canada to create an immersive environment in our space. Successful applicants will spend up to 4 days creating and/or installing the work while living in our artist accommodations above the gallery. Located in a 120-year-old building worn by time, our gallery is well used and versatile, with white walls, a weathered ceiling, and a painted grey tile floor.

We are interested in ambitious projects that change our visitors’ perception of the gallery, envelope the viewer, locate it, and/or create opportunity for meaning and dialogue to emerge. We are open to new or previously exhibited work from a broad spectrum of mediums and approaches. Works that incorporate analog or digital video, sound, performative elements, ritual, interactivity, sculpture, sensorial stimulation, architectural intervention, or contemplative ambiance will all be considered. We encourage artists to experiment with processes that depart from their usual work. For those who are interested, Struts Gallery has an extensive collection of media arts equipment and production facilities.

Who can apply?

Artists and Artist Collectives at all career stages living in Canada are welcome to apply. Struts is dedicated to presenting work from contemporary artists working in a variety of disciplines. We venture to present art that reflects the diversity of disciplines and media that shape contemporary art practices. Proposals from artists whose works are alternative, experimental and/or critically engaged are encouraged. We welcome proposals from artists from groups that have historically been underrepresented in the gallery, including Indigenous people, Black people, people of colour, 2SLGBTQIA+. Current students and/or MFA thesis exhibitions will not be considered.