Member opportunities

Calling all GRACe and KWSA artists!

The Big Love Small Art art show call is for Grand River Artist Collective and KWSA members only. KWSA members are asked to donate $25 per registration. Each registration can include multiple pieces of artwork.

Note that art size is limited to 12X12 or 11X14 or smaller! But there is no minimum size! How low can you go??

The show dates are: February 15 to 28 2025.

If they response is more than we can accommodate in the space we have, or the artwork does not meet our requirements, we may limit the submissions per artist.
KWSA members can make their donation for registration by etransfer to: info@grandriverartists.ca or in advance by mail to

Attention: Grand River Artist Collective

44 Gaukel St, Kitchener, ON N2G 4P3

Guidelines:

  • artwork size is 12X12, 11X14 (inches) or smaller

  • there is no minimum size!

  • artwork must be for sale for $200 or less

  • you must include an art inventory (you can use this document which you can download and it will open in Word or Google Docs)

  • only paid up (or current) members of GRACe and KWSA may submit for this call

  • KWSA members pay a $25 registration fee

  • Grand River Artists Collective members pay 20% of all sales

  • drop off is Thursday February 13 between 5 to 7 PM

  • opening is February 15 between 2 to 5 PM

Registration closes on February 3 2025

Register now!

Annual members’ show and sale

Now accepting expressions of interest to participate in the annual members’ show and sale!

Register by October 18 to participate in the show

All currently paid up members are welcome to participate. There is no juror but there are guidelines for optimizing the booths and displays.

Artists are also welcome to submit ideas for an installation, stand alone sculpture or multi-media artwork (these artworks do not have to be for sale).

Theme: The View from Here

Review the Guidelines and show details (PDF)

Exhibition open:

  • November 15 - 5 to 8 PM,

  • November 16 - 10 to 6 PM,

  • November 17 - 10 to 4 PM

Grid setup and art installation:

  • Starts November 14 and continues November 15

  • Art installation November 15 - 2 PM & onwards

Take down:

  • November 17 at 4 PM

Closed and juried.

Call for entry - Negotiating Culture

GRACe is calling all current members to submit work to be considered for a juried exhibition to be held at 44 Gaukel St, Kitchener in the Flex space from October 31 to November 10 2024. We are excited that Professor Soheila Esfahani has agreed to act as curator for this exhibition.

Curatorial Statement

In a multicultural society such as Canada, many people live in-between cultures and inevitably participate in cultural translation. Within the framework of cultural theory, the act of translation is the negotiation arising from encounters of various social groups with different cultural traditions. Furthermore, cultural translation destabilizes the notion of an originating culture and opens up the space of negotiation called the third space.* This curatorial project asks artists to reflect on how they define culture and what it means to live in the third space and negotiate cultural variance. If artists are cultural producers, how do they represent culture in their work? What are some of the ways we connect to other cultures and possibly live in liminal or in-between spaces? 

* The terms cultural translation and the third space are coined by Homi K. Bhabha in his book The Location of Culture.

Submission Details

All visual arts media are welcome: painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, 3-Dimensional installation,  print-making, mixed media.

1. SUBMIT FROM 3 TO 5 IMAGES

Images must be accompanied by an IMAGE  LIST containing the following information: image number, file name, your surname,  title, date , media and dimensions.

Images must be labelled  as follows:  image number_last name. For example: 01_Smith

2. BRIEF BIOGRAPHY of no more than 150 words in PDF format.

3. ARTIST’S STATEMENT of no more than 500 words which reflects on how your work addresses the curatorial premise for the exhibition.

4. YOUR CV. Send a link to access you CV online. If it is not online please include a  two-page CV in PDF format.

All materials should be submitted to info@grandriverartists.ca as a zip file or provide a link to a Google drive or other online folder. Failure to meet all requirements may result in disqualification of your submission.

INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO ARTISTS

Only  paid up members of Grand River Artists Collective (GRACe) are invited to submit for this exhibition.

Selected artists will be notified by the third week of September as to their acceptance for the exhibition.

 Artists selected will be paid CARFAC exhibition fees for their participation in this exhibition.

A  brochure for the exhibition will be produced describing the artists and their work.

Artists will be requested to sit with the show for one day each during the exhibition to admit and greet visitors.

The gallery will be open to the public, the following days: 

  • October 31, Nov 1, Nov 2,  November 7, 8, 9, 10. from 2pm  to 6 pm.

Opening reception: Friday November 1, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Removal of work will take place between Nov 11 and 13th (details to follow).

We wish to thank the City of Kitchener for support of this exhibition.

Questions? Please contact info@grandriverartists.ca

Exhibit in a GRACe-run art show

Make sure you are receiving the monthly newsletters to stay up to date on calls for upcoming exhibitions.

Organize a solo or group show at 44 Gaukel Creative Workspace

There are several spaces available in the 44 Gaukel St building in downtown Kitchener where artists can display their own artwork and run their own events. Check the schedule on Skedda to see what spaces are available or reach out to info@grandriverartists.ca to learn more.

Participate as a juror or organizer in an upcoming show

Learn what it takes to run an art event and add to your CV while supporting fellow members. Contact info@grandriverartists.ca to ask questions or create a proposal.

Teach a class, give a talk or run a workshop at 44 Gaukel St, Kitchener.

There are various amenities and spaces available at 44 Gaukel St for use by our members. See below to learn about the spaces and check the schedule.

What we can provide

We can provide space, advertising on our social media channels, access to equipment such as a projector, A-frames, art display, tables and chairs.

Want to partner? Let’s talk about what else we can do.

Available spaces

Link to spaces schedule

How to book a space:

  1. Check the schedule on Skedda

  2. Reach out to Admin at info@grandriverartists.ca to confirm and book

Window Gallery

Our window gallery faces onto the Gaukel Block. Gaukel Block is a pedestrian way that runs between City Hall and Willow River (or Victoria) public park. There are often events running in the evenings and during weekends on the Block or the Block is acting as a connector between events in the downtown.

There are four windows each one is 50 inches tall by 40 inches wide stretching the width of the GRACe gallery space.

The GRACe gallery and event space

GRACe has a dedicated and lockable event space in which the window gallery is located but the space can also contain up to 25 people seated auditorium style or standing and up to 12 people for workshop style seating at a table.

The floor space is 458 square feet.

There are three walls suitable for hanging and floor space for podium or table display.

Community room

The Community Room is a space shared with other tenants. It is a windowless room on the second floor that could accommodate up to 30 people seated a tables in a workshop and 40 people seated auditorium style.

The space is windowless with a whiteboard on one wall and a work sink.

Check with GRACe admin about availability of this space.

Other spaces as negotiated

44 Gaukel has additional small spaces and it limited only by your imagination how you use them or combine them with our other spaces to make an event that is uniquely you!

Space overview

Spaces schedule

GRACEe Blank Space gallery wall

The Blank Space gallery is a wall that is on the outside of the GRACe gallery, facing into the flex space lobby area.

The space is 8 feet tall and 13 feet wide. There is a hanging system running the length of the wall. There is an adjacent window that can be used to connect to the Block outside. All furniture can be removed if required. Reservation of this space does not include the floor space which is a part of the Flex space.

Flex space

If you need even more room, the Flex space can be booked through the GRACe admin person. This space is shared with other building tenants and the availability varies.

There is a kitchenette and a separate work sink at one end of the space. One wall can be used to show films with a short throw projector.

Flex space is shown in blue, GRACe gallery in yellow, GRACe Blank space location in red, window gallery in purple.