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Call for Submissions: Words in Motion

Words In Motion is a literacy program run by the Wood Buffalo Regional Library that promotes an appreciation for the art of poetry. It is open to everyone living in the Wood Buffalo region. Whether you are a student, a professional writer, or a novice wordsmith, you are encouraged to participate and submit your original poetry.

 

An external panel of judges will select the poems to be published in the 2024 Words in Motion Poetry Booklet. Authors of the selected poems will be invited to participate in a celebration event. Poems must be submitted by February 16. 

 

Judging will be done in three categories:

  • Ages 12 and under
  • Ages 13-17
  • Ages 18+

30 poems will be selected to be published in the 2024 Words in Motion Poetry Booklet, with the top 3 poems walking away with a cash prize (1-$150, 2- $100, 3 – $50).

 

Guidelines:

  • Previously published poems will not be accepted.
  • Poems can be of any theme or form, and can be written in any language. If you are submitting a poem in a language other than English, you must also submit an English translation of the poem.
  • Poem selection will be based on originality, appropriateness, poetic techniques, organization & flow, emotion, image & imagination.

 

Get those words a-flowing and submit your entries online.

Deadline: 16-02-2024

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The Calgary Stampede Youth Poster Contest

The Calgary Stampede Youth Poster Competition is a unique youth achievement opportunity that provides talented youth with the opportunity to showcase their talent on a world stage. Generously funded by the Brandon Flock Foundation, the Dustin Peers Memorial Scholarship is one of Canada’s largest art scholarships. Talented young artists between the ages of 15 to 24 from across Alberta are invited to submit their artwork each fall for the chance to design the artwork for the Calgary Stampede Poster and take home the first place prize of a $10,000 scholarship.

 

Questions or inquiries can be sent to postercompetition@calgarystampede.com

For full details and to apply, visit corporate.calgarystampede.com.

 

Requirements:

 

  • Contestants must be Alberta residents aged 15 – 24
  • All 2D mediums welcome

 

Learn:

 

  • The top 30 artists will have a unique opportunity to learn and elevate their skills at a Masterclass Workshop taught by experienced local artists.
  • The top 8 artists will refine their skills through one-on-one mentorship and artistic development coaching to help their poster vision come to life.
  • Finalists will also learn about The Calgary Stampede through a variety of inspiring experiences highlighting western hospitality, inclusivity, culture and community spirit.

 

Deadline for application: December 1, 2023

 

Deadline: 01-12-2023

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2023 Kingston Prize Competition

The ninth biennial Canadian portrait competition will be held in 2023. Eligible entries are portraits of Canadians by Canadian artists, either paintings or drawings. Deadline for entries is 26 April 2023. The Competition for the Kingston Prize is open to Canadian artists aged 18 years and over on the date of the deadline for entries.

Awards: The Kingston Prize of $20,000 and two Honourable Mention awards of $2000 each. At each exhibition venue, there will be a People’s Choice award of $1000.

The opening exhibition of thirty finalists will be held at the Firehall Theatre, Gananoque Ontario in October 2023.

Please consult our website for the rules and other information. Entries may be submitted between February 6, 2023 and April 26, 2023.

Deadline: 26-04-2023

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2023 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award

Distinguished Artist recipients are selected by an arms-length, peer review panel comprised of provincial and national arts experts with extensive experience in a range of arts disciplines. The jury process is overseen by the Banff Centre, Secretariat for the Awards.

Nominations for the 2023 Distinguished Artist Award can be submitted from November 22, 2022 to March 8, 2023.

To prepare for the nomination:

  • Ensure the nominee is a Canadian citizen, lives in Alberta, or has had a significant connection to Alberta over time.
  • Speak to your nominee, let them know you will be nominating them, ask for a current CV and have them complete and sign the Nominee Information Release and Consent Form. When completed, have your nominee return the signed form to you, the nominator. This is one of the required documents you will include with your Distinguished Artist Award Nomination.
  • Write a document of no more than three pages, single spaced, explaining why this nominee merits Alberta’s top recognition for artistic achievement. Include highlights of the nominee’s artistic achievements and/or their contribution to advancing their artistic discipline. If the nominee does not currently reside in Alberta, clearly outline their connection to Alberta and their contribution to growing our province’s arts and culture.
  • Complete all the fields of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award 2023 Nomination.

Contact administrator@artsawards.ca with any questions regarding the Distinguished Artist Award 2023 nomination process.

Deadline: 08-03-2023

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Nominations for the 2023 Business / Arts Awards are now open

The annual Business / Arts Awards recognize innovative partnerships between business and the arts, and spotlight exceptional volunteers, leaders and organizations who have made a significant contribution to the arts in Canada. For over 40 years, these awards have recognized champions of the Canadian arts sector and celebrated their commitment to fostering a vibrant cultural sector for all.

We are thrilled to announce that nominations for the 2023 Business / Arts Awards are now open until Friday, February 10th, 2023! Nominate yourself or another champion of the arts for one of the awards below. 

Edmund C. Bovey Award:

Honour an individual or a couple for their exceptional volunteer work and philanthropy in the arts. This award recognizes business professionals and/or philanthropists who have demonstrated a lifetime of significant philanthropy and/or volunteer leadership in arts and culture in Canada. 

The recipient will receive $20,000 to be directed to the arts organization(s) of their choice.

Learn more about eligibility criteria & how to nominate


Arnold Edinborough Award:

Help raise the profile of a young changemaker. This award is now open to young professionals from any sector who have made an outstanding contribution to the Canadian arts and culture sector.

The recipient will receive $5,000 to be directed to the arts organization(s) of their choice.

Learn more about eligibility criteria & how to nominate


Corporate Champion of the Arts Award:

Recognize the contributions of a corporate sponsor, partner or champion that has strengthened arts and culture in Canada through its long-standing support of and commitment to the sector. This award celebrates a business that has made a significant contribution to the arts through long-term, strategic support. 
Learn more about eligibility criteria & how to nominate


Community Impact Award:

Celebrate meaningful partnerships across business and the arts. This award recognizes an innovative partnership between an arts organization and a business that has enhanced the quality of life and enriched a local cultural scene through innovative program(s), creative business partnerships or neighbourhood revitalization initiatives.
Learn more about eligibility criteria & how to nominate

Visit businessandarts.org/nominate to learn more about the Business / Arts Awards program, the eligibility criteria for each award and how to nominate yourself or another champion of the arts. Nominations are open until Friday, February 10th, 2023.

Deadline: 10-02-2023

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Call for Submissions: Danuta Gleed Literary Award

Submissions for the 2022 Danuta Gleed Literary Award are now open. All submissions must be received by January 31, 2023. 

The Danuta Gleed Literary Award was created as a celebration of the life of Danuta Gleed, a writer whose short fiction won several awards before her death in December 1996. Danuta Gleed’s first collection of short fiction, One of the Chosen, was posthumously published by BuschekBooks. The award is made possible through a generous donation from John Gleed, in memory of his late wife, and is administered by The Writers’ Union of Canada.

Each year, a $10,000 prize is awarded to a Canadian writer for the best first collection of published short fiction in the English language. Two finalists are also awarded $1,000 each.

The winners of the 2021 Danuta Gleed Literary Award were announced on June 1, 2022. Read the press release here.


Deadline: 31-01-2023

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Canadian Playwriting Competition 2022

Calling all Playwrights! Our Annual Playwriting Competition is seeking submissions from all Canadian authors.

Theatre BC has been a parent organization for community theatre across the province since 1932. It annually hosts Mainstage—a competition amongst community theatre companies each July. Mainstage is the largest provincial theatre festival of its kind in Canada.

The Canadian Playwriting Competition is open to original scripts of drama or comedy, either full-length or one-act. Deadline for entry is December 31 annually. Independent jurors will decide upon winners in each category with a prize of $1,000 awarded for the chosen full-length, $750 for the one-act, and $500 for a script of special merit. In addition, one of the three winning plays may be chosen to be workshopped at Theatre BC’s Mainstage festival in July. This choice will be made at the discretion of the judges.

There are three rounds of judging and writers will be notified of the results of each round. All scripts successfully passing to the next round will receive brief notes from the judges. Finalists will be notified when the jury process is complete in May. Winners will be notified and will also be celebrated at our Annual Provincial Theatre Festival “Mainstage” Awards Ceremony (July).

Deadline: 31-12-2022

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Call for Indigenous Artists: Hodgson Trophy Pin Bag

The Wood Buffalo 2023 Arctic Winter Games Host Society in collaboration with the Arctic Winter Games International Committee (AWGIC) is inviting Indigenous artists to participate in a design competition to create a pin bag as part of the Hodgson Trophy award.

The Hodgson Trophy will be awarded by the AWGIC at the closing ceremonies on February 4, 2023, to the contingent whose participants best exemplify the ideals of fair play and team spirit. The winning team receives the pin bag and a distinctive pin in recognition of their accomplishments.

PIN BAG DESIGN CONTEST

Artists are encouraged to produce a design centered around the theme of team spirit and togetherness. Designs will be judged on the creativity of the theme, functionality and the proposal of the materials incorporated into the final bag design. 

Other parameters include:

  • Designs could be done in a variety of media, such as drawing, painting, collage, digital, mixed media, etc.
  • Participants must be local Indigenous artists (currently living in the Wood Buffalo region)
  • Participants are limited to one entry design
  • Participants must guarantee that the design submitted in the application is original and does not violate the copyright of any other person
  • Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted

The selection panel will choose one artist who will receive a $1,000 honorarium for their design. Only the selected winner must then physically create the bag, which they will receive fair market value for. Click the “call for artist rules” button for all the information. 

The deadline to send in a submission is November 15, 2022.

Deadline: 15-11-2022

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Culture in Your Community – Postcard Competition

In 2021, Calgary’s Loft 112 spearheaded an amazing project called Cards for Community.

Using this as inspiration, Parkland Poets’ Society is launching a province-wide Postcard Project showcasing culture in our very own Alberta communities.

What we are looking for:

A physical OR digital 4×6 postcard sharing some combination of words and images and showcasing culture in your community.

What the completed project will look like:

An art installation/gallery-exhibit-type display that will be a visual representation of what “Culture in Your Community” means to Albertans. The display will be unveiled in a public event being hosted in the Stony Plain Public Library on Saturday, Sept 24, 2022.

Why?

To link Albertans together in a tapestry of words and images.

How do I enter?

Submissions accepted June 1st to August 31st, 2022.

  1. Download/Print a submission form to be sent TOGETHER with your submission. CLICK HERE FOR FORM.
  2. Submit form and postcard by email to: parklandpoets@gmail.com or by regular mail to: Parkland Poets’ Society, 227 Brookview Way, Stony Plain, AB T7Z 2X7.

Rules and Guidelines

  1. Original entries only – all ages
  2. Must include some combination of words and images
  3. Size 4 inches x 6 inches
  4. One side of postcard only
  5. Digital Submissions must be submitted as hi-res PDF or JPG files

Ideas to get you started:

  • Art
  • Drawing
  • Collage
  • Mixed media
  • Original photo
  • Micro-stories
  • Poetry
  • Original song lyrics
  • Handicrafts that fit on the postcard (reproduced in 2D)

What can you win?

  • Prizes for 18 and over:
    • First Place: $100
    • Second Place: $75
    • Third Place: $50
    • PLUS: one year membership in Parkland Poets’ Society – Value $25
    • Plus: your postcard framed!
  • Prizes for under 18:
    • First Place: $100
    • Second Place: $75
    • Third Place: $50
    • PLUS: one year membership in Parkland Poets’ Society – Value $25
    • Plus: your postcard framed!
  • Inclusion on the feature wall display

After completion of the project, the winning postcards may be made available for purchase as a fundraiser for Parkland Poets’ Society.

Deadline: 31-08-2022

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