50/50 Call for Artist Submissions

Call for Artist Submissions
StFX Art Gallery's 50/50 exhibition

In honour of its 50th anniversary, the StFX Art Gallery is pleased to host the 50/50 juried art exhibition featuring 50 artworks by 50 local artists on from July 9 to Sept. 19, 2026.

StFX Art Gallery's 50/50 will celebrate the gallery's 50-year legacy as a gathering place where artists, visitors, and ideas meet, and where new possibilities emerge in surprising and meaningful ways.

We invite artists in Antigonish, Pictou, and Guysborough Counties to submit artworks for the jury's consideration that explore chance and/or convergence.

JURORS:

#1 - Carissa Ainslie (she/her) is a queer creative and community arts organizer who holds a Bachelor of Design from the Ontario College of Art And Design University (2014). She has a special interest in connecting artists and creatives with opportunities, spaces, and professional networks. Over the past decade, Carissa has worked with artists across a wide range of media, supporting projects in diverse settings - from professional galleries to pop-up exhibitions - throughout North America.

After returing home to Mi'kma'ki/Nova Scotia, Carissa served as the Antigonight: Art After Dark Festival Coordinator in 2022 and 2023. She is also the founder of The Meadows Retreat and Creative Space, an artist residency located in Pictou County. Carissa currently serves as the Executive Director of Creative Pictou County and Chair of Pictou County Pride.

#2 - Rebecca Fisk (she/her) is a painter whose work explores identity, memory, and the lived realties of racism. Raised in rural Nova Scotia, she turned to art as a form of self-expression, developing a practice that blends personal narrative with social commentary. Central to her work is the self-portrait, used as both mirror and platform. Working in technically defined realism infused with bold symbolism, Fisk challenges the stereotypes and examines the complexities of cultural identity, inviting viewers to engage with difficult truths beyond surface representation. Food frequently appears as a recurring motif, highlighting the intersections of consumption, culture, and racialized bodies.

Fisk earned her BFA from NSCAD in 1992 and her MFA from the University of Saskatchewan in 1997. Fisk's work has been exhibited in galleries such as the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Lunenburg Art Academy, StFX Art Gallery, and Dalhousie University Art Gallery.

#3 - Michael McCormack (he/him) is an intermedia artist, curator, and educator of settler ancestry living in unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people in K'jiputuk (Halifax). He has worked extensively within the artist-run centre community as Director of Eyelevel Gallery (2009 - 2013) and president and representative of the Association of Artist-Run Centres from the Atlantic (2011 - 2013). He has worked as an independent curator for exhibitions, festivals, and events, and as a guest curator for Nocturne: Art at Night (2016), Flotilla Atlantic (2017), and KIAC's Natural & Manufactured exhibition (2018). Michael currently works as Assistant Curator at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Please read carefully - all requirements are mandatory.

1. Please review and complete the online submission form by May 15, 5 pm AT.
    
2. Email high-resolution image(s) of 2 artworks for the jury's consideration to the StFX Art Gallery Director/Curator, Dr. Andrea Terry, @email, with "50/50 artworks submission" in the subject line.
   • Max 5MB each.
   • files must be submitted in a .jpeg or .png format
   • label each file with your last name and first name intitial and the artwork number, i.e. TerryA-1, TerryA-2, etc.
   • for 2-D submissions, submit only 1 image of each art work
   • for 3-D sculptural submissions, please submit 2 images (2 different views).
     • Jurors will select only 1 artwork for exhibition

ELIGIBILITY
Open to artists 18 years of age and up, living and working in Antigonish, Pictou, and Guysborough Counties

Visual art disciplines welcomed include painting, photography, sculpture, print, drawing, ceramies, fibre/textile art, stained glass, batik, mixed media, and still digital work.

Artworks submitted for the jury's consideration must:

• be original
  • giclée prints are considered reproductions and are not acceptable
• be created by the artist submitting
• be created within the last 2 years (2024 - 2026)
• NOT have been exhibited publicly prior to this exhibition
• be installation-ready
  • For 2-dimensional works, this means being professionally framed or mounted on a rigid surface with approrpriate mounting hardware. D-hooks and/or wiring must be securely attached.
  • If the artwork(s) are not considered installation-ready when delivered to the StFX Art Gallery, it/they will not be included in the exhibition.
  • The StFX Art Gallery reserves the right to decline a submission deemed not suitable for installation upon delivery to the gallery - this includes work that is not dry, improperly framed, work created with assistance, reproductions, or copies of another's work.

ARTWORK SPECIFICATIONS
All artworks must be suitable for public display in a professional, not-for-profit, public art gallery and delivered to the StFX Art Gallery fully installation-ready, with appropriate hanging hardware (e.g. D-rings or wire) securely in place.

The StFX Art Gallery will bring in moveable walls to accomodate the large number of artworks to be displayed. Artworks will be double hung (two rows, top and bottom, roughly aligned), as deemed necessary by the installation staff.

Maximum dimensions for artworks are as follows:

• 2D works: Max. 24" high x 36" wide; 36" high x 24" wide
  • diptychs and triptychs must fit within these dimensions
• 3D works: Max. 15" wide x 15" deep x 24" high
  • The StFX Art Gallery has a limited number of white plinths of varying dimensions available for display
  • For an inventory list with measurements, click here. When submitting your artwork(s) for consideration, please specify what plinth you will require for display purposes.

JURIED SELECTION PROCESS

• All submitted artworks will be reviewed by the jurors who will choose 1 work from selected artists for the exhibition.
• Decisions will be made based on the digital images submitted by the artists, accompanying statements, and artist biography.
• The jury decisions will be final.
• Artists will be notified of the results via email by Fri. June 19, 2026
   

IMPORTANT DATES

• Submission deadline: May 15, 5 pm AT
• Artist notification: Fri. June 19, 5 pm AT
• Delivery dates to StFX Art Gallery, MULH 2002: Thurs. June 25, 4 - 7 pm; Fri. June 26, 10 am -  4 pm
• Exhibition opening: Thurs. July 9
• Exhibition dates: July 9 - Sept. 19, 2026
• Pick up artworks at StFX Art Gallery: Sept. 22 - 24
   

WHAT SELECTED ARTISTS RECEIVE

• Inclusion in a milestone anniversary exhibition at a public, not-for-profit, professional art gallery
• Invitation to the official opening reception and opportunity to bring all family, friends, and loved ones to attend
• Professional photographic exhibition documentation
• $350 professional artist fee

If you have more questions about the submission process, please visit our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page.

More questions? Email Dr. Andrea Terry, StFX Art Gallery Director/Curator, @email