If 2026 is the year you want to show up more consistently—apply, exhibit, get funded, get commissioned—this is your starting point. Clear links. Reputable organizers. Early-year momentum.

At Opus, we’re artists serving artists. We built this list to give Canadian visual artists—especially those in BC—a working map of what’s real and relevant right now. The start of a year is a creative reset, but it’s also the perfect time to line up submissions, deadlines, and opportunities that sustain your practice, not drain it.

What if 2026 is the year you stop waiting for the perfect opportunity and start applying to the right ones? What if you sent that grant application, booked that residency, or saw your work installed in public space? What if your materials, your community, and your practice actually supported each other?

That’s the energy behind this list—part inspiration, part accountability, and 100% artist-focused.

Every exhibition, residency, and grant application starts in the studio—with supplies. Opus Membership helps you turn those materials into momentum. Members earn cashback as store credit on eligible purchases, meaning your next canvas, brush, or print run gives back. It’s a cycle designed for working artists building consistency and creative flow.

👉 Learn about Opus Membership

The FCA is one of the most established artist-run organizations in Canada, offering year-round juried exhibitions, learning, and professional development opportunities. Their structure helps you maintain a regular submission practice—no more wondering what’s next.

Opus proudly sponsors On the Edge, one of the FCA’s most popular exhibitions encouraging artists to take creative risks and push beyond comfort zones.

• FCA Submissions Hub

• Federation of Canadian Artists Homepage

Last updated: December 2025
Note: Deadlines move—always confirm details on the official call page before you apply.

• Type: Public art commission (permanent work)

• Who it’s for: Professional artists residing in BC or Yukon, and/or Indigenous artists connected to the region

• What they want: Permanent outdoor work (landscaped area); preference for artists experienced with stone

• Deadline: Dec 31, 2025 — 5 PM PST

• How to apply: Request the official brief + form via email listed in the call

• Fee: TBD (Stage Two)

• Official listing: Akimbo — BC Children’s Hospital Art Call

• Type: Public art commission

• Who it’s for: Professional artists residing in Canada; open to individuals and teams with public art experience

• What they want: Permanent, weatherproof sculptural work integrating community and sport themes

• Fee: $150,000 CAD (includes artist fees, fabrication, and installation)

• Deadline: Jan 19, 2026 — 4 PM PST

• Official listing: City of Surrey — Newton Athletic Park Public Art Call

• Type: Design commission (street banners)

• Who it’s for: Emerging or established visual artists across Metro Vancouver

• What they want: Two cohesive digital designs for large-format banner display across the city

• Fee: $2,500 artist honorarium

• Deadline: Jan 26, 2026 — 4 PM PST

• Official listing: City of Surrey — Public Art Banners 2026

• Type: Public sculpture exhibition (1-year outdoor display)

• Who it’s for: Professional sculptors living in Canada

• What they want: Freestanding outdoor sculptures made of durable materials

• Honorarium: $1,600 per artist (+ sales opportunities; 10% commission to Oak Bay Arts)

• Deadline: Feb 2, 2026 — 9 AM PST

• Official listing: Oak Bay Arts — Arts Alive 2026–27

• Type: Public art commission (temporary sculpture painting)

• Who it’s for: Artists based in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

• What they want: Painted 3D beaver sculptures (provided blanks); 48 total commissions available

• Fee: $750 per commission

• Deadline: Jan 25, 2026 — 11:59 PM ET

• Official listing: Akimbo — Painted Beaver Sculptures in Toronto

• Type: Municipal grant

• Who it’s for: Vancouver-based artists and collectives creating community-engaged or equity-driven projects

• Amount: $2,500–$15,000

• Deadline: Mar 4, 2026 — 11:59 PM PST

• Official page: City of Vancouver — CASC Grant Program

• Type: Federal funding for artistic research, creation, and production

• Who it’s for: Canadian artists at all career levels (individuals and groups)

• Official program: Canada Council — Explore and Create

• Type: Funding for BC First Nations artists

• Who it’s for: Indigenous artists residing in BC

• Amount: Up to $20,000

• Official page: First Peoples’ Cultural Council — Individual Artists

• Type: Scholarship / mentorship

• Who it’s for: Indigenous artists from BC and Yukon

• Amount: Up to $5,000

• Official page: YVR Art Foundation — Programs

• Type: Community + creation residency

• Who it’s for: Artists living or working in Metro Vancouver

• Deadline: Jan 19, 2026 — 4 PM PST

• Official call: North Vancouver Recreation & Culture — Artist Residency

• Type: Paid residency

• Who it’s for: Professional artists (emerging or established); preference for Northern BC

• Deadline: Feb 15, 2026

• Official page: Cassiar Cannery — Artist-in-Residence

• Type: Paid, self-directed

• Who it’s for: Artists of all disciplines seeking focus and quiet

• Deadline: Rolling (apply early each January)

• Official page: Sointula Art Shed — How to Apply

• Type: Juried online exhibition

• Who it’s for: FCA members in good standing

• Deadline: Jan 12, 2026

• Apply: FCA Submissions Page

• Type: Juried exhibitions

• Who it’s for: BC-based artists (preference for North Shore)

• Deadline: Jan 4, 2026 — 4 PM PST

• Apply: West Vancouver Community Arts Council — Kay Meek Exhibitions

• Type: Group exhibition

• Who it’s for: Artists of all levels

• Deadline: Feb 5, 2026

• Apply: Langley Arts Council — Call for Artists

• Type: Public art (digital design for large public sign)

• Who it’s for: Registered Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw artists

• Fee: $25,000

• Deadline: Jan 2, 2026 — 11:59 PM PST

• Official link: Squamish Nation — Vancouver Sign Artist Call (PDF)

• Type: Design commission (tile artworks)

• Who it’s for: Artists from xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, səlilwətaʔɬ Nations

• Deadline: Jan 4, 2026 — midnight PST

• Official link: City of Vancouver — 95 Nelson Artist Call

You don’t need perfection—just process.

Keep these ready:

• Artist statement (short + long)

• Bio (50 + 120 words)

• CV (1-page + full)

• Image list (title / medium / size / year / price)

• Proposal template (concept / materials / budget / installation)

• Dec 31, 2025: BC Children’s Hospital Public Art

• Jan 2, 2026: VANCOUVER Sign (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh)

• Jan 4, 2026: Kay Meek + 95 Nelson

• Jan 12, 2026: FCA Artists’ Choice

• Jan 19, 2026: NVRC Residency + Surrey Public Art

• Jan 25, 2026: Toronto Painted Beavers

• Jan 26, 2026: Surrey Banners

• Feb 2, 2026: Oak Bay Arts Alive

• Feb 5, 2026: Langley “My Heritage”

• Feb 15, 2026: Cassiar Cannery Residency

If you have any call we should add, send the following information to: info@opusartsupplies.com

• The official link

• The deadline

• Who it’s for

• Whether it’s paid or fee-based