Art in the Park’s call for artists open until Feb. 15

Join over 60 other artists showcasing their work along the shores of the Avon River by being part of the 2026 season of Stratford Art in the Park.

The annual call for new artists to join current members of Stratford Art in the Park (AITP) has opened and those interested in becoming part of the group have until February 15th to submit their online application.

For over 50 years, AITP has been providing members with the unique opportunity to showcase their artwork in the beautiful setting along the waterfront of the Avon River from May to October each year. Visitors to AITP come from near and far drawn by the high calibre and diversity in artwork presented for sale to the public.

The application to join is online only with submissions subject to an anonymous jury process to ensure that the criteria for inclusion are represented in the artwork.

“The artists are selected on the basis of the application they submit. They have to include a brief bio to explain who they are and what their background is. They fill the form in and add six images of pieces they have done in the last three years,” said Bev Hewitt, AITP Juror Coordinator.

The six images are required to be in .jpg format representing work in the chosen category available. Each category chosen requires separate submission. Acceptable categories are: clay, wood, leather/fabric art, photography, sculpture/carving/collage, Glass, Jewellery, painting/printmaking, and digital art (no AI). There are participation limits for each category except for painting, and for the 2026 season the jewellery category is full.

Names and identifying marks are stripped from the application so that the jury process is unbiased and fair. There are three jurors who are in the art industry, who are anonymous and unknown to each other, who will assess each of the submissions and score based on style among other criteria.

“Those three sets of eyes will go through each set of six images to judge that they meet five criteria. They do make comments, sometimes. They do critique some of the art which is a bonus and I can feed it back to the individual if they don’t get through,” said Hewitt.

With the observation comes the opportunity to improve and return another year to try again. Those that are accepted can expect to hear back in the early spring. There is the expectation that each member must be present with their work at a minimum of ten showing days per season. With over 50 showing days each season, the participation requirement is an easy one to meet.

“It’s a community with knowledge passed to each other. There’s a camaraderie among the artists and that’s what’s brilliant, it makes people want to help each other and you can go to others that have been there quite some time and get guidance and advice,” said Hewitt.

It is highly recommended to read and follow the guidelines for application on the website found at www.artintheparkstratford.ca Without meeting the minimum requirements of the application the risk is immediate disqualification.

“Be brief, the jurors will get the bios. The clarity of the photos is very important such that the image does not include background images. It’s the photogragh that is going to sell it to the jurors,” was the advice Hewett had to give to perspective applicants.

Becoming a member is the opportunity for exposure to a worldwide audience of art enthusiasts that travel to Stratford each year drawn by the arts and culture of the city. Exhibiting artists do not need to be from the Stratford Community only.