Closed
Last Update: April 9, 2026
Funding available
$ 500 - $ 2,000
Timeline
- Open Date : June 1, 2025
- Closing date : January 15, 2026
Location
Ontario, Canada
Overview
Provides between $500 and $2,000 to support confirmed public exhibitions. Funds help Ontario-based visual, craft, and media artists cover presentation-related costs such as framing, transport, venue rent, and promotion.
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Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Access new markets
- Reach a new target audience
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 2,000 $
- Minimum amount : 500 $
Timeline
- Open Date : June 1, 2025
- Closing date : January 15, 2026
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
Location
- Ontario
Legal structures
- All legal structures
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Presentation of artwork in a confirmed public exhibition
- Solo or group exhibitions, including DIY or self-presented public exhibitions
- Virtual or online exhibitions presented by a gallery, museum, or professional exhibition platform
Documents Needed
- Résumé or CV
- Exhibition confirmation document
- Artistic examples
- Budget of eligible expenses
- Answers to application questions
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Professional visual artists
- Craft artists
- Media artists
- Ontario-based artist collectives
Who is not eligible
- Full-time undergraduate or graduate students
- Incorporated not-for-profit organizations
- For-profit organizations
- Curators
Eligible expenses
- Framing, display structures, mounting, installation hardware and supplies
- Audio-visual equipment and technical or installation fees
- Crating, transportation, venue rent or booth fees
- Promotional expenses and insurance
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Art materials and studio costs
- Artist fees, travel and accommodation
- Catalogues and artwork documentation
- Hospitality
- Exhibitions not open to the public, self-presented virtual exhibitions, and exhibitions for credit
Eligible geographic areas
- Ontario
Selection criteria
- Quality of the artist’s work
- OAC priority groups
- Other funding priorities set by the recommender
How to apply
- Step 1: Create or update your Nova profile
- Open an account in Nova, OAC’s online application system.
- Update your profile before starting the application.
- Step 2: Prepare the application package
- Enter exhibition details and eligible expenses.
- Prepare your application answers and artistic examples.
- Gather the required support documents.
- Step 3: Choose a recommender
- Select the recommender you will apply to in Nova.
- Confirm the recommender is accepting applications.
- Step 4: Submit in Nova
- Upload the full application through Nova.
- Submit before the recommender’s deadline.
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed by the selected recommender
- The recommender submits funding recommendations to OAC
- OAC reviews applicant and project eligibility
- Applicants receive an email when the notification letter is available in Nova
- Final reporting is required after completion
Additional information
- Applications are submitted through Nova, OAC’s online portal.
- You may apply to more than one recommender, but not for the same expenses twice.
- Final reports are required after the exhibition is completed.
- Grant decisions may be announced after the exhibition has started or ended, and awards can be retroactive.
Frequently Asked Questions about the OAC — Exhibition Assistance Program
What is the OAC — Exhibition Assistance?
Provides between $500 and $2,000 to support confirmed public exhibitions. Funds help Ontario-based visual, craft, and media artists cover presentation-related costs such as framing, transport, venue rent, and promotion.
How much funding can be received?
OAC — Exhibition Assistance Funds up to $2,000 of admissible expenses.
What is the deadline to apply?
The application deadline for this grant program was January 15, 2026.
Who is eligible for the OAC — Exhibition Assistance program?
To be eligible for the OAC — Exhibition Assistance program, you must:
Ontario-based artist or collective
Confirmed public exhibition
Apply through Nova and a zone recommender
What expenses are eligible under OAC — Exhibition Assistance?
Presentation of artwork in a confirmed public exhibition
Solo or group exhibitions, including DIY or self-presented public exhibitions
Virtual or online exhibitions presented by a gallery, museum, or professional exhibition platform
Who can I contact for more information about the OAC — Exhibition Assistance?
You can contact Ontario Arts Council (OAC).
Where is the OAC — Exhibition Assistance available?
The OAC — Exhibition Assistance program is available the province of Ontario.