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Fostering and promoting the Visual Arts

throughout Ontario since 1872.

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Application for 2026 Membership

The OSA is accepting applications for 2026 Membership now which will be evaluated in the fall of 2025.

The application platform will close on September 30, 2025.

Successful applicants will receive an invitation to membership before the end of 2025.


Criteria for Membership Application

From Section IV: MEMBERS  4:02 of the GENERAL OPERATING BY-LAW NO. 1 (2024)

A by-law relating generally to the conduct of the affairs of

THE ONTARIO SOCIETY OF ARTISTS (an Ontario corporation) (the “Corporation”)

As per the above-noted section of By-law No. 1, the New Member Applicant will aim to meet the following eight criteria:

  •    Will further the purposes of the Corporation as contained in the Articles. *
  •   Agree with the provisions in the Articles, By-laws and policies of the Corporation. *
  •  Have graduated from an accredited institution with a certificate/degree/diploma or another program with a major visual arts component.
  •   Have had five (5) or more years of practice in the visual arts, and is currently in active practice in the visual arts with demonstrated proficiency in their artwork, seeking professional payment for their artwork and recognized by artists  and/or curators working in the artistic field. *
  •  Have had their artwork exhibited at private and/or public art galleries, art fairs and/or juried, group or solo art exhibitions. *
  •  Reside in the Province of Ontario at the time of their admission as an Annual Member. *
  • Have had their application for Membership endorsed by the New Members’ Nominating Committee and have had their application for Membership approved by an Ordinary Resolution of the Members at an annual meeting of Members. *
  • Artists who have shown work in two or more OSA annual Open Juried Exhibitions, in the past five years, will be accepted for final jurying by membership.

Items marked with an asterisk (*) are deemed Essential Criteria.


Key Facts

  • Application Fee: $45.00
  • Method of Payment: by Credit Card by clicking the red "2026 New Membership Application Fee" at the bottom of this page.
  • Notification Method: Accepted applicants will be notified by December 20, 2025 by email and invited to join the OSA. 
  • Annual Membership Fees for Successful Applicants:  $150.00 due April 30, 2026
  • Our successful candidates will be able to start participating in January 2026 in all of our projects developed by the Ontario Society of Artists.
  • The decision of the New Members Selection Committee and the OSA membership is final.

We will not issue a refund for application payments. Please do not pay until you are certain you wish to apply for membership.

Criteria

  • Originality
  • Artist Statement
  • Artistry in composition and design
  • Excellence and Skill in the chosen medium(s)
  • Consistency in subject matter, style and medium
  • Level of Achievement
  • Professionalism, including the presentation of the application itself.
  • Willingness to be actively involved in our committees, administration and other functions that enhance our Society.

All applicants are expected to be able to navigate basic digital processes including creating and uploading correctly sized photographs of their work and properly labelling and submitting work according to the instructions.

Entry Instructions

The application form has 3 parts.

Part One: Contact Information

Part Two: Extended Biography

Prepare ONE WORD or PDF DOCUMENT with the following information in order:

WORD or PDF DOCUMENT with the following information in order:

  1. Your standard C.V. including educational and relevant work and volunteer background.
  2. A professional Artist Statement. 
  3. A complete list of all exhibitions, trade shows or other places, websites or publications your work has appeared in over the last five years.  The list should be written in order by year, starting with the current year, and then going back by each year.  
  4. A statement indicating all professional representation.
  5. A complete list of online sales platforms selling your work, if any.  Please include links.
  6. Willingness to donate volunteer hours to the OSA, which could be, helping to run events, working behind the scenes, or many other tasks.  This is a Society which relies on the work of volunteers. How can you contribute?
    1. A list of the 10 artworks you will be submitting with the following details in this exact format:  Title, Medium, Size (the unframed dimensions of your work, height by width, and in inches) and Year Completed.  

    Part Three: Upload and Describe Your Artwork Images

    In this section, we would like you to upload images of 10 sample artworks.  Please place them in order of importance to your portfolio.

    Before you upload the images, you must resize and retitle them as follows:

    • All images must be saved in jpg format
    • All image files must be less than 4MB in size.
    • In terms of resolution, images should be no larger than 2000 pixels on the longest side.
    • All image files should be labelled as follows:

    SequenceNumber_LastName_Title_Medium_ Dimensions_YearCompleted.jpg

    For example:

    01_MyLastName_Sunset_OilOnCanvas_45x36_2020.jpg

    02_MyLastName_AfterCoffee_OilOnBoard_40x30_2019.jpg

    If you are an artist working in 3 dimensions and you are shortlisted, we will contact you for additional images. If you are an artist working in video, please upload a still image that can act as a title page for each video and then in your CV, please provide online links to each of your ten videos. 

    Important Note: After you choose your artwork image, you will see a small preview of it.  Above the preview is a small Delete button and an Upload button.  Please click Upload for each image you choose.

    Once you have paid the $45 application fee, you will receive an email confirming your payment which will include a link to the application.

    We will not issue a refund for application payments, so please do not pay until you are certain you wish to apply for membership.

    QUESTIONS? Email newmembership@ontariosocietyofartists.org with questions after you have read all the information above.

    Our volunteers are happy to answer your questions, however if you need a lot of help preparing your entire application, please hire a professional.

    Applications will be evaluated through a process which includes adjudication by a committee of experienced professionals from our membership, followed by a vote open to the entire OSA membership.

    The adjudication committee serves to verify that applicants meet the basic requirements of membership.

    These requirements are:

    • residency in Ontario, 
    • evidence of work as an arts professional and 
    • a significant level of achievement in the nine criteria areas

    We accept artists working in a wide variety of visual arts disciplines including oil, acrylic, charcoal, pencil, pastel, mixed media, fibre arts, photography, digital, sculpture, video and moving images, installation/performance collage, assemblage, and new directions of contemporary art.

    When you have read the instructions above, click the 2026 New Membership Application Fee link at the bottom of this page to go to the online store.


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