EXPOSURE 2027
North West Showcase
The North West Showcase places a spotlight on emerging photographic talent across Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. Through this open call, Exposure seeks to nurture unique perspectives and create exhibition opportunities close to home.
Submission deadline: October 5, 2026
SELECTED ARTISTS WILL:
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The North West Showcase exhibition will be open through the month of February at TRUCK Contemporary Art.
First opening in 1983 as the Second Story Art Society, TRUCK Contemporary Art is a non-profit artist resource centre and gallery in Mohkinstis (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). Their mission is to engage our local community in critical discourse surrounding contemporary art, and to bring together and support creative individuals who share aspirations of increasing access to art for all.Admission will be free and open to the public during regular gallery hours.
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This fee (paid in CAD) is calculated according to CARFAC guidelines, which account for Exposure’s annual operating budget and the nature of the exhibition venue.
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Exhibiting artists will receive a $50 Production Expense Allocation and a 40% discount with ABL Imaging Group, to cover or support the cost of printing work for the exhibition. Material decisions regarding mounting or framing will be made collaboratively between Exposure’s curatorial team and each individual artist.
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Selected images from each exhibiting artist will be included in a public exhibition, displayed on Pattison Outdoor digital billboards located in Calgary.
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Previous press has included British Journal of Photography, AnOther Magazine, PhMuseum, Avenue Magazine, NEXT Magazine, MUSÉE Vanguard of Photography Culture, and more!
Each exhibiting artist will have their name and website featured on Exposure’s website as part of an artist profile, in addition to social media spotlights and potential print promotions.
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The recipient of this prestigious award is given the opportunity to present a solo show at the following year’s Exposure Photography Festival. The award provides the emerging artist with a platform to show their work while furthering their professional practice and building their career within photography.
Image by Kathryn Audet, Exposure Emerging Photographer of the Year, 2026.
NATIONAL JUROR
Monika Szewczyk
Monika Szewczyk is Audain Chief Curator at The Polygon Gallery since 2023. Born in Szczecin, Poland, Szewczyk [pron. shef-chick] moved at a formative age to the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations also known as Vancouver, Canada. Her lifelong interest in art- and/as history-making has evolved in close collaboration with artists, poets, activists, and archivists whose methods vary, but who all tend to reimagine structures and reinvent traditions as they negotiate belonging to more than one place, people and culture. After gaining early experience at The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery and Vancouver Art Gallery she was Head of Publications at the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam (now Kunstinstituut Melly) (2008-2011); the inaugural Visual Arts Programme Curator at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago (2012-2014); one of the curators for documenta 14 in Kassel and Athens (where she was based), and director of de Appel, Amsterdam (2019-2022). Throughout she continued to lecture, advise and lead seminars at Emily Carr University in Vancouver, Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam, Bergen Academy of Art and Design, the University of Chicago and as the 2022/2023 Quis Research Fellow at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste–Städelschule and Goethe Universität in Frankfurt. She has written for and edited numerous monographs, readers, artist books and journals, including e-flux journal online, Mousse and Afterall.
We’re expanding our jury! The 2027 North West Showcase jury will include the National Juror, one Exposure board member, a representative from TRUCK Contemporary Art and two community jurors.
HOW TO APPLY
PREPARE YOUR WORK
Choose at least 8 images from a strong, connected series and write a short statement about your project. We recommend submitting one complete body of work per entry. (You’re welcome to submit more than one, with a fee for each.)
Images can be shot in any format, using any camera, and may include collage or experimental approaches. We welcome all creative practices that explore, expand, or challenge photography. Not sure if your work fits? Reach out to Festival Manager, Emma Palm.
REVIEW THE FINE PRINT
By submitting, you’re giving Exposure permission to share your images for festival promotion—this may include our website, newsletters, press, and social media. We never take ownership of your copyright; your work remains yours. You’re simply granting us the right to display and promote it in connection with the festival now and in the future.
Please make sure you hold the rights to your images (or have permission from the copyright owner and any necessary model releases).
The submission fee for up to ten images is $35 CAD. Additional images may be submitted for $5 each, up to fifteen images total. Fees may be waived for economic hardship. Please see below for details.
Each image file can be a maximum of 5MB in size. All images must be submitted as JPEGs. The file name of your image must begin with the sequence number for the image, followed by your last name. For example:
Artist name: John Smith
Image filename: 01_Smith.jpeg
SUBMIT YOUR FORM & FEE
HOW WILL YOUR SUBMISSION BE JUDGED?
Our jurors are given an open mandate to select the work they feel is most compelling, relevant, and exhibition-worthy. There is no single theme or style that we are looking for. Instead, jurors will consider:
The overall impact of the work – including creativity, originality, and clarity of vision.
ARTISTIC STRENGTH
How the work speaks to contemporary ideas, experiences, or ways of seeing the world.
RELEVANCE & RESONANCE
How well the work would engage audiences in a public exhibition context.
EXHIBITION POTENTIAL
Whether the selection as a whole reflects a genuine range of practices, subject matter, geographic and cultural contexts, and career stages
CURATORIAL BREADTH
ELIGIBILITY
The North West Showcase is limited to emerging artists who reside in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories.
Exposure defines “emerging artist” as someone who is in the early stages of publicly presenting or publishing their creative work. Emerging artists are actively developing their artistic voice and practice, and are beginning to build connections with audiences, peers, and communities. This definition does not rely on age, formal education, or traditional career milestones, but instead recognizes the wide variety of ways that artists come to and grow within their practice.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
We believe the most exciting work comes from a wide range of voices and experiences. We warmly encourage submissions from underrepresented and equity-deserving communities, and celebrate diverse perspectives. In an effort to reduce barriers to entry, Exposure has undertaken the following initiatives:
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Ten fee waivers will be made available through this initiative to support artists facing economic hardship. If present financial circumstances inhibit your ability to apply to Exposure’s open calls, please use this form to request a Fee Waiver.
Fee Waivers will be awarded on a ‘first come, first served’ basis to those who meet the eligibility criteria. Artists will be notified of their application status within 48 hours of submission.
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Each year, Alberta’s Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation (ICAI) submits five free applications on behalf of their members, to be considered by our juror.
Established in January 2019, ICAI is committed to advancing the careers of immigrant and newcomer arts professionals. Functioning as a pivotal resource for networking and opportunities, ICAI facilitates a smooth transition for immigrant and newcomer arts professionals, nurturing their ongoing professional development in Alberta.
TIMELINE
11:59pm, October 5th, 2026
OPEN CALL DEADLINE
October 31st, 2026
NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS
December, 2026
PRINT DEADLINE
Late January, 2027
EXHIBITION INSTALL
February 1-28, 2027
EXHIBITION OPEN
EXPOSURE 2027 NORTH WEST SHOWCASE SUPPORTERS
