Urban Easel

Registration is now open!
Since 2006, artists have transformed the Owen Sound harbour into a stunning outdoor gallery each summer, with over 70 large-scale art banners lining the waterfront from June to mid-October. This community-driven project celebrates creativity and showcases the work of local, regional, and international artists.

Banner Details
In response of the current economic circumstances facing many artists, the cost of each banner has been reduced to $100. The printed banners will be displayed as part of the Urban Easel public art exhibition. Banners are installed along the Owen Sound harbourfront during the summer months, then move indoors to the Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library for winter viewing. Banners will be returned to artists in May 2027 after the full exhibition cycle.

Who Can Participate
Open to all artists aged 13 and up. Creators from Bruce and Grey Counties are especially encouraged to join, but submissions are welcome from anywhere. Artists outside the region must either designate a local contact or cover shipping costs for banner return. Up to 10 community groups may also participate with artwork that represents their organization (no logos, slogans, or ads).

Artwork Guidelines
This is a non-juried, open call. Each artist may submit one original work. While there’s no set theme, bold, colourful images display best outdoors. All art must be suitable for all audiences and meet municipal public image guidelines at the discretion of the Owen Sound Art Council and its municipal partners.

Image Requirements
Submit a high-resolution (300 dpi) JPEG cropped to a 2:3 (portrait orientation) ratio (30”L x 20”W). Minimum file size: 2 MB. Images must be properly edited for clarity, colour, and contrast. Low-resolution or incorrectly sized images will not be accepted.

About Urban Easel
The Urban Easel is a program of the Owen Sound Art Council, an incorporated not-for-profit organization. The Art Council supports and promotes the visual art community within the City of Owen Sound and the surrounding region. Thank you to the Owen Sound River District for coordinating city staff; the Tom Thomson Art Gallery for reviewing the banners to ensure artistic quality; the staff of the city Parks Department who hang the banners along the harbour each year; and the The Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library for exhibiting the banners in the beautiful Carnegie Hall to brighten up those dreary winter months. We also extend our gratitude to our sponsors, whose generosity supports the Urban Easel and the Owen Sound Community Artist Studio Tour to showcase the diverse and vibrant artistic landscape at our doorstep.

Schedule:
October 12, 2026 – call for artwork opens for the 2027 banners
October 2026 – current banners are removed from the harbour and returned to the Owen Sound Art Council for cleaning
November 30, 2026 – call for artwork closes
December 2026 – current banners are delivered to the Library for hanging in Carnegie Hall from January to May 2027
January 2027 – artwork is submitted to the printer
March 2027 – banners are picked up form the printer
April 2027 – new banners are delivered to the City of Owen Sound
May 2027 – new banners are hung along the harbour by the City of Owen Sound
May/June 2027 – previous year’s banners are returned to the submitting artists
October 2027 – call for artwork opens for the 2028 banners
October 2027 – current banners are removed from the harbour and returned to the Owen Sound Art Council for cleaning
December 2027 – current banners are delivered to the Library for hanging in Carnegie Hall from January to May 2028

Urban Easel (New)

About the 2027 Urban Easel Project

Individual artists may submit up to three banners, while community organizations may submit one banner.

A limited number of banner spaces are available. Submissions are not juried; however, artwork may be declined if it does not meet municipal public art policies. Applications will be accepted until all available banner spaces have been filled.

Recognizing the current economic circumstances and the financial pressures facing many artists and community organizations, we have reduced the cost of participating in the Urban Easel to $100 per banner for this year’s program.

This reduced rate has been approved for the current round of banners and may not be available in future years.

New this year: Sponsor a banner!

Don’t have anything you want to share on a banner, but want to support artists?

This year you can sponsor a specific artist, or you can offer sponsorship to a general fund that will promote youth engagement with the project.

Just choose “sponsor the Urban Easel Project” and enter the total you want to donate. Please note, that this donation does not qualify for a tax receipt.

Type:

Sponsored Banner

Please answer the questions below to determine if you qualify for a sponsored banner. Artists applying for a sponsored banner must be under the age of 30 and be a full time resident of Bruce or Grey counties, including the City of Owen Sound.
I am applying to have my banner sponsored:
I am under the age of 30:
You do not qualify for a sponsored banner. Please go back and select “No” to having your banner sponsored.
I am a full time resident of Bruce or Grey counties, including the City of Owen Sound:
You do not qualify for a sponsored banner. Please go back and select “No” to having your banner sponsored.

Individual Artist

Individual Artist – Number of banners I would like to submit:
Name:
Name:
First Name:
Last Name:
Address:
Address:
City
Province
Postal Code
Country
Only use country code if outside of North America.

Individual Artist Image #1

Required upload size: 2MB – 268.44MB

Individual Artist Image #2

Required upload size: 2MB – 268.44MB

Individual Artist Image #3

Maximum file size: 268.44MB

Community Organization:

Banners for community organizations are available at a cost of $100. Community organizations may include local not-for-profits, schools, government departments, businesses, clubs, member-based organizations, and other community groups.

Please note when submitting, banner images cannot include logos or text. Your organization’s name will appear below the image in the standard font used across all Urban Easel banners.

Need help preparing your banner image? We’re happy to assist with simple formatting, such as creating a collage from photos or images provided by your organization.

Primary Contact Name:
Primary Contact Name:
First Name
Last Name
Only use country code if outside of North America.
Address of Organization:
Address of Organization:
City
Province
Postal Code
Country

Community Organization Image:

Maximum file size: 268.44MB

Terms & Acknowledgements

I agree to the following statements:
The Urban Easel art banner exhibit is an outdoor display, and banners will be exposed to weather and environmental conditions. While all reasonable care is taken to secure banners to the street poles, the Urban Easel is not responsible for any damage, loss, or wear to the banners once they are on display.

The Urban Easel reserves the right to publish art banner images for the purposes of event promotion. Artists retain copyright of their work.

Artists must pick up their banners from Upwards Art during the last week of May. Banners not claimed by this time will be donated to the public during the banner launch event in June.

For artists and organizations located outside of the area, banners may be returned by mail at the artist’s or organization’s expense, including all costs for packaging, handling, and postage. Arrangements for return shipping must be made no later than April 15.

Sponsor the Urban Easel Project

Your sponsorship helps make the Urban Easel possible and supports greater access to this community public art project. The cost for an artist to participate in this year’s Urban Easel is $100 per banner.

Sponsorship funds may be used to cover the banner fee for an eligible sponsored artist or to support the Urban Easel project as a whole, including printing and production costs, future years of the project, and activities such as the official exhibition launch.Sponsorships of any amount are welcome.

Sponsors do not select the artwork displayed, and sponsor names or logos will not appear on the banners.

If you would like to sponsor to support a specific artist, please provide the artist’s name below. We will make every effort to apply your sponsorship to that artist if they are eligible for a sponsored banner. If the sponsorship cannot be applied to that artist, the funds will be used to support the Urban Easel project.

Your Name:
Your Name:
First Name
Last Name
Your Address:
Your Address:
City
Province
Postal Code
Country
Only use country code if outside of North America.
$

Artwork Submission Fees

Payment Options:
$

Credit Card Information

Credit Card Number:

$
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