The Painterly Artist 2026 Online Exhibition and Sale

Overview

The Painterly Artist 2026 is a curated online exhibition presented by Hunter Guise Gallery. This open call invites artists working in traditional, hand-made media to submit work that foregrounds the artist's hand, material presence, and painterly expression. Up to 100 works will be selected and featured in an online exhibition, offering participating artists increased visibility and connection with new audiences.

Theme

Submit your most painterly work—pieces that celebrate expressive colour, bold mark-making, and interpretation over photographic realism. Hunter Guise Gallery seeks artwork that prioritizes the language of paint: expressive colour, visible brushwork, and confident, intentional mark-making that interprets subjects through gesture, abstraction, and personal voice.

Key Dates

• Submissions Open: June 1, 2026
• Deadline to Submit: July 31, 2026
• Artists Notified: August 15, 2026
• Exhibition Dates: August 15 – September 30, 2026

Eligibility

• Open to artists 18 years of age or older at the time of submission
• Artists of all nationalities may apply, unless restricted by local law
• Employees, contractors, and immediate family members of the organizer/curator are not eligible
• Original, hand-made artworks only—must demonstrate clear human process and visible hand of the artist
• Photo-realistic and photo-derived work are not eligible

Eligible Media

• Oil
• Acrylic
• Watercolour
• Pastel
• Mixed media (physical media only; may not include photographic components or digital output)

What Is Not Eligible

• Photography of any kind (including heavily edited or 'artist-enhanced' photographs)
• Photo composites, digital photo manipulation, or works built from a photographic base
• Digital illustration or digital painting
• AI-generated or AI-assisted image generation
• Works primarily derived from a photograph where the intended result is photographic realism or replication

Originality & Process Requirements

All submitted work must be original and created by the artist. Artwork may be based on reference material; however, submissions must demonstrate substantial artistic interpretation and authorship. Works that are direct copies of photographs, painted over photographic prints, or digitally manipulated photographs presented as paintings are not eligible. If reference photographs are used, the artist must own the copyright to the image or have explicit written permission from the photographer. Selected artists may be asked to provide a brief process description and/or a work-in-progress image to confirm eligibility.

Entry Fees

• $15 CAD for first image
• $25 for two submissions
• $35 for three submissions

Submission Requirements

All works must be available for sale from the date of submission until the end of the exhibition (September 30, 2026). Image file naming format (mandatory): Firstname-Lastname-Title-Size-Medium-Price (example: Sue-Smith-PineTree-25x20-Oil-375.jpg; size in inches only, rounded, no decimals). File specifications: minimum 960 px on longest side, maximum 1920 px resolution, JPG or PNG format.

Awards

Awards are sponsored by Hunter Guise Gallery and are non-transferable and not redeemable for cash unless specified. Curator's Choice credits expire six (6) months from date issued. To ensure broad and meaningful recognition, each artist is eligible for one cash prize. Where an artist has multiple outstanding submissions, the highest-ranked work will be considered for cash prize placement. Artists may still be eligible for Honourable Mention and/or the People's Choice Award (audience-voted).