CALL TO ARTISTS

Coming up in February 2026: Open Adjudicated Art Exhibit celebrating visual art and The Kootenays | "Unusual Angles" | February 5 - March 1, 2026

With this year's theme "Unusual Angles" we are looking to celebrate The Kootenays from unique perspectives.

Anyone can enter up to 3 artworks in any medium

Entry fees are as follows:

- 1 artwork $45: click/tap here to pay the entry fee.

- 2 artworks $75: click/tap here to pay the entry fee.

- 3 artworks $90: click/tap here to pay the entry fee.

Click/tap here to find more information and the entry form.

Deadline for entry and artworks: Sunday, January 25, 2026

What's in it for YOU?

1. The awesome experience of being part of this celebration of visual art & The Kootenays with other artists and art collectors.

2. A guaranteed spot for your artwork(s) in the online gallery for a month.

3. A guaranteed spot for your artwork(s) in the web shop for a month.

4. Exposure on our website, in our newsletter, on social media, in local news outlets, at the opening reception, and in the art gallery for a month.

5. A chance at winning the $100 (minimum) Inspiration Award (selected by draw from all artworks that didn't make the shortlist).

6. A chance at having your artwork(s) selected to be showcased at Art Gallery Kimberley in a high traffic location in Kimberley's Platzl for a month.

7. A chance at having your artwork(s) short-listed for the Kootenay Art Prize.

8. A chance at winning the $500 (minimum) Kootenay Art Prize (selected by draw from shortlist).

9. Added value to your CV.

10. An invitation to celebrate with fellow artists, family, and friends at the closing reception.

Number of artworks selected to be showcased in the art gallery: 20-25 depending on dimensions. Minimum number of entries: 20. Number of artworks to be shortlisted: 10. Kootenay Art Prize min. $500, Inspiration Award min. $100.

All entry fees are non-refundable.

Award process

One of the cons of juried exhibitions is the fact that adjudicators’ choices are subjective. Jurors have limitations: they don’t know the background and intention of the artists, and it is hard to compare artworks that are sometimes vastly different. The chosen artworks are always a reflection of the adjudicators. For the artists, entering a juried exhibition can be an emotional rollercoaster.

In order to make the selection process more rewarding and positive for everyone involved, the following idea of broader encouragement was created. The adjudicators will look at the selected artworks in the gallery and choose 10 artworks to appear on a shortlist. Finally, a random draw will determine which of the shortlisted artworks will receive the Kootenay Art Prize. Furthermore, all artworks that didn't make the shortlist will have a chance to win the Inspiration Award which will also be chosen by draw.

Meet the adjudicators

Kimberley-based artist SAM MILLARD

SAM MILLARD | "Millard was born in the United Kingdom in 1985 and immigrated to Canada in 2008. Her experiences of the UK and Canada are often reflected in her work; her artistic style began developing in her birth country and her current work based on the beauty of British Columbia shows her love for her adopted country."

"She studied art at Long Road College in Cambridge, UK, and has obtained further knowledge through the school of life experience. At Long Road, she discovered magic of colour and shape in the work of Franz Marc. Cubism and futurism have been a big influence on her complex artistic style development."

"While her work can be quite abstract, she always maintains a familiar form for the viewer to connect and identify with. She has proudly received awards for her works titled Kootenay Wildlife, Around the World and St. Mary’s Lake Serenity. You can find her work in galleries and private collections across BC & Alberta and in the UK."

Artist statement

Inspiration hits me on a daily basis so it’s difficult to narrow it down to any one direction. I am particularly drawn to geometric shapes and patterns, flow and energy, motion, connection, astrophysics, quantum physics (the parts I understand!), freedom, peace and tranquility, to name a few! I prefer to show it in connection with nature and the human form.

I believe art should express what sets the artists soul on fire!

I hope my art brings good energy and joy to anyone who views it. I feel fulfilled when the audience stays engaged with the painting and finds other things in the work that I hadn’t intended to include. I love how it’s open for interpretation and becomes a unique experience for each individual who views it.

It has been described as representing "the fractal nature of our existence", my favourite summary to date.

Fernie-based interdisciplinary artist MICHAEL HEPHER

MICHAEL HEPHER | "Michael Hepher is an interdisciplinary artist working as a printmaker, oil painter, and illustrator. His work is an exploration of unique ways of seeing the world. From the beautiful to the banal, his paintings and prints lead him to seek that one angle that gives each moment its particular voice. Colourful, textural works emerge with the goal of anchoring the viewer in a moment and seeing what they haven’t seen before."

"Painting in oil on canvas and wood or linoleum block prints, Hepher works with unique colour schemes and layers of texture to bring out the emotion of a landscape, ever in pursuit of quality."

"Michael found his stride after founding Clawhammer Press (a historic printmaking studio) in 2011 where he focused his work on painting and printmaking. His works can be found in homes and collections all over the world as well as from quality Western Canadian galleries. Notable works include ‘All Kinds of Beauty’, a 16 x 96’ mural illuminating the diverse facets of his home town. (2019), ‘Backroads BC’, a travelogue of oil paintings, ‘In This Together’ a body of work with the message: 'Why we live in this place', and ‘Natural Geometry’ an exhibition of hand-printed artworks pushing the boundaries of abstraction while using the historic art of letterpress printmaking."

"Michael currently lives with his family in beautiful Fernie, BC. "

Art gallery owner and operator IRMA DE VISSER

IRMA DE VISSER | "I've consistently expressed my creative voice in various ways throughout my life, yet it was my move from The Netherlands to Canada in 2013 that immersed me in the world of fine art."

"Shortly after settling in Kimberley, BC, I took on the role of administrative assistant at Kimberley Arts at Centre 64, our town's vibrant arts and cultural hub. It was within these walls that I discovered a passion for the arts, particularly in supporting artists and inspiring and growing the local art community. Over the years, this passion has flourished, pushing me to establish Art Gallery Kimberley in the heart of Kimberley's Platzl, when the opportunity arose in 2021."

"More recently, I was introduced to the wonderful world of ceramics and played a role in the inception of the Kimberley Clay Collective. I am excited to see where this road will take me. It's been an honour to have been part of the team of adjudicators for several local open art exhibitions and community grant programs in the last few years, such an inspiring and informative experience."