RETROGRADE 2025

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About the Gallery

The Pocket Gallery is a small but dynamic exhibition space in the foyer of the Kingston Arts Council office, located in the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning. Previously known as UNIT 115, this space now offers paid exhibition opportunities for KAC members.

Whether you're an emerging artist or a seasoned professional, the Pocket Gallery offers an exciting, flexible, and supportive environment to exhibit your work.

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About the Exhibition Program

Location

The Pocket Gallery is housed in the foyer of the Kingston Arts Council office. The KAC office is located in a high-traffic area on the first floor of the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning, in Unit 115, and is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10AM – 5PM, as well as additional evenings and weekends for special events.
Dimensions Can Be Viewed Here

Program Goals

The Pocket Gallery program seeks to:

• • Support KAC Members with paid exhibition opportunities;
  • Foster connections across the local arts ecology;
  • Support and showcase artists working in varied fields of practice;
  • Provide professional development opportunities for emerging and mid-career artists;
  • Offer a space for creative exploration, including the exhibition of experimental artworks and installations; and
  • Support and engage artists and audiences from equity-deserving communities.

Curation & Installation

KAC staff are generally responsible for installation and deinstallation, however, we are open to varied approaches to curation and installation of Pocket Gallery exhibitions. Exhibiting artists are welcome to curate and/or install their own exhibitions to varying degrees, depending on their preference and experience. Emerging artists are also welcome to support curation and installation or shadow KAC staff during these processes as a professional development opportunity.

Parallel Programming

Pocket Gallery exhibitions create opportunities for parallel programming and activities. This could include opening or closing receptions, artist talks, community artmaking sessions, exhibitions that invite viewer participation, and more! We encourage applicants to explore opportunities for parallel programming when applying, however, parallel programming should remain feasible within the program’s budget and KAC staff capacity, as well as the artist’s own capacity. In other words, we’re not looking for a major programming series, but rather a simple activity either embedded in the exhibition itself or offered as a one-off event.

Artist Fees & Sales

The artist fee for Pocket Gallery exhibitions is $600, with additional budget allocated towards parallel programming as needed. Exhibition fees are set according to CARFAC’s 2025 Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule (Category I, Single Work / Small Sites: $494); artist fees for duos or small collectives may be negotiated separately, pending budget.

The KAC will direct patrons to the artist to purchase any works directly from them. Should the artist wish for KAC to facilitate sales on their behalf, a 20% commission fee will be collected to support administrative and staffing costs.

Questions?

Please contact B.C. Gorrie at PCC@artskingston.ca if you have any questions about this program!

Call for Submissions

The Kingston Arts Council welcomes applications from artists working in all mediums to submit to our first Call for Submissions for the Pocket Gallery program. Please review all details below.

Eligibility

• • Applicants must be current KAC members (click here to register).
  • Open to solo artists, duos, or small collectives.
  • All disciplines welcome — visual, audio, XR, performance, installation, etc.

In order to be eligible to apply to exhibit in the Pocket Gallery, applicants must have a valid KAC Membership.

The Pocket Gallery is best suited for solo exhibitions, experimental works, and creative installations. We will additionally consider applications from artist duos or even small collectives, but the small nature of the space and budget constraints will be taken into consideration.

Artists working at all stages of their careers are welcome to apply, and all mediums or fields of practice will be considered as long as there is a component to the exhibition that can be exhibited in the gallery space (visual, tactile, audio, performance, XR). Applicants seeking to submit audio works should consider that the Pocket Gallery opens into a shared hallway in the Tett Centre, and is attached to the KAC office.

How to Apply

Gather the following necessary materials, and fill out the Pocket Gallery Application Form.

• • Applicant Name & Contact Information*
  • Artist Biography*
  • Exhibition Proposal — brief overview of your proposed exhibition*
  • Supporting Documentation (images of your proposed artwork and/or examples of past work)*
  • Artist CV
  • Technical Requirements (if applicable)
  • Programming Ideas (optional — ex. opening/closing reception, artist talk, creative programming)

(* required)
Pocket Gallery Application

Evaluation and Selection

Applications will be juried by a selection committee composed of KAC staff and volunteers. Applications will be evaluated based on:

• • Artistic merit;
  • Alignment with program goals and KAC’s vision and values;
  • Feasibility of the proposed exhibition within the gallery’s space and resources; and
  • Potential for community engagement and impact.

All applicants will be notified of the status of their application as soon as possible; please do not call the KAC for updates on your application.
Questions or Concerns? Contact Us!

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