2023
VISUAL ARTS
COMPETITION

Calling all Ottawa Region artists! Participate in our Visual Arts Competition for a chance to get featured on the cover of our 2023 Program Book and win a $1000 cash prize!

photo credit: Ottawa Tourism

About Italian Week Ottawa

Italian Week is a registered not-for-profit organization that develops and delivers ten days of programming and events each June. The festival is an important symbol of the Italian-Canadian community’s collective identity, and we take pride in showcasing all aspects of our Italian Heritage. This traditional event is one of Ottawa’s most iconic annual festivals.

THIS YEAR'S THEME

Italian Week Ottawa is excited to invite local artists to enter our juried visual art contest with its theme of Italian Landscapes! This is an opportunity to have your artwork featured prominently in Italian Week 2023 and across the City of Ottawa. The winning piece will be the feature image for this year’s festival and be reproduced on print collateral. 

The selected artist will also be awarded a $1,000 cash prize for their commissioned artwork. The prize will be awarded on the opening day of the 2023 Italian Week Ottawa Festival.

ELIGIBILITY

1. Artists must submit a high-resolution photo or scan of their artwork. 

2. Artwork must adhere to the theme of Italian Landscapes – the depiction of natural scenery such as mountainsvalleystreesrivers, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view. Submissions not in adherence to this theme will not be considered.

3. This contest is only open to residents of the National Capital Region.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Artists must submit a photo of their completed artwork through our website. Only those submitted through this form will be considered. 

2. To give equal opportunity, artists are restricted to one submission only.

3. Artists under 18 years of age must have their parent or legal guardian sign all required documents on their behalf.

4. The winning artist must provide Italian Week Ottawa with a physical copy of the winning piece of art by May 10, 2023. This physical copy will then belong to Italian Week Ottawa.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

1. Submissions will be open until April 12, 2023. Submissions after this date will not be considered.

2. All submissions will be reviewed by a jury of diverse, Ottawa-based visual artists and professionals, who will blindly evaluate submissions based on the criteria outlined above.

3. All submissions will be evaluated based on the artist’s ability to address the festival’s vision to capture Italian ingenuity, demonstrate their experience and qualifications, and artistic merit.

4. The jury will select one winner by April 21, 2023. All artists will be notified of the final decision within 48 hours.

5. After the final decision is made, Italian Week Ottawa will work with the winning artist to format the artwork for digital/print collateral.

CONDITIONS

1. Festival rights — Italian Week Ottawa reserves the right to reject any or all submissions, or any part thereof, or to terminate or re-advertise the Call to Artists. The decision of the peer assessment committee is final.

2. Disclosure of information — Applicants shall not issue a news release or other public announcement pertaining to the selection process or jury decision, without the prior written approval of Italian Week Ottawa.

3. Copyright and moral rights — By making a submission to this call, the artist represents and warrants that the artwork submitted is their own original creation and does not breach any existing copyright or intellectual property of any other individual, entity or group. Subject to the rights given to Italian Week Ottawa pursuant to this section, copyright, including any and all designs, drawings and final works of art, shall remain the property of the artist. Moral rights remain with the artist. The artist grants to Italian Week Ottawa a perpetual, worldwide, exclusive, irrevocable, transferable, royalty-free, right and license: (a) to use, reproduce and distribute, in any form, the artwork or any part thereof for public display, community promotion, and non-commercial purposes; and (b) to authorize other persons, including representatives, agents, contractors or sub-contractors, to do any of the former on behalf of Italian Week Ottawa. 

4. Confidentiality of information — Italian Week Ottawa employees and peer assessment committee members are required to treat both the content of submissions and the deliberations of the committee as confidential.

QUESTIONS?

Any questions regarding the submission requirements or selection process can be directed to Italian Week Ottawa’s Marketing and Customer Experience Associate Abdullah Usman, at marketing@italianweekottawa.ca. Or check out our FAQ!

Submit Your Artwork Now