Submissions FAQ

When are submissions open for the Selected Exhibition and Events Programs?

Submissions for our 2025 juried Selected Exhibitions Program will be open from Monday, September 9 to Friday, October 9. All submissions will be completed online through the platform ArtCall. Visit our Submissions Page for a link to submit. The Events Program submissions will open in early February 2025.

What sort of Events can be part of Capture?

Capture is open to film screenings, talks, tours, workshops, community events, and other events related to the subject of photography and lens-based art. Please note that we do not accept exhibition openings as a part of our event programming.

Event submissions are not subject to jury evaluation, but they must meet the Festival’s basic criteria of being lens-related and occur during the month of April to be included in the festival programming.

Can I submit a virtual exhibition and event?

Capture is accepting exhibitions that have a virtual enhancement, however, there must be an associated physical exhibition space or installation. 

Event submissions can be solely virtual or both physical and virtual. 

What are the dates for the Selected Exhibition and Events Program?

The 2025 Capture Photography Festival runs from April 1–30, 2025. For your programming to be part of the Festival, the exhibition or event must fall within those dates. For an exhibition, it can start well before, or end well after. Exhibitions must be at least two days in length.

Examples:
January 10 – April 5
David Wojnarowicz: Photography & Film 1978–1992, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery

February 8 – May 24
The Extended Moment: 50 Years of Collecting Photographs, Audain Art Museum

What sort of information is required in the Exhibitions Submission?

Exhibition Information
Exhibition Title
Start Date and End Date (must be at least two days in length)
Reception Date (if applicable)

Exhibition Statement (max. 250 words)

Please ensure that your submission has substantive lens-based content or it will not qualify for the Festival. IE: The exhibition must include photography or lens-based artworks and have a strong connection to those mediums.

Bios (max. 100 words per bio)
Artist Bio
Please list the exhibiting artist(s) (If you have not finalized your artist list or have more than 10 artists, please write “Group Exhibition” include all up-to-date bios, websites, and Instagram handles

Curator Bio
If your exhibition is curated please list the curator(s), includes all up-to-date bios, website links, and Instagram handles

Venue Information 
Venue Name
Address (Format: Street address, City, Postcode)
Phone Number
Hours: (Please list the hours your exhibition will be open to the public. ex: “Mon to Fri 9 to 5, Sat 10 to 5, closed Sunday” / If an appointment is required, please include a contact email or number.)
Venue Instagram Handle
Accessibility Information (ie. Please indicate if your space is not wheelchair accessible)
Gallery Mandate or Venue Description: (max. 150 words)

Images

Final images of completed work must be submitted in .jpg or .tiff format at minimum 300 dpi and max.  16” on the long side or in pixels between 4650 and 3300 px. Submissions with unfinished works will not be considered.

A maximum of seven images can be uploaded to the submission. A single PDF of image credits that correspond with the images with the specific medium (e.g.: silver gelatin print, inkjet print, chromogenic print, etc.) must accompany the submission.

Image credits must include the following information:

Artist Name, Artwork Title, Year(s), Dimensions in cm, Medium. Courtesy of the Artist and….

The image need not be taken with a digital camera; scans of negatives, transparencies, photographic prints, and digital renderings are acceptable. Copyright remains with the creator. See the Terms and Conditions for more information.

Do you have any tips on how to write the exhibition statement? 

Yes! Visit our blog post here.

How much does it cost to participate in Capture?

Submissions to the Selected Exhibition Program are subject to a $20 fee. This fee includes an annual membership ($20) to Capture Photography Festival Society and helps with the costs of the submissions system (Picter). If the fee poses a barrier to submitting a proposal, please contact us at [email protected].

Submissions to the Events Program are free. If you are submitting events only (with no associated exhibition), please purchase a Capture membership ($20) to help support the Festival and cover submission costs.

Do I have to be a Vancouver-based artist or gallery to submit to Capture?

No! However, your exhibition or event must take place in Metro Vancouver during at least a portion of the month of April. 

Can I submit as an independent artist? 

Yes! However, a confirmed venue is required. See the following question for details. 

Do I need to have a venue confirmed in order to submit? 

Yes. If you are not affiliated with the space (e.g., an employee or member) or the venue where you are exhibiting is not your own space (e.g., your studio), then Capture requires a confirmation letter from the venue. Please note that your exhibition or event must take place in Metro Vancouver during at least part of the month of April. Submissions received without a confirmed venue will not be considered.

An exhibition floorplan is also required upon submission. This must include where you intend to place each work, with corresponding names or images identified. Please upload the floorplan as a single .pdf file.

How do I find a venue for my exhibition?

We know it can be extremely hard to find space in Vancouver. However, with no parameters on what the exhibition space must be, the sky’s the limit. Get in touch with community galleries, retail stores, and other businesses to see if you can use their walls. Contact the representative of an empty storefront and inquire if you can rent it for the month of April. Check-in with local libraries and universities. Co-opt advertising spaces. Turn your studio into a gallery for a few days. Please note that if you do not have a venue confirmed upon submission, you will not be considered for an exhibition.

Exhibitions can also be of any duration, as long as they are at least one day in April. So, for example, you could run a three-day exhibition in a commercially rented space.

Previous editions of the Festival may provide venue ideas. You can see past editions of the Festival on the website on the Exhibitions page by selecting a year from the “Past Festivals” drop-down menu below the map.

While Capture is unable to provide venues for exhibition, we may have suggestions. Get in touch at [email protected].

What sorts of costs are associated with exhibitions?

The costs of mounting an exhibition vary greatly, depending on the type of venue and format of the work. Likewise, the cost of hiring a venue varies greatly based on whether you choose to split sales with the venue or rent it outright. There may also be costs associated with marketing your exhibition if you choose to do so. Being part of Capture already garners exposure and public attention, so any additional marketing you do independently is entirely up to you.

Grants not affiliated with Capture are available for both emerging and established artists. Check the websites of the City of Vancouver, BC Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, and Vancouver Foundation, among other funding bodies, for more information.

What happens if I don’t get into the Selected Exhibition Program?

Your exhibition will not be included in that year’s programming. However, we invite you to submit any artist talks, workshops, or other events you may be hosting in conjunction with your exhibition for listing on Capture’s website. Submissions for our Events Program will open early February 2025.

What happened to the Open Exhibition Program?

Capture is no longer running the community Open Exhibition Program (2017, 2018). For more information, please see this blog post.

What are the benefits of participating in Capture?

Capture, along with its many partners and participants, harnesses the energy collectively generated to create excitement around lens-based art for the month of April. Your exhibition and/or event will be part of a citywide celebration with the opportunity to participate in meaningful discourse about the medium.

The Capture website includes all Festival activities, including every exhibition and event, along with a handy “My Itinerary” feature that allows visitors to plan what they’d like to see and share it with friends.

The 2025 Capture Catalogue will feature Festival programming such as public art projects and exhibitions, along with editorial content. Thousands of copies are distributed around Greater Vancouver and are free of charge for festival goers. Every selected exhibition receives copies of the catalogue (number varies depending on size/accessibility of venue and availability of catalogues), as well as a Capture logo vinyl to clearly identify the exhibition is part of the Festival.

Selected Exhibitions and Participating Events receive benefits such as coverage on Capture’s social media accounts, and cross-promotion with other participating galleries and venues.

Selected Exhibitions also receive:

  • One full page in the Capture Photography Festival Catalogue, with an exhibition description and at least one image reproduction. 
  • One webpage with up to 7 images on the Festival website.
  • Opportunity to participate in Capture event programming, such as gallery hops.
  • Priority coverage through Capture’s social media channels (note that priority coverage can only be extended to programming occurring during the Festival period in April).
  • One-year Capture membership

Participating Events also receive:

  • One webpage on the Festival website.
  • Coverage through Capture’s social media channels.

All exhibitions have the opportunity to contribute events, such as artist talks, opening receptions, and exhibition tours, to the Capture program. Capture is always exploring new ways to increase community engagement with the Selected Exhibition Program and is open to suggestions. Email [email protected] with any ideas or comments.

More questions?

If you have questions that aren’t captured here, please write to [email protected].

My Itinerary

My Itinerary

Print
Type Image Title Date Location

You Have No Items in Your Itinerary

Add programming to your Capture Photography Festival Itinerary now: