Art Exposed
Hosted annually during the first week every March, Art Exposed is one of our most celebrated art exhibitions!
Art Exposed is our largest exhibition of the year, featuring artists from all over the region, from ages 4 to 104, multiple mediums, and all skill levels. We at the KAC recognize how daunting it can be to enter the local art realm, and so Art Exposed exists for just this purpose: to “expose” hundreds of artists from all walks of life to the experience of participating in a professional art show, and find their audiences within our community!
Running since 2009, Art Exposed’s approach ensures that everyone — from beginner artists to established professionals, from youth to senior — can participate. For some, it will be the first time they publicly display their work. The emphasis is not on competition (though there are prizes); Art Exposed offers community artists a chance to share their work in a professional setting, gain exposure and receive valuable feedback, taking their careers to the next level.
Artists have the opportunity to sign up for feedback from our experienced jurors. These insights often expand an artist’s creative practice, and critique is a right of passage for any emerging professional artist!
While open to all regional artists of any age, background, or skill level, Art Exposed provides an accessible opportunity to participate in a juried art show! All works which meet the submission requirements are accepted, and once the show is live, a mindfully selected jury is given time to evaluate all pieces with equal time and attention. All pieces are then scored and entered into the running of their respective category:
Art Exposed Artist Awards:
- People’s Choice Award
- Emerging Artist: 1st prize, 2D | 2nd prize, 2D
- Emerging Artist: 1st prize, 3D | 2nd prize, 3D
- Established Artist: 1st prize, 2D | 2nd prize, 2D
- Established Artist: 1st prize, 3D | 2nd prize, 3D
- Youth Artist: Best in Show: Children’s Prize | Youth Prize
Cash prizes, gift baskets, and certificates are awarded for winners of each category, along with honourable mentions for our additional hardworking artists who make our jurors’ decisions so very difficult, year after year!
Additionally, votes for our Peoples’ Choice Award are collected during our opening night gala, and are tallied and announced once the exhibit closes! The KAC will announce winners via social media, in our monthly newsletter, and of course reach out to artists directly!
Opening Night Gala; come for the snacks, stay for the experience!
Our opening night gala is a much-anticipated annual event, open to all community members. Help us celebrate our local artisans by enjoying local music and performances, catering and beverage services, and walking the Old Courthouse halls to admire the beautiful works of your fellow artisans. Bring a friend and vote for your favourite piece(s), and don’t forget to grab a snack! Roses are also available by donation for the artists in your life, yourself included!
Want to get involved?
Applications are open from December until February 15th at Midnight. (CLOSED FOR 2026)
Not a visual artist, but still want to contribute?
We are always seeking performing artists and groups for our opening night gala, as well as catering services, and of course, our KAC volunteers who keep our operations running smoothly for all to enjoy!
The KAC is so grateful to the sponsors who enable us to provide regular programming and opportunities to our creative community, such as:
- The City of Kamloops
- BC Arts Council
- B100
- Kamloops Art Party
- Art Knapps
Frequently Asked Questions:
No, you do not! While for other exhibitions and opportunities, you do need to be a member, you do not need a membership to enter Art Exposed. However, members do receive a discounted rate for their application fees and the commission rates if their works sell, so you may want to consider becoming a member.
We consider an original work to be an original concept of the artist. It is not an homage to another artist’s work, but their own original idea. For Art Exposed, it must also have been made within the last 18 months, and not previously shown. We do accept digital graphics, but we do not accept works generated with AI.
All 2D artworks must be framed (if they are photos or on paper) and they must be wired for hanging. Here is where you can find the information on how to wire your artwork. If your work is 3D, we do have plinths available, just make sure that we have everything needed for display. If your work is oversized, heavy, or complicated, we may ask you to come and set it up in the space allocated for your work.
We accept photographs, linoprints, screenprints, and digital designs as original works, as long as they haven’t been shown previously. It is also good practice to list the number of copies you plan to make of a work for sale (“2/25” means that this is the second copy of 25 copies to be produced of that work … ever).
No. Unfortunately, our system does not allow us to retrieve information from past applications to attach to current ones. This also ensures that your information is up to date, and that you are satisfied with what is presented to the public. This is the best way to keep all of your information together and ready for the exhibition, because we usually only have 2-3 weeks to prep everything from the application deadline to the opening.
Unfortunately, we will not accept incomplete applications. If we receive one with missing information, you will be informed and will have to resubmit. If you do not finish or resubmit the application by the deadline, we cannot accept your work into the exhibition. We have a very tight turnaround time, and we cannot make exceptions on this.
It is best to pay the application fee when you submit your application, but we can accept the fee as late as the drop off date for your work. If we do not receive the fee by that time, we will not show your work. If you are a non-member, we do have hardship memberships available which will give you the discounted rates members receive. Contact us about hardship memberships – info@kamloopsarts.ca
While we love how enthusiastic you are about volunteering, it is unfair to give you the chance to choose where your work goes. The staff at the KAC does their best to ensure that everyone gets at least one work in an optimal spot, but we cannot guarantee that for every work. We also have to follow our agreement with the City of Kamloops for the space (which we rent from the City), this means no nails in the walls, no stickers on the floors, or anything that can potentially damage the space or the people who visit.