City Issues Call to Black Artists for Black History Month Exhibition

The City of St. Catharines, in partnership with Future Black Female and Black Owned 905, is inviting Black artists from across the Niagara region to participate in a special Black History Month exhibition titled Black Histories, Black Futures.

Black Histories, Black Futures invites artists to create works that reflect the depth of Black histories in St. Catharines and beyond. Stories shaped by community-building, migration, Emancipation Day gatherings, resistance movements, and the city’s historic ties to the Underground Railroad — while imagining how these histories inform the present and inspire what comes next.

The exhibition seeks creative works that explore lived experiences, cultural expressions, and generational knowledge that have shaped Black life in Niagara, alongside visions of contemporary or future worlds where Black identity and culture are imagined in transformative ways.

This year’s exhibition coincides with the 150th anniversary of St. Catharines’ incorporation and the 30th anniversary of Black History Month in Canada. 

The exhibition will be installed at City Hall (50 Church St.), the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (250 St. Paul St.), and the St. Catharines Public Library, Central Library Branch (54 Church St.).

Important Dates

• Entry Deadline: Monday, Jan. 12, 2026
• Selected Artists Notified by Email: Monday, Jan. 19, 2026
• Artwork Delivery: Monday, Jan. 26, 2026
• Opening Reception: Monday, Feb. 2, 2026
• Exhibition Timeline: Feb. 2, 2026, to April 1, 2026

Eligibility

• Open to all Black artists, designers, and collectives, at all career stages, from across the Niagara region.
• Artworks must be original.
• Selected artworks will remain on display for the full duration of the exhibition.

There are no costs associated with entry. Selected artists will receive $213, based on the Canadian Artists’ Representation / Le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC) recommended fee schedule.

Visit www.stcatharines.ca/CallToArtists for the submission process, requirements, and guidelines.