Call for Submissions
Our next call starts
April 1, 2023
Be sure to subscribe for updates about future calls.
Festival Starts: Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 14, 2023
Last Day: Sunday, December 17, 2023
This page will be updated with new information soon.
Opening Reception and installation shots from the 2016 exhibition: Cosmic Geometry
We're excited to see your new work!
Artists from around the world are invited to submit bodies of work, installations or individual pieces to the festival. The curators will draw from the pool of submissions to create different thematic group exhibitions. We also mount dozens of solo shows. We are open to submissions of work made since Jan. 2019 to April 2023.
Something that's different about World of Threads is that we let the art guide us. Festival Curators Gareth Bate and Dawne Rudman don't have predetermined curatorial ideas or impose their concepts on the artists. Each new festival is a blank slate. Shows develop entirely out of the submissions received. To find our main exhibitions, we look for connections and common themes between thousands of artworks. These works having been made by hundreds of artists from around the world. Often artists seem to be on the same wavelength during a particular period. Over time, through many hours of sorting through artworks, the exhibitions themes just emerge and become clear to us. All artworks are made within the last two years before the show. This method has been very successful and has resulted in compelling and unique exhibitions.
Festival 2023 will be focused around Queen Elisabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. In addition to the beautiful gallery, we will also be using the Display Area Gallery, the Corridor Galleries, lobby and open public spaces of the entire facility.
Your work may be for sale and we will try to sell it. There will be a 40% commission on any sales.
Three Options for Submitting
Body of Work – Maximum 10 pieces + details.
Individual Pieces – Maximum 10 pieces + details.
Installations – Maximum 10 images + details and renderings.
Installation shots from the 2014 exhibition: The Red & The Black
Festival Background
The World of Threads Festival is a leading international showcase of contemporary fibre and textile art. We are a not-for-profit initiative with charitable status run by a couple of dedicated volunteers. The Festival is ambitious and constantly expanding into new territory. We believe that some of the most exciting and compelling artwork being made today is happening in the field of fibre arts. Through our initiatives we have discovered some remarkable artists and brought them to the attention of Canadian and international audiences.
We began in Oakville, Ontario in 1994 as a single exhibition, expanding to a full festival in 1998 and becoming international in 2009. Festival 2016 had 315 artworks by 134 artists from 23 countries. The festival draws visitors from across the region and internationally and has featured work submitted by hundreds of artists from around the world. Festival 2016 attracted more than 60,000 visitors. In 2015 Dawne Rudman and Gareth Bate won the Oakville Arts Council 2015 Community Impact Arts Award, for bringing global attention to Oakville and elevating the fibre/textile art form around the world.
Our website has become a central hub for lovers of fibre art with our Fibre Artist Interviews series. We currently have a following in 95 countries. To date we have conducted over 135 interviews with Canadian and international artists. We encourage you to spend some time on our website to see what we have done in the past. For some examples of previous artists and exhibitions look under Artwork or check out our Artist Interviews and Curator Interviews. We are working on getting the albums up from the last festival.
Previous festivals have featured artists from: Countries: Austria, Australia Belgium, Canada, Channel Islands, China, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Guernsey, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine, USA.
Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.
Installation shots from the 2012 exhibition: Quiet Zone
What Counts as Fibre Art?
That's a good question. Fibre art is incredibly diverse and our definition is continuously shifting. We’re open-minded. Our website has hundreds of examples of fibre artwork located under Artist Interviews and Artwork. Generally fibre art is made from perishable materials that use traditional techniques that include, stitchery, tapestry and papermaking.
We have exhibited a huge variety of techniques and media including sculpture, installation, earth works, paper work, quilting, weaving, conceptual work, hooking, knitting, embroidery, lace making, crocheting, felting, coiling, mixed media, soft sculpture, wearable art, basketry, recycling materials.
However, more and more artists are using synthetic materials or materials that have nothing to do with fibre but use sewing or weaving techniques. We call that “fibre inspired” and we're totally open to experimental approaches. This is a term we coined to encompass artworks that use the techniques, forms, aesthetic or history of fibre arts but are not made from traditional soft or perishable fibre materials, e.g. bronze, paint and plastic manipulation. We can't take exhibit video work or performance. We did an entire show based on "Fibre Inspired". (See Memento mori exhibition),What Doesn’t Count as Fibre Art?
We would probably not include works on paper that are essentially drawing or painting, unless the paper itself is somehow being manipulated or it depicts a fibre effect. If you are unsure if your work counts as ‘fibre or textile art’ please contact the Festival Chair: Dawne Rudman.
Installation shots from the 2016 exhibition: Late in the Season and 2014 exhibition: Solo Shows and Installations.
Galleries for 2023
Queen Elizabeth Park Community & Cultural Centre, Oakville
- The Gallery: This beautiful space is our principle gallery. We will be mounting a major group exhibition based on the submissions we receive.
- The Display Area: This large open gallery can be used for wall works, sculptural pieces and installations.
- The Corridor Galleries: We will again be mounting solo shows in the Corridor Galleries. This is why we are encouraging artists to submit full bodies of work. We plan to dedicate entire hallways to individual artists.
- Public Spaces: The facility has many open public spaces where we plan to exhibit installation work.
Curators:
Chair & Festival Curator: Dawne Rudman
Festival Curator: Gareth Bate
Installation shots from the 2016 exhibition: Cosmic Geometry
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Oakville?
Oakville is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is situated 40 km west of Toronto on Lake Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. Oakville has a population of 182,500 and is well served by public transit to and from Toronto. It has a small but solid arts community. The World of Threads Festival is one of the most important events in the town. We hire buses to bring art lovers from Toronto out to Oakville during the festival.
Downtown Oakville on Google Street View
Oakville Harbour on Google Street View
- How do I get updates about the Festival?
Subscribe Here. - How many submissions do you get?
On average we receive about 300 submissions each festival. - If I exhibited last time can I get in again?
Absolutely. We have many returning artists. - If I didn't get in last time, do I have a chance this time?
Yes. If you submit new work we will be looking with fresh eyes. - Can I submit more than one application?
Yes, you can submit as many as you want. - Do you have opening receptions?
Yes! We have had hundreds of guests attend our openings, including many from across Canada and around the world. Many of our participating artists (including international) attend the Festival. We also have buses that we rent to drive people from Toronto. - Can I sell my artwork?
Yes. There is a 40% commission on all festival sales. - Is the artwork insured while on display?
Yes. All work displayed at Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre is insured while on the premises. - Do you pay artist fees?
No. We don't have the money to pay artist fees. We don't have the revenue of a gallery and the grant we recieve pays for the basics of running the festival. - Do you give assistance to artists to attend the Festival?
No. There's no way we could afford to do that. Artists attending pay their own way. Some have applied for travel grants from their regions. - Why do you charge a submission fee?
Running the festival involves paying for exhibition space, promotional materials, professional installers, installation materials, liability insurance for the galleries, sponsored buses, opening reception, photography, graphic design, web design to name a few. We need to charge submission fees to make this event happen. We do a massive amount of work on behalf of the artists. - Do you accept submissions of video/film/sound/performance work related to fibre?
Unfortunetly no. We don't have the tech capacity to exhibit video/film/sound works. Performance doesn't work within this context. - What is an Artist Statement?
An Artist Statement is a description of your artwork and art practice. You are telling the story of your artwork. We highly encourage you not to fill your artist statement with artspeak. Just be yourself. Write in first person. - What is the difference between a Bio and a CV?
A CV is a chronological listing of your career achievements. A bio is a narrative outlining your career path, purpose for making art, etc. Some of the information is the same, but it is presented as a narrative. It should be written in the third person. - Will you acknowledge my submission and payment?
Yes, give us about a week to sort through the submissions and we will let you know that we received everything. - When will I know if I've been accepted or not?
We will tell you as soon as we've made decisions. We're committed to getting the selections finished by the end of June. - Will I get feedback on my submission?
We don't offer feedback about work or submissions. We will tell you if you didn’t get in because the work didn’t fit within the themes the curators came up with.
Click to Get Updates
Installation shots from the 2016 exhibition: Cosmic Geometry
How to Submit
Three Options for Submitting
Body of Work – Maximum 10 pieces + details.
Individual Pieces – Maximum 10 pieces + details.
Installations – Maximum 10 images + details and renderings.
Eligibility
We are open to artists from all countries.
All artwork must have been made after Jan. 2019.
All work must be available for exhibition during the entire Festival and the two weeks prior and after these dates for installation and take down.
No entry can be withdrawn from the exhibition once it has been accepted. All work must be original – No patterns or commercial kits are acceptable.
Artists cover the cost of shipping.
Festival 2012: Memento Mori exhibition. Sheridan Gallery is not a 2018 venue.
Submission Fee: $60
The submission fee covers our costs and time for processing the submissions and helps us run the festival. This fee covers a maximum of ten pieces (10 full images and 10 details) or 1 installation. If you would like to submit an additional round of pieces or another installation, you may do another submission by paying an addition $60. Submission fees are non-refundable.
Why we have a submission fee:
The World of Threads Festival as a whole is organized by three dedicated volunteers and people paid for specialized services. We do a massive amount of work on behalf of the artists. It's a not-for-profit organization. Because we don’t have the revenue of a gallery we need to charge submission fees to make this event happen. We don't have the money to pay artist fees. Running the festival involves paying for exhibition space, promotional materials, professional installers, installation materials, liability insurance for the galleries, sponsored buses, opening reception, to name a few. We receive a small grant that helps to cover our annual costs and few donations but they are not sufficient to run an international art festival.
Click Here to Submit:
Pay Submission Fee
Methods of Payment:
PayPal: To pay via PayPal click below:
Note: The PayPal button says, “donate” – this is because we are a not for profit organization.
Awesome! We look forward to seeing your new work!
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Do you have questions?
First check our Frequently Asked Questions.
Email Dawne Rudman: dawne@worldofthreadsfestival.com