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- The KAC Newsletter | July '26 Issue 2
The KAC Newsletter | July '26 Issue 2
Nominations for Mayor's Arts Awards - NOW OPEN! The Living Room Sessions, New Staff, Q(we're), Upcoming Events, and Job, Opportunity, & Grant Board Highlights!
KAC NEWS & UPDATES
Nominations for the 2026 Mayor's Arts Awards - Now Open!
The Mayor’s Arts Awards nominations are officially open! The Awards are presented to
Kingston’s artists and cultural champions in recognition of artistic excellence,
leadership, and contribution to the arts.
This program is presented by the City of Kingston in partnership with the Kingston Arts Council. There are two Award categories for nominating a deserving individual or group:
Creator AwardsRecognizing artists or artistic collectives. Three awards are given each year to honour artistic merit and/or innovation that advances the arts in Kingston, contributes to the development of the artwork, and expresses the cultural vitality of Kingston. Winners get a $2,500 cash prize, an award, and a certificate of recognition. | Arts Champion AwardCelebrating an arts leader who makes an extraordinary contribution to the arts sector and empowers its sustained growth and development. One award is given to recognize an arts worker, organization, volunteer, advocate, supporter, sponsor and/or philanthropist. Winner gets a $1,000 cash prize, an award and a certificate of recognition. |
Posthumous awards are also considered within each category, recognizing an individual who has passed and left a legacy on Kingston’s arts
community.
Residents can honour the achievements and contributions of Kingston’s arts community by submitting nominations for the Mayor’s Arts Awards in both categories. All nominees must live, study/work, or be established in the City of Kingston.
The Living Room Sessions
We’re launching a new monthly gathering for KAC Members! And the first one is all about getting hired. The Living Room Sessions are small, informal meetups designed to feel less like a workshop and more like a conversation with peers.
 | Session 1 Focus: Resumes, Portfolios, Websites, & Artist StatementsOur first session focuses on the documents artists use to get hired. Bring your resume, cover letter, portfolio, or website or just come ready to look at others and weigh in. We'll dig into what's working, what's not, and what might give you a better shot at landing the opportunities you're going for. |
Registration is free and open to artists of all disciplines. Space is limited to 10 participants. Open to current KAC members only.
Introducing our NEW Summer Program Administrator: Felicia Holmes
 | Felicia Holmes (she/they) is a half-Filipino theatre artist based in Kingston, Ontario. After graduating the Music Theatre program at both St. Lawrence College and Queen's University, she has had numerous opportunities to collaborate with local artists. You may have seen her in character onstage: 6AM Production’s Love in The First Degree as Rebecca St. Germaine, Inclusive Comedy's Sunday Night Live improv show, Blue Canoe’s High Society as Liz, or Domino’s As You Like It as Phoebe. |
Felicia produced and directed Kingston’s Bard at the Bar production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and was recently featured in the latest Coalesce residency for Cultivate Art Commons. This summer she is performing at Theatre Roulant and County Shakespeare in Prince Edward County.
As a passionate performer, Felicia is excited to foster community care and collaboration this summer as a team member of the KAC!
POCKET GALLERY
CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY: Q (we’re) by Harvey Tolentino Doniego
Date: 25 May - 17 July 2026
Location: Kingston Arts Council | Unit 115, 370 King St W, Kingston
 | Q(we’re), pronounced “queer,” is an exhibition and prose project that explores the liminality, community, and introspection of being queer. Rooted in personal and collective experience, the exhibition seeks to accentuate queer futures while provoking thought around the discourse of queerness within contemporary society. At a time when the envisioning of queer futures, culture, and community has never been more vital, Q(we’re) offers space for reflection, celebration, and radical imagination. |
EVENTS
 Union Gallery |  McBurney (Skeleton) Park |
There are always plenty of arts events happening in Kingston and the surrounding area. Check out our Arts Events Calendar to view our full list of upcoming events!
JOBS
Salesperson (Amaranth Stoneware)
Remuneration: $18.60 - $20.00/hourly
Deadline: 17 June 2026
Community Outreach & Communications Coordinator (Algonquin to Adirondacks Collaborative)
Remuneration: $20.00/hourly
Deadline: 22 June 2026
Music Foundations Teaching Artist (Sistema Kingston)
Remuneration: $32-36/hourly | Part-Time
Deadline: 26 June 2026
Education Assistant, Special Projects (Agnes Etherington Art Gallery)
Remuneration: $22.00/hourly
Deadline: 28 June 2026
Executive Director (Kingston Literacy & Skills)
Remuneration: $82,000 - $102,000
Deadline: 26 July 2026
Upper Strings Teaching Artist (Sistema Kingston)
Remuneration: $32-$36/hourly (Part-Time)
Deadline: Until Filled
Guitar or Woodwinds Teachers (Long & McQuade)
Deadline: Until Filled
Scenic Carpenter (Thousand Islands Playhouse)
Remuneration: $850/weekly | 4 May 4 - 6 September 2026. (18 Weeks)
Deadline: Until Filled
Scenic Artist (Thousand Island Playhouse)
Remuneration: $950/weekly | 18 May - 20 September 2026. (18 Weeks)
Deadline: Until Filled
OPPORTUNITIES
Vanier Artist-in-Residence (The City of Ottawa)
Deadline: 26 June 2026 | 11:59 PM EST
The Pantry Project (Michelle Reid)
Deadline: 30 June 2026
Creative Futures: Empowering Teen Artists (Tett Centre)
Deadline: 5 July 2026
I Hate Hamlet - Auditions (Domino Theatre)
Deadline: 28 & 29 June 2026
Tragically Hip Inspired Show (Art Noise)
Deadline: 31 July 2026
Call for Filmmakers: Kingston Canadian Film Festival 2027 (KCFF)
Deadline: 15 November 2026
Casting Call for Kingstonians (Visit Kingston)
Deadline: Until Filled
Call to Performers (Kingston Buskers Rendezvous)
Deadline: Until Filled
GRANTS
Below is a snapshot of upcoming grant deadlines. To view our more comprehensive and fully navigable database of grant opportunities at the local, provincial, and national levels, please visit the KAC Grants Board!
Deaf and Disability Arts: Materials for Visual Artists (Ontario Arts Council)
Deadline: 16 June | 1:00 PM
Arts Across Canada and Abroad: International Residencies (Canada Council for the Arts)
Deadline: 17 June | 11:59 PM
Chalmers Arts Fellowships (Ontario Arts Council)
Deadline: 25 June | 1:00 PM
Theatre Projects (Ontario Arts Council)
Deadline: 6 August | 1:00 PM
SUPPORT THE KAC
Love the arts? So do we!
When you support the Kingston Arts Council, you’re helping empower an arts sector that drives innovation, fuels the local economy, and enriches the lives of everyone in Katarokwi/Kingston.
Your donation – whether one-time, monthly, or annual – enables us to deliver impactful programs and services that support the artists and creatives shaping our cultural industry.
As a registered charity, we’ll provide a charitable tax receipt for your contribution. Join us in building a thriving, sustainable arts sector.
THE KINGSTON ARTS COUNCIL IS PROUDLY FUNDED BY
