The KAC Newsletter | July '26 Issue 2

Nominations for Mayor's Arts Awards - EXTENDED! Professional Development Workshop: Grant Writing for Artists, Q(we're), Upcoming Events, and Job, Opportunity, & Grant Board Highlights!

July 02, 2026

KAC NEWS & UPDATES

Nominations for the 2026 Mayor's Arts Awards - DEADLINE EXTENDED!

The Mayor’s Arts Awards nominations have been extended to July 10th! 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 Awards 

Recognizing 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 Award 

Celebrating 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.

Professional Development Workshop: Grant Writing for Artists

Don’t know where to start with grants or want to polish your grant writing skills? This Kingston Arts Council workshop, facilitated by Peter Kingstone from the Toronto Arts Council, will help you with this important skill as an Artist!

Through this workshop you’ll gain an understanding of grant questions and writing clear, concise responses that effectively communicate project ideas and capacity. Find out what jurors are looking for and how to make your application stand out. Learn how to clearly communicate your artistic practice and the project you’re producing. Define the value that your work will bring to the local community, validating your suitability for funding.

Grant writing doesn’t have to be daunting! Register today to secure your spot.

About Facilitator Peter Kingstone

Peter Kingstone is a Toronto-based visual artist and curator, working primarily in video and photography. As an independent artist, Peter’s installation pieces have been shown across Canada and internationally, and he was awarded the Untitled Artist Award in 2005 for his installation The Strange Case of peter K. (1974-2004).

Peter holds a degree in Philosophy/Cultural Studies from Trent University in Peterborough and a Masters of Fine Art focusing on video and new media from York University in Toronto.

Peter has presented at many conferences on the ideas around storytelling and social engagement. Peter started in September 2012 as the Acting Visual/Media Arts Program Manager at Toronto Arts Council.

Registration is free and open to artists of all disciplines. ASL Interpreter provided.

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

Ground Up Dance Festival
Date: 10 July 2026 | 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

A family friendly event, the Ground UP Dance Festival’s mainstage performances charm audiences with professional dance works from Toronto, Belleville, and Kingston.

Suggested donation is $10 for youth, and $15-25 for general tickets. Accessible seating is limited, but the park has accessible parking and pathways to the waterfront performance area!

Cultivate Art Commons
Date: 11 July 2026 | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Join Cultivate and Wild Bobbin for a free, two-hour sewing clinic.

Through guided instruction, attendees will be taught the most common mending techniques.

All supplies are provided, and no previous hand sewing skills are necessary.

Space is limited, so register now!

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

Communications Officer (Queen’s University)
Remuneration: $70,471.00 - $85,934.00/Annually
Deadline: 7 July 2026

Executive Director (Kingston Literacy & Skills)
Remuneration: $82,000 - $102,000
Deadline: 26 July 2026

Theatre Critic & Researcher (Kingston Theatre Alliance)
Remuneration: $21.65/hourly – Part-Time
Deadline: Rolling

Upper Strings Teaching Artist (Sistema Kingston)
Remuneration: $32-$36/hourly (Part-Time)
Deadline: Until Filled

Guitar or Woodwinds Teachers (Long & McQuade)
Deadline: Until Filled

OPPORTUNITIES

Creative Futures: Empowering Teen Artists (Tett Centre)
Deadline: 5 July 2026

Call for Expressions of Interest (Intercultural Arts Festival)
Deadline: 13 July 2026 | 5:00 PM

Tragically Hip Inspired Show (Art Noise)
Deadline: 31 July 2026

Call for Filmmakers: Kingston Canadian Film Festival 2027 (KCFF)
Deadline: 15 November 2026

Call for Filmmakers: ReelOut Queer Film Festival 2027 (ReelOut)
Deadline: 25 September 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!

Short-Term Projects (Canada Council for the Arts)
Project funding for First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals, groups and organizations for activities of up to 1 year in length.
Deadline: 22 July | 11:59 PM

Artist Entrepreneur (The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings)
Deadline: 23 July | 5:00 PM ET

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