The KAC Newsletter | May '26 Issue 1

The Job Opportunity! One Week Left for CKAF 2026 Applications! Also, Dipping Lace into Honey Exhibit, Upcoming Events, and Job, Opportunity, & Grant Board Highlights!

May 01, 2026

KAC NEWS & UPDATES

Applications for the Program Administrator Role Close Soon!

The Kingston Arts Council is looking for a Program Administrator to join our team this summer.

Deadline: May 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET

This is a 16-week, full-time contract ($20/hr) starting on June 22! It’s a great entry point into arts administration in Kingston. You’ll be working on our Membership Program, helping coordinate events, managing communications, and supporting Katarokwi/Kingston’s arts sector.

To be considered you must be eligible for the Canada Summer Jobs Program: you’ll need to be between 15–30 years old, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and have a valid SIN.

If you’re community-minded, organized, and genuinely excited about the arts sector, we’d love to hear from you!

Less than a Week left to Apply for CKAF 2026 Operating & Festival Grants

The KAC is accepting applications for the City of Kingston Arts Fund (CKAF) 2026 Operating Grants and the newly developed Festival Grants.

Application Deadline

Applications for CKAF 2026 Operating Grants and Festival Grants are due Thursday, 7 May 2026 by 11:59 PM ET.

Operating Grants

Operating Grants support the operations, programs, and/or services of a wide range of non-profit arts organizations (professional, semi-professional, and emerging) in Kingston.

Operating Grants range from $10,000–$65,000. 

Festival Grants

Festival Grants support the production, presentation, and operations of arts festivals that have a city-wide impact.

This program has two categories: Established Festivals and Emerging Festivals. 

Festival Grants range from $10,000–$55,000 for Established Festivals and $10,000–$20,000 for Emerging Festivals.

POCKET GALLERY

ON DISPLAY: Dipping Lace into Honey by Peggy Fussell

Date: 23 March - 15 May 2026
Location: Kingston Arts Council | Unit 115, 370 King St W, Kingston

Dipping Lace into Honey is an intimate installation of handmade lace, honey, beeswax, and animation by Peggy Fussell. Using a crocheted doily made by her great-grandmother as a pattern, Fussell creates new doilies and lace trims, then dips these pieces into honey and beeswax to create stop-motion animations. These animations are then projected onto and through the lace and handmade prints.

Closing Reception

Friday, 15 May 2026, 5:00 - 7:00 PM
The Pocket Gallery | Unit 115 - 370 King Street West, Kingston
Free & Open to All

Dipping Lace into Honey is an intimate installation of handmade lace, honey, beeswax, and animation by Peggy Fussell.

Using a crocheted doily made by her great-grandmother as a pattern, Fussell creates new doilies and lace trims, then dips these pieces into honey and beeswax to create stop-motion animations. These animations are then projected onto and through the lace and handmade prints.

During the closing reception, meet artist Peggy Fussel, discuss her works and inspirations. Sit with the artistry that gets passed down through patient hands and experience the lessons that are slow and warm and sticky, that stay with you long after you've left the room.

EVENTS

Kingston Baroque Consort
Date: 8 May 2026 | 5:15 PM

The Kingston Baroque Consort presents the final concert in its fifth season, “Baroque Celebration Feast!”, on Friday 8 May, 5:15pm at St. James Church (10 Union St, Kingston).

The highlight of the spectacular season finale will be the great Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 by J.S. Bach, along with the Prelude to Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Te Deum (featuring timpanist Edward Reiffel, and trumpeters Paul Sanvidotti and Jennifer Day), Pavel Josef Vejvanovský’s XXV Balletti per il Carnevale, and the joyous Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by G.F. Handel.

AWEC
Date: 10 May 2026 | 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Join the Tett Centre this Mother’s Day for a curated pop-up market, featuring incredible female-owned brands and local makers.

From handcrafted gifts to unique finds you won’t see anywhere else, it’s the perfect place to shop with intention and treat the moms (and mother figures) in your life.

Make it a day out! Shop, connect, and celebrate the power of women supporting women.

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

Program Administrator (Kingston Arts Council)
Remuneration: $20/hourly | 16-week contract
Deadline: 3 May 2026 | 11:59 PM

Communications Specialist (The Tett Centre)
Remuneration: $20.00/hourly
Deadline: 5 May 2026 | 11:59 PM

Arts and Program Administrator (The Tett Centre)
Remuneration: $20.00/hourly
Deadline: 5 May 2026 | 11:59 PM

Festival Coordinator (Ground Up Dance Festival)
Remuneration: $20.00/hourly
Deadline: 8 May 2026 | 5:00 PM

Associate Producer (Kick & Push Festival)
Remuneration: $22.20/hourly
Deadline: 8 May 2026 | 11:59 PM

Administrative Assistant (Kingston Writers Fest)
Ideal Start Date: 11 May 2026

Marketing and Community Development Coordinator (Boys & Girls Club)
Remuneration: $21.00/hourly
Deadline: 12 May 2026

Administrative and Communications Coordinator (Sistema Kingston)
Remuneration: $53,593.00 - $65,358.00/annually
Deadline: 19 May 2026

Digital Marketing Specialist (Kingston Writers Fest)
Ideal Start Date: 1 June 2026

Tailor (Imperial Sewing & Tailoring)
Remuneration: $20/hourly | Part-Time & Full-Time
Deadline: Until Filled

Cello/Woodwinds/Voice/Piano 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

Call for Musicians:
Musicians, Songwriters, and Choral Leaders (Kingston Pop Choir)
Deadline: 1 May 2026

Call for Tenant Applications:
Creativity Studios C & F (Tett Centre for Creativity & Learning)
Deadline: 3 May 2026 | 11:59 PM

Call for Queer Youth Applications:
Kaleidoscope - Youth Art Show (Artery Gallery)
Deadline: 14 May 2026 | 11:59 PM

Call for Filmmaker Applications:
Doc Factory (Kingston Canadian Film Festival)
Deadline: 15 May 2026 | 11:59 PM

Call for Filmmaker Applications:
18MM Program (Kingston Canadian Film Festival)
Deadline: 15 May 2026 | 11:59 PM

Call for Residency Applications:
Women's Artist Residency (Studio Retreat)
Deadline: 15 May 2026

Call for Submissions:
Ravel 2026 - Inaugural Textile Art Exhibition (Melt Studio & Gallery)
Deadline: 17 May 2026

Call for Submissions:
Mariner's Park Arrow Trail (Prince Edward County Arts Council)
Deadline: 29 May 2026 | 4:00 PM

Call for Proposals:
Wilkinson Memorial Park Mural Project (Prince Edward County Arts Council)
Deadline: 29 May 2026 | 4:00 PM

Call for Tenant Applications:
Rental Galleries (Melt Studio + Gallery)
Deadline: 1 December 2026

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!

Artist Development Program (Factor)
Deadline: 7 May

Visual Artists Creation Projects (Ontario Arts Council)
Deadline: 13 May | 1:00 PM

Collective Initiatives (Factor)
Deadline: 14 May

Publishing Marketing and Discoverability Fund (Ontario Creates)
Deadline: 1 June | 5:00 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