Reduction/Relief
Call for Proposals
Project Intent
The University of Lethbridge Art Gallery invites emerging artists to apply to “Reduction/Relief” — a print media-focused research and production opportunity for recent BFA/BA-Studio graduates that will result in a group exhibition in the Fall of 2026. Participants will have access to the archive and facilities housed by the University of Lethbridge, engage with a mentor and participate in mentoring high school students, and will have optional opportunities to lead or co-lead public programming alongside the opening of the exhibition.
Five (5) emerging artists will be selected for this opportunity.
Background
“Reduction/Relief” is a mentored engagement experience that focuses on emerging artists who will benefit from research and engagement with the extensive holding of prints in the University of Lethbridge art collection. The title refers to terms found commonly in print media and speaks to the experience of emerging artists: “Reduction” draws on the loss of facilities, support, and research options that post-undergraduate artists encounter; “Relief,” therefore, denotes how providing access to specialized facilities and dialogue with mentors and peers, as well as access to the ULethbridge art collection, will encourage the production of new work.
Inspired by the layers of process evident in printmaking, the goal of this project is to generate productive ‘chatter’ — initially small yet increasingly generative connections and conversations between participants, faculty and staff.
Katie Marie Bruce will be a mentor for this project, selecting art for viewing from the collection, leading workshops in the Faculty of Fine Arts printmaking studio, and supporting artists as they develop new bodies of artwork for exhibition in the Hess Gallery under the title, Reduction/Relief (Sept 25, 2026 – January 2027). A concurrent exhibition of selected prints from the Gallery’s archive, titled Resource/Resist, will be displayed in the satellite site, the Helen Christou Gallery.
Artists will be paid a research and materials fee at the beginning of the project as well as an exhibition fee when the exhibition opens in September, 2026. Please see the Project Timeline and Budget below for full details.
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to emerging artists who have completed their BFA/BA in Studio since 2020 and who have a close connection to the Lethbridge area/ Treaty 7 Territory. The degree does not need to have been completed at the University of Lethbridge, and those with suitable alternative experience in printmaking may also apply provided the regional relationship exists. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in printmaking and discuss this in their Expression of Interest letter and through their provided portfolio of images. Those currently in their undergraduate studies are not eligible.
For the purposes of this call, “emerging artists” are defined as not having participated in any solo exhibition experiences in a main gallery exhibition space, nor grant writing success with the AFA, Canada Council, or other regionally specific granting bodies, nor be in or have completed an MFA. They may have had work featured in group exhibitions or in small solo exhibition spaces, such as the Platform space at Casa.
Due to the nature of the opportunity, artists will need to have prior, demonstrated experience with printmaking; additional technical experience and support will be provided throughout the mentored weeks.
Project Considerations
This is an in-person opportunity, which will allow emerging artists to engage with the ULethbridge art collection as well as access the printmaking facilities at the University of Lethbridge in the pursuit of creating new work that is archive-led and responsive to the art collection. Artists interested in participating in this project will therefore need to either already reside in the Lethbridge area or be able to source their own accommodations during the engagement period and be willing to engage with independent research regarding the prints in the collection. A mileage stiped for driving from Kainai or Pikani reserves, or a rural area, will be available to those who meet the requirement.
Artists will benefit from mentorship engagement throughout the two intensive weeks in June, with a minimum of 4 studio visits during the intensive. They will also be connected with public programming and other activities throughout the project timeline. The ability to take time away from other commitments will ensure a dedicated residency-like experience, and will allow for the creation of new work that is specific in the engagement with the collection of print holdings.
All participants will be required to sign a liability waiver in order to work in the studio spaces at the University of Lethbridge, and will enter into a letter of engagement with the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery. They will also be provided with a Health and Safety Orientation and will then have studio access for the duration of the in-person engagement. They will have full access to both the primary Printmaking Studio (L804) as well as the Screenprinting Studio (W844). Copper plate etching, drypoint, wood and lino relief printing, as well as screen printing, hybridized prints, and non-traditional means of edition production will all be available for artists with prior experience in each sub-category.
Project Budget
Material Fees: $600
Research Fees: $1,000
Exhibition Fees: $1,000
Programming Fees: if artists participate in delivering public programming, they will be paid a fee commensurate with the scope of their work.
Project Timeline
March 16, 2026: Expression of Interest Call closes and submissions are due
April 2026: Notification of selections sent
June 8 – 19, 2026: Mentored engagement period and production time
September 2026: Exhibition opening and public programming
Evaluation Process
Evaluations will be reviewed by Josephine Mills, Director/Curator of the University of Art Gallery and Katie Marie Bruce, Instructor and Mentor for the project.
Evaluations will be reviewed and adjudicated on the following basis:
- Expression of Interest Letter (30%): A discussion of the applicant’s relationship to Lethbridge/Treaty 7 territory and discussion of their interest in the project
- V. and Bio (20%)
- Portfolio of images (40%): A minimum of 5 and no more than 10 images of relevant print media work, along with a corresponding image list that includes titles, dates, media, size, and a short, annotated description of the project (no more than 100 words per image).
- Completeness of application (10%)
Submission Process
Applications should be formatted into a single PDF.
Applications should be sent to josephine.mills@uleth.ca no later than Monday, March 16 at 11:59pm. Late applications will not be considered.