YouthWorks Exhibition

Submissions to YouthWorks is open to artists aged 13 – 18 years, providing an opportunity for emerging creatives to showcase their work in a professional gallery setting. The exhibition aims to support young people in developing confidence, artistic voice, and connection to the wider arts community.

Young artists are invited to submit artworks that explore ideas important to them. All styles and approaches are welcome, including painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media, photography, printmaking, and other contemporary practices.

Selected works will be displayed at the Leighton Art Centre, allowing participants to experience the process of exhibiting in a public gallery and to share their work with family, friends, and the broader community.

This exhibition celebrates not only artistic skill, but curiosity, courage, and creative expression. We look forward to presenting the next generation of artists and the powerful ideas they bring to the gallery space.

Sale + Pricing Info Sheet

Teacher Info Sheet

Call for Submissions Printable Poster

Submission Info:

Leighton Art Centre’s YouthWorks 2026 will exhibit August 29 – October 25, 2026.

Important Dates:

May 1: Submission form opens (10 am MST)
July 24: Deadline to submit (4 pm MST)
July 29: Selected artists are notified of acceptance
July 30 – August 9: Delivery of accepted pieces to Leighton Art Centre

Submission Guidelines

Maximum 2 pieces submitted per artist.
Artists must be between the ages of 13-18 and receive parent/guardian consent for inclusion of their name/work in the exhibition.
Artworks in all mediums are accepted, including but not limited to painting, textiles, drawing, sculpture, photography, video.
Collaborative artworks are accepted. Please list all artists involved in the Artist Contact Information section below.
There is no size limit for submitted pieces, but please keep in mind that the exhibition will be curated with available gallery space in mind.
Please check all your artwork information carefully before submitting. We are dealing with large quantities of data and will have very limited capacity to fix any errors. No art substitutions, title or price changes will be accepted after the submission has been received.
Participating youth artists will have the opportunity to sell their artwork during the exhibition. If artwork is for sale, we ask that the youth artist & parent/guardian sign an artwork sale release form – this will be sent out to selected participants. We recommend valuing artworks between $50 – $300. Anything over $500 needs to be approved by LAC. You will be notified of this approval in your Letter of Acceptance. LAC has the right to reject any unreasonable valuation.
Artworks must be available from August 29 to October 25, 2026.
To reduce financial barriers for young artists, we are proud to work with Framed on Fifth to offer free framing to chosen submissions of unframed works on paper
- While youth artists are welcome to submit a work on paper that is framed, we do not want the expense of framing to prevent artists from applying. If you plan on submitting an unframed work on paper, please ensure that the paper size is either 10 x 10 inches or 11 x 14 inches to be eligible for free framing if selected to be included in the exhibition.

Special thank you to Framed on Fifth for providing framing for this exhibition!

YouthWorks 2026 Application

"*" indicates required fields

Artist Information

Youth Artist's Name*

First Last

Youth Artist's Age*

Participants must be between the ages of thirteen and eighteen at time of submission

Artist's Name for Exhibition Materials*

How should we refer to the artist, as a minor, in our public materials? i.e. John Smith as "John", "John Smith," "John S.," "J. S.," etc.

Parent/Guardian Name*

First Last

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Parent/Guardian Name*

First

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Untitled

Parent/Guardian Email*

Parent/Guardian Phone*

Parent/Guardian Address*

Street Address Address Line 2 City Province Postal Code

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Facebook Link

Professional/public facing page only.

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Instagram Handle

Professional/public facing account only.

Youth Artist Bio & Statement*

Please include a short bio and/or artist statement (max 250 words).

Art Submission

Each artist may submit up to 2 pieces for consideration. Please submit high quality, high resolution photographs; accepted pieces may be included in an exhibition catalogue and/or featured on our online shopping website using your submitted photographs. File names MUST include the artist’s name and the piece’s title (or easily identified partial title).

Artwork Images (1 image per piece)*

Please submit high-quality images of your work. For wall art, take the photo straight on, in good lighting without glare or shadows. For fine craft, sculpture or 3D works, use a minimal/plain background. File names must include the artist’s name and the piece’s title (or easily identified partial title) – e.g. Johnson_Mary_In_The_Field.jpg.

Drop files here or

Accepted file types: jpg, gif, png, jpeg, Max. file size: 5 MB, Max. files: 2.

Artwork Details*

Please fill out a row for each piece submitted. Fill in every field in each row. Use N/A for fields that don't apply (e.g. Support or Framing questions for a clay piece). Click the ⨁ BUTTON at the end of the row to add your next piece.

TITLE (exact spelling & capitilization)

MEDIUM (e.g. acrylic, oil, photo, clay)

DIMENSIONS (H x W" e.g. 12 x 8")

SUPPORT (e.g. canvas, board, paper)

FRAMED (F), FRAMED W/ GLASS (FG) or UNFRAMED (U)?

PRICE (e.g. 175; enter 'NFS' if piece is Not For Sale)

Artwork Information*

Please describe the artworks you’re submitting. Tell us when and how they were made and/or what inspired or influenced them. What makes this artwork meaningful to you? What makes it meaningful to others? Note: part or all of the information included here may be included on the artwork's label in the exhibition.

Conditions of Participation

Images of artwork and/or artist’s name may be used for publicity or educational purposes.
For pieces offered for sale, the Leighton Art Centre commission for this exhibition is 60%/40%. Artist consignor’s commission is 60%. Artist consignors are to be paid within 60 business days after sale of artwork via secure online payment.
Any submitted piece must be available for display from August 29 to Ocotober 25, 2026.

Consent to Conditions of Participation*

By checking this box, you agree to the above listed conditions.