Group Exhibition-Open Call
Eve Johnson | National accessArts Centre
Deadline to apply: January 9, 2026
Have you ever made a mistake? Have you ever loved the place a creative misstep led you to?
Have you ever felt possessed by an otherworldly being when you make art?
Are you anti-perfection? Are you trying to become an anti-perfectionist?
Have you made something that turned out horrible, but then your friend’s aunt actually really liked it?
Are you weird?
Do you use materials in an unconventional way?
Does your creative process embrace radical risk taking?
Did people in art school make fun of you?
Do you feel compelled to make strange objects?
If any (or all) of these questions apply to you, curator Eve Johnson invites you to apply for the group exhibition, No Mistakes: A Show About Experimental Art. In partnership with National accessArts Centre, Eve Johnson will bring together the strange and the curious in a celebration of mistakes and risk-taking.
About the Curator
Eve M Johnson is a curator working in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Her journey into the art world was unusual. She began making art at an early age, exploring creation throughout her childhood. As an adult, she attended the Alberta University of The Arts. This was not meant to be and she left soon after, but developed strong skills in thinking and speaking about art. She also developed a passion for unusual art that was overlooked by mainstream arts institutions, often preferring the art of students who got bad grades in her classes.
In 2021, Eve Joined the National Access Arts Center, and once again her liberal arts skills stood out. She quickly was invited to discussions with international arts organizations. These organizations dealt with disability, outsider, and marginal art. She expanded her passion for overlooked artists and their work. She attended both the 2022 and 2024 beginning conferences , and was a speaker at the 2024 event. Currently, Eve is an advisory board member at the Illingworth Kerr gallery. She is thrilled at working to curate her very first show!
This exhibition welcomes artists who:
- Work in any medium
- Are 16 years of age or older
- Are in any stage of their career
Note: Priority will be given to artists working in Calgary and surrounding areas.
Important Dates
- Submissions open October 8, 2025
- Deadline to apply is January 9, 2026
- Applicants will be contacted by February 19, 2026
- Exhibition opens March – July 2026 (exact dates TBD)
How to Apply
- Submit your application via email to submissions@accessarts.ca.
- Submit written responses in a single PDF document.
- You may submit a video application (up to 5 minutes) instead of a written response.
- Submit artwork or video files via WeTransfer to submissions@accessarts.ca.
For guidance on how to submit using WeTransfer click here.
In your application, please include the following:
- Artist Bio (2 – 4 sentences) briefly describing who you are as an artist.
- Artist Statement (8 – 10 sentences) describing the art that you make. You can include why you make the art, how you make the art, how you feel when you make art, and any art research that goes into your creative process.
- Short Description (6 – 8 sentences) of your experience with one of questions in the ‘About the Exhibition’ section.
- Up to ten images of your artwork or up to 3 minutes of a video work sample.
- Please name your artwork files with the following format: Artist name, Artwork name, date, materials, dimension or duration.
If you have questions, please contact submissions@accessarts.ca.
