• Photographers may submit up to 2 photographs for consideration. 

• JPG images must be sized between 300 and 500 DPI and labeled as follows: Artist’s Last Name_Artwork Title_Today’s Date.jpg 

• • i.e. Robinson_ Pastoral Grace_March 10 2026 

• Files/photographs must be sized to 12” x 16”. This is to ensure the photograph is printed at the correct size and will fit in the frames we provide.  

• Photographers may only submit original works they have the rights to. 

• Photographers may only submit photographs of subjects/models who have signed a photo release. You may be asked to provide the subject/model photo release as a condition of acceptance. 

• Photographers must complete the entry form and submit their photographs to the Dropbox link provided.  

• All entries must be submitted in digital .jpg format. 

• Selected photographs will be professionally printed, all printing costs are covered by the Museum of Dufferin. Final results (colour, contrast, etc.) is at the discretion of the Museum of Dufferin staff.  

• Selected photographs will be framed in a simple black frame with a white/cream mat. All frames and mats are provided by the Museum of Dufferin.  

• There are no exceptions to points 1 and 2 above. 

• Files must be sized to 12” x 16”. There will be a slight 1/4″ inch overlap with the mat, photographers must size their photos accordingly. 

• Copyright remains with the photographer, all files are deleted and prints destroyed at the completion of the show.  

• If you do not size your photograph to the above specifications, Museum of Dufferin staff will size the photograph on your behalf. This may result in cropping of the content. After acceptance, if it is determined your photograph is not the correct resolution or size, the Museum of Dufferin reserves the right to cancel the photographers acceptance. 

AWARDS

Awards will be presented during the opening reception for the exhibition on Saturday, May 30, 2026:   

• Best in Show – $350.00 and Award Certificate   

• Juror’s Choice – $250.00 and Award Certificate   

• Emerging Artist Award: $200.00 and Award Certificate    

• Student Artist Award: $100.00 and Award Certificate    

*Emerging Artist Award: Must be 17 years or older and currently enrolled as a student in College or University to qualify for the Emerging Artist Award. Proof of enrollment may be required. 

*Youth Artist Award: Must be 17 years or younger and currently enrolled as a student in Primary or Secondary School to qualify for the Youth Award. Proof of enrollment may be required. 

JURYING PROCESS

Applications and photographs will be presented to staff and jurors; all applications go through a three-step jurying process:    

Step 1: Museum of Dufferin curatorial staff first review applications for completeness, connection/relevance to the theme, and overall quality of work to ensure they align with exhibition standards and museum policies before being presented to the external jury. Some applications may not advance beyond this stage.   

Step 2: The artwork will be juried by an external panel of peer assessors. Our jurors are photographers, artists and Dufferin County community members. Jurors make their top selections independently in writing and then submit their results to Museum of Dufferin curatorial staff for tallying. Museum of Dufferin curatorial staff act as administrators during this step.    

Step 3: The jury meets in a committee setting, facilitated by Museum of Dufferin curatorial staff, to discuss and evaluate submissions with a focus on the following:   

• Museum of Dufferin Staff provide the tallied results to the jurors   

• Jurors may ask questions for additional context or clarification   

• Consensus on the final artist selection is reached by the end of the meeting   

• Discussion and selection of award winners   

The Curator and Museum Services Manager provide final approval of the panels’ decisions.    

The Jurors consider the following when choosing pieces for the exhibition: quality of work, variety, personal reflection/connection to the theme, and space limitations.  

Quality of Work  

Technique   

• • Technical control of exposure, focus, and depth of field  

• • Effective use of lighting (natural or artificial)  

• • Appropriate use of post-processing  

 Composition & Design   

• • Effective use of framing, perspective, balance, and visual flow  

• • Strong organization of elements within the frame  

• • Thoughtful use of colour, tone, contrast, texture, and line  

• • Cropping choices that strengthen the image  

 Execution / Craftsmanship   

• • High image quality and resolution  

• • Clean editing with no distractions (dust spots, pixelation) or over-processing (unless it is an artistic choice)

 Concept & Artistic Intent   

• • Clarity of idea, theme, or narrative  

• • Originality and creative vision  

• • Emotional impact  

Variety  

• • If many submissions of a similar subject are received, they cannot all be accepted. We aim to offer a wide variety of styles, techniques and subjects in this exhibition.     

 Space Limitations  

• • Applications may be declined because of space restrictions. Up to 30 photographs can be displayed in the Silo Gallery.

 Personal Reflection  

• • As a museum that focuses on sharing stories, your personal reflection is an important part of your submission. Do not leave this section blank in your submission form – tell us the story behind your photograph and how it connects to the theme.  

“When people can see themselves reflected in cultural institutions, they feel a greater sense of ownership and connection.” – Nina Simon (The Participatory Museum)  

Due to the high volume of applications, the Museum of Dufferin and jurying panel are not able to provide individual feedback after the jurying process. Our jurors dedicate their limited time to thoughtfully reviewing each submission, ensuring their expertise is focused on evaluation rather than written commentary. Acceptance/decline notification will be communicated via email.   

INSTALLATION 

The exhibition will be installed by the Museum of Dufferin Curatorial Staff. Display and layout are determined by the staff.  

Labels will be created for each piece in-house, which will include the photographer’s name, title of the piece, website/social media information, price and one paragraph from the “personal reflection” section of the submission form.  

If your work is selected for the exhibition, the information used for the exhibition labels and marketing materials with be sourced DIRECTLY from your submission form. Please ensure titles, names, spelling, etc. are accurate before submitting.  

SALES 

If you wish to have your piece for sale, an additional $45 (the cost of the photo print and frame) must be included in your sale price. This amount is recouped by the Museum of Dufferin. The Museum of Dufferin takes 25% commission (plus HST).  

Works that are not available for purchase must be clearly designated as “NFS” (Not For Sale). Once the exhibition has opened, sale prices cannot be changed unless the price posted was an error on the MoD’s behalf. If an artist has sent the wrong prices, they will have to honour those prices once the exhibition has opened to the public. 

• Each vendor is responsible for indicating whether you charge HST on the sale of your photograph. In your application form you must indicate whether you are a registrant that DOES remit HST to the federal government or if you are a registrant/non-registrant that DOES NOT remit HST to the federal government. It is the responsibility of the applicant to comply with all HST and tax regulations.

Option A:  

• If the owner/vendor of the item is a registrant (and they DO remit HST to the federal government), then the following applies to their items:
• The owner is responsible to include the HST in the price of their sale item
• The Museum of Dufferin will NOT charge additional HST at point of sale
• The Museum of Dufferin WILL charge HST on the 25% commission we gain from the sale, BUT only on the pre-tax amount of their items.

Option B:  

• If the owner/vendor of the item is a registrant/non registrant (and they DO NOT remit HST to the federal government), then the following applies to their items:
• The owner does NOT include the HST in the price of their sale item.
• The Museum of Dufferin DOES charge HST at point of sale as the sale item is required to be taxed.
• The Museum of Dufferin remits the HST to the Federal Government with our regular HST claim.
• The Museum of Dufferin WILL charge HST on the 25% commission we gain from the sale, BUT only on the pre-tax amount of their items.

OTHER

The Museum of Dufferin staff will provide promotional material to accepted artists for social media distribution (sized for Instagram and Facebook). 

OUR VALUES 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are priorities for the Museum of Dufferin. We believe it’s important to integrate these principles into the services we deliver. We continue to take steps to ensure marginalized and underrepresented groups are represented at the museum.   

“Equity is a principle and process that promotes fair conditions for all persons to fully participate in society. It recognizes that while all people have the right to be treated equally, not all experience equal access to resources, opportunities or benefits. Achieving equality does not necessarily mean treating individuals or groups in the same way, but may require the use of specific measures to ensure fairness.” – Canada Council for the Arts 

The MoD is an inclusive and safe space for all. The MoD will not allow the display of photographs that are deemed offensive or harmful.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

If my photograph is selected for the exhibition, I hereby give permission to the Museum of Dufferin (MoD) to take and use photographs and video recordings of my material and/or of this exhibition for marketing and promotional purposes. Examples of use are, but are not limited to, submissions to print publications (with written consent from the photographer), posting on the MoD website and posting to MoD social media sites. I hereby release the County of Dufferin, MoD and its employees, and/or volunteers from all claims resulting from the use, editing and release of any of the above-mentioned material with respect to this.   

Photographers, artists and their representatives agree to act in a professional and respectful manner with fellow participants, staff, volunteers, and visitors. Failure to abide by any of the rules or regulations or to act in a professional manner may result in expulsion from the Juried Photography Show. 

Applicants who have not submitted all required pieces of the application by the time of jurying will be disqualified from consideration. 

The Museum of Dufferin reserves the right to retract offers to photographers to participate in the Juried Photography Exhibition at any time, without cause. 

All rights to the photographs remain with the photographer. Once the exhibition has ended all original files are deleted. 

Photographers take full responsibility for the content of all images, including the likeness of recognizable individuals. 

Photographers certify that the image has not been created by artificial intelligence (AI). While human-controlled digital editing of your lens-based image is expected/accepted, the use of artificial intelligence content beyond standard editing adjustments is not. Where applicable, Curatorial staff reserve the right to ask for proof of process (image sequence photos from the photo shoot, RAW files, etc). Curatorial staff may use AI detection tools.  

The Museum of Dufferin will always credit you and your copyright wherever feasible. We will use your image for no other purpose without your specific permission.  

The Museum of Dufferin will not share any of your personal information.  

I have read the details and information provided on this webpage. I understand and agree to the Juried Photography Exhibition terms and conditions.

QUESTIONS?

Sarah Robinson, Curator: srobinson@dufferinmuseum.com

Available Tuesday to Saturday