Kingston’s Market Wing Cultural Space seeking local artists for upcoming exhibitions

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A new canvas awaits Kingston artists at City Hall’s Market Wing Cultural Space. 

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The Market Wing, located on the first floor of City Hall, is now accepting applications from Kingston-based artists to showcase their work. The new exhibition space, which opened its doors in February of 2021, will host two exhibitions from October 2024 to October 2025, each lasting approximately four months. 

Once used as city office space, the Market Wing was transformed following a $140,000 donation that began in July 2020. The revitalization aimed to repurpose the 2000 square foot area into a dynamic cultural venue that reflects Kingston’s past while celebrating its artistic present.  

“When the Market Wing Cultural Space was originally created, the intention was always to have it be a community storytelling space,” said Taylor Norris, the city’s public art co-ordinator. “For this exhibition, basically, anybody who calls Kingston home who’s a practicing artist, we want to give them the opportunity to showcase their work.”  

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Artists working in various mediums, including painting, photography, sculpture, mosaic, collage, printmaking, and illustration, are invited to apply. There’s no theme or cost for artists to exhibit their work, and artists will have the opportunity to sell their pieces.  

“Often, art spaces will have a theme around what they want to show,” said Norris. “In this case, we’re not asking for people to respond to a theme. What we’re really interested in is just showcasing the diversity of talent within Kingston.”  

The Market Wing features 19 walls of varying sizes, as well as areas suitable for sculptures and 3D art. The space also has 12 windows offering natural light and views of Springer Market Square, creating an inviting environment for both artists and visitors.  

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For Norris, she’s most looking forward to seeing a wide range of artworks and engaging with artists who may not have had previous opportunities to showcase their work in a public space.  

“We haven’t done anything like this before,” said Norris. “I’m really excited to see artists we haven’t had the opportunity to showcase or work with before in Kingston. It’s also a good opportunity for artists to showcase their work to visitors because City Hall gets a lot of tourists and a lot of visitors from out of town.”  

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Aug. 23. Kingston-based artists, whether individuals or groups — emerging, mid-career, or established — are encouraged to submit digital images of their work for consideration. The full call for submissions and application details can be found on the City of Kingston’s website.  

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