Fire & Form : Register now
About the Contest
Where clay meets community
For the past two years, the Ottawa School of Art has held annual visual arts contests, celebrating different subjects and mediums. This year, OSA is turning to the ceramic artists of Ottawa to exhibit the creativity and range of contemporary ceramic practice in our community.
Fire and Form is a ceramics contest and fundraiser, open to emerging and established artists across the region, celebrating the creative range of contemporary ceramic practice.
Hosted by the Ottawa School of Art, funds raised will support the school’s Ceramics Studio and Outreach Program, bringing visual art classes to people facing barriers to access.
Fire and Form is both a competitive platform and a community celebration. Pieces will be exhibited at the Ottawa School of Art Orléans Campus Gallery at the Shenkman Arts Centre, where the public is invited to experience — and purchase — original work by Ottawa’s own.
This is Ottawa's ceramics community, in full form.
Exhibition & Sale: June 25–28, 2026
Vernissage: Thursday, June 25 · 5:00–7:00 p.m.
OSAO Gallery, Shenkman Arts Centre
245 Centrum Blvd, Orléans, Ontario
Exhibit Your Work
Selected pieces are exhibited at the OSAO Gallery at the Shenkman Arts Centre — one of Ottawa's premier arts venues.
Earn Recognition
Compete for four prizes awarded by a panel of three distinguished ceramics professionals. Winners also receive extended exhibition exposure.
Sell Your Art
All submitted artworks are available for sale during the exhibition and online. Artists keep 60% of their sale price, paid by e-transfer within two weeks.
Support Local Arts
The money raised from this competition will support improvements to OSA's ceramics studio and the Outreach Program.
Sponsors
Registration Process
How to submit
Everything is completed online — no hard copy forms required. Follow these four steps before the April 30 deadline.
01
Confirm Membership
Ensure you have a current Ottawa School of Art membership. If you need to purchase or renew, do this first before registering.
Note: memberships are not required for youth submissions.
02
Photograph Your Work
Prepare a JPG image of your piece. Requirements: max 5MB, 300 dpi, RGB, minimum 1280px on the longest side.
03
Write Your Statement
Prepare your artist statement describing the submitted work — 250 words or less. Have it ready to paste into the form.
04
Register & Pay
Complete the registration form and pay the non-refundable submission fee: $30 for adult submissions, $10 for youth submission.
Deadline: April 30th
Your registration is your official submission and will ask you for your artwork information and agreement to the contest terms and conditions.
Timeline
Key dates
Mark your calendar — late submissions will not be accepted.
16
March
Registrations Open
The registration form and submission fee portal go live.
30
April
Submission Deadline
All registrations, artist statements, and images must be submitted by 5:00 p.m.
21 - 22
June
Artwork Drop-Off
Deliver soft-wrapped artwork to the OSAO Gallery, Shenkman Arts Centre. 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. both days.
25
June
Vernissage & Prizes
5:00–7:00 p.m. Prize announcement at 6:30 p.m. Public sale opens. People's Choice voting closes 6:15 p.m. sharp.
June 24
Jurying by three ceramics professionals
June 25 – 28
Exhibition & online sale continues
June 29 · July 4
Artwork pick-up, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. both days
Public Vote
People's Choice Award
Visitors vote by ballot from 5:00–6:15 p.m. during the vernissage. The winner receives one free OSA art course — their choice of subject, at either campus or online. Recipients must be present at 6:30 p.m. to claim the prize.
Awards
Prizes & recognition
Four awards are presented at the vernissage on June 25. All prize money is in Canadian dollars.
Youth Category
$500
Desjardins Youth Prize
Open to artists aged 12–18. Juried separately to celebrate the next generation of ceramic artists.
Second Place
$1,000
Runner-Up Prize
Awarded by the jury to the second-place work. Extended exhibition and online gallery feature included.
First Place
$2,500
Grand Prize
Awarded by the jury panel to the most outstanding ceramic work submitted. Winners also receive prominent placement in the online gallery and extended display in the Shenkman Arts Centre cabinet from June 29 to July 31.
Artwork Criteria
Ceramic works only — no other media accepted
Must have been created since June 2024
Maximum dimensions: 14" (H) × 14" (W) × 14" (D)
Must be available for sale at or below $500.00
Works not meeting these criteria will not be considered
What You Submit Through the Form
Artist name, OSA membership number, and contact info
Artwork title, medium, dimensions, year completed
Selling price (maximum $500)
Mailing address and e-transfer email
Artist statement — 250 words or less
Artwork image
Image Requirements
Format: JPG only
Max file size: 5 MB
Resolution: 300 dpi
Colour mode: RGB
Minimum size: 1280px (longest side)
Usage: Promotion + online gallery
Eligibility
Current Ottawa School of Art membership required
Open to adults aged 18 and over (Adult category)
Open to youth aged 12–18 (Youth category)
Work must be original and created by the submitting artist
Eligibility & Requirements
Who can enter
& what to submit
Where do I drop off my art?
OSAO Gallery, Shenkman Arts Centre
Second floor, 245 Centrum Blvd, Orléans
When do I drop off my art?
Sunday, June 21
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Monday, June 22
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
How should I prepare my art?
Artwork must be soft-wrapped. Clearly label the exterior with your name and "OSAO – FIRE AND FORM CONTEST." Artworks will not be accepted outside these dates.
Artist business cards are welcome on the OSAO Gallery table.
Exhibition Logistics
Drop-off, sale & pick-up
Once your submission is accepted, here's everything you need to know about the physical exhibition.
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Ready to Enter?
Submit your work.
Make your mark.
Complete your registration and submission fee through our secure Amilia portal. Everything — your artwork information, image, and payment — is in one place.
Non-refundable submission fee Adult: $30 Youth: $10 · OSA membership required for adults · Deadline April 30, 2026
Kit Devenport, Curled Leaf Legs, 2013, Courtesy of AccessCeramics.org
Jury Panel
All submissions will be juried by three art professionals (jury members TBA).
Payton Hillman
Chloe Wilson
