## Breadcrumb 1. [Home](/index%2Ephp/) 2. [News and Stories](/index%2Ephp/news) 3. [2026 Sankofa Square Black History Month Digital Exhibition Call for Artists](/index%2Ephp/markdownify/node/3786) November 9, 2025 # 2026 Sankofa Square Black History Month Digital Exhibition Call for Artists ![Artwork by Ghislan Suthrland-Timm for 2025 Black History Month Digital Exhibition at Sankofa Square.](/sites/default/files/styles/1_5_1_large/public/2025-09/GhislanTimm_Sankofa2025.png.webp?itok=SbvU3q59) Ghislan Suthrland-Timm, 2025 Black History Month Digital Exhibition at Sankofa Square. Photo by Aman Deshmukh. rgb(255,255,255) ### **2026 Sankofa Square Black History Month Digital Exhibition Call for Artists** **Application Deadline: Sunday, November 9, 2025, 11:59 PM ET** [**Click here to learn more about this opportunity.**](https://careerlaunchers.format.com/2026-sankofa-bhm) [**Apply via Typeform here!**](https://ocadu-cead.typeform.com/2026SankofaBHM) ### **OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION:** **Sankofa Square** and the Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers are excited to announce the return of the annual **Black History Month Digital Exhibition Career Launcher** providing an exhibition opportunity for artists from the OCAD U community to exhibit their work on the square’s digital screens. **Artists are invited to submit artworks to be displayed across five (5) digital screens for the duration of Black History Month in February 2026.** Since 2021, the Black History Month Digital Exhibition Career Launcher has been presented by the RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers with Sankofa Square. The Career Launchers program by OCAD U’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (RBC CEAD) supports the career development of emerging artists and professionals by connecting them with real world opportunities to exhibit and share their art. Sankofa Square is a unique focal point of the downtown Toronto community. The Square is designated for use as a public open space and as an event venue that can accommodate events of various sizes. **This opportunity is for artists who identify as Black. The successful applicants will each receive an exhibition fee ($500) provided by the CEAD.** ### **ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:** Work closely with Sankofa Square, and the CEAD to ensure high-resolution and properly sized artwork files are delivered to Sankofa Square by January 12, 2026. IMPORTANT: Please note that artworks must comply with: \- Sankofa Square Display Policy [available here,](https://4ormat-asset.s3.amazonaws.com/vfs/288827/public_assets/147177989/Sankofa%20Square%20-%20Performance%20Display%20Policy.pdf) and \- City of Toronto’s Municipal Code Chapter 694 - 18, E, (4) and (5) regulations [available here](https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_694.pdf) The location and specifications of Sankofa Square's **two horizontal screens (960 x 480 pixels) and three vertical screens (448 x 608 pixels)** can be viewed below. Each of the selected artists will be featured across all five screens simultaneously for **15 second** intervals throughout the month. Four of the screens will display the artist’s work, and the fifth will display the artist’s name and bio. Artists can choose which artwork will be displayed on which screen. The artworks can be static or moving images. ### **SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:** Please provide the following information in **one PDF document**: - **Full contact information** (Name, phone, and email) - Current creative **CV** - **Website** and/or **social media** handle - Artist **bio** (150 words max) - A brief **statement about the artwork(s)** you are submitting (2 – 4 sentences about each piece or the whole series) - **3 - 7 images or video links** (Vimeo or Youtube) of **existing work** to be submitted for consideration. \*\*please note: the digital screens allow for a maximum of 15 seconds in length without sound. - A **corresponding list** for the support images including: artist name, title, year, medium, size, and duration (for time-based work). \*If submitting as a group, applicants can submit the above materials for each individual group member, or as the group ### **PARTNER:** Sankofa Square 1 Dundas St E Toronto, ON M5B 2R8 [www.sankofasquare.ca](https://www.sankofasquare.ca) ### **ELIGIBILITY:** - Current OCAD U undergraduate and Master’s level students who identify as Black, or - Recent OCAD U alumni who graduated in 2024 or 2025 and identify as Black - Artists should submit work that can be digitized and presented on a screen \*Collectives and groups are welcome to apply as long as every member of the group meets the eligibility criteria above. Please note: one (1)Exhibition fee will be awarded to the collective or group (rather than each individual member) \*If you have already received this opportunity in a previous year, you are not eligible \*Priority may be given to applicants who have not previously received a Career Launcher opportunity. \*Receiving this Career Launcher does not make you ineligible for other Career Launchers ### **TIMELINE:** Artists selected and notified in December 2025 Final Artwork due: January 12, 2026 Exhibition Duration: February 1-28, 2026 ### **RATE:** - **$500** Artist fee ### **APPLICATION PORTAL:** [**Apply via Typeform here!**](https://ocadu-cead.typeform.com/2026SankofaBHM) --- [**Click here for more information about our Career Launchers opportunities.**](https://careerlaunchers.format.com)[ ](https://careerlaunchers.format.com) ## Other Recent News [### 2027 Critical Distance Centre for Curators Projections Program Call for Artists OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) and Critical Distance Centre for Curators (CDCC) have partnered to co-create CDCC Projections Program Career Launcher. Four (4) to five (5) selected emerging artists will receive $690 to exhibit work in a single channel, projection-based screening program that will be displayed at the CDCC in March 2027. October 30, 2026 ](/news/2027-critical-distance-centre-curators-projections-program-call-artists) [### Call for Vendors: BAM! Holiday Art Market 2026 OCAD University's RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) is excited to partner again with Wychwood Barns to offer a curated group of OCAD U students and recent alumni the opportunity to share a vendor table at the BAM! Holiday Art Market. October 26, 2026 ](/news/call-vendors-bam-holiday-art-market-2026) [### OCAD U’s Global Centre for Climate Action and EU bring large-scale art to Toronto’s Canada Malting Silos "The Light" and "Melting Temporalities" transformed the waterfront into a canvas for climate reflection. October 6, 2026 ](/news/ocad-us-global-centre-climate-action-and-eu-bring-large-scale-art-torontos-canada-malting) Related Stories ## Related Stories [### 2027 Critical Distance Centre for Curators Projections Program Call for Artists OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) and Critical Distance Centre for Curators (CDCC) have partnered to co-create CDCC Projections Program Career Launcher. Four (4) to five (5) selected emerging artists will receive $690 to exhibit work in a single channel, projection-based screening program that will be displayed at the CDCC in March 2027. October 30, 2026 ](/news/2027-critical-distance-centre-curators-projections-program-call-artists) [### Call for Vendors: BAM! Holiday Art Market 2026 OCAD University's RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) is excited to partner again with Wychwood Barns to offer a curated group of OCAD U students and recent alumni the opportunity to share a vendor table at the BAM! Holiday Art Market. October 26, 2026 ](/news/call-vendors-bam-holiday-art-market-2026) [### 2027 Critical Distance Centre for Curators Projections Program Call for Curators OCAD University’s RBC Centre for Emerging Artists & Designers (CEAD) and Critical Distance Centre for Curators (CDCC) have partnered to co-create the CDCC Projections Program Career Launcher. One (1) emerging Curator will receive $1,700 to curate a single channel, projection-based screening program of work from the OCAD U community. The Projections Program will be displayed at the CDCC for six-weeks in March 2027. September 27, 2026 ](/news/2027-critical-distance-centre-curators-projections-program-call-curators)