2026 Rideau Artist of the Year Competition FAQS
Please read the FAQS before completing the registration form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What
The Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum will be hosting the Rideau Artist of the Year Competition on the Rideau Canal from the Combined Lock Station along Beckwith Street to the Smiths Falls Public Library on Saturday, July 25, 2026. Artists have been tasked with creating original works of art that will capture the beauty of Smiths Falls within the specified boundary, in the tradition of en plein air art making.
The winners of the Rideau Artist of the Year Competition will be decided by a panel of jurors made up of art professionals. The Grand Prize Winner will receive $1000 and the place of honour in the Rideau Artist of the Year showcase. The second-place winner will receive $300 dollars, and the People's Choice winner will receive $100 DBA dollars, which can be redeemed at any downtown business. The People's Choice winner will be voted on by the public during the Rideau Artist of the Year art show and will be announced on October 5th, 2026.
Please take note of the following dates, deadlines, times, and competition rules.
Dates and Deadlines
Registration deadline: Saturday, July 18, 2026
Competition start day: Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 7:00 am
Competition end day: Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Competition Rain Date (in case of cancellation): Sunday July 26, 2026 (same times)
Art Show Opening: Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 1:00 pm (Winners Announced)
Art Show Dates: Saturday, Aug 8 - Oct 4, 2026 (Wed-Sun 10:30 am - 4:30 pm / by appointment)
Art Show Pickup: Wednesday, October 7 or 8, 2026 (10:30 am - 4:30 am)
Where
The competition will take place during the Big Art Walk event along the Rideau Canal between the Combined Lock Station along Beckwith Street to the Smiths Falls Town Hall Square. Please refer to the attached Map for the boundary. The Museum will have a home base setup for receiving and registering artwork.
Artists will be asked to report to Registration at the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum located at 11 Old Slys Road prior to setting up workspaces.
All completed works are required to be dropped off at the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum, no later than 7:00 pm on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
All locations are first come, first serve but need to be confirmed with museum staff in advance. Please identify your top three choices. Museum staff will do their best to accommodate everyone’s requests.
Who
This competition has been opened to artists from the Rideau Canal Corridor of all levels (emerging, professionals, students, etc.) and all mediums, wherever possible. The Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum is a community museum that celebrates the area’s arts and heritage. For more information on the museum or its mandate, please visit: smithsfalls.ca/heritagehouse.
Competition Rules
● Works must be inspired by the location surrounding the Rideau Canal.
● Each artist is required to check in at Registration located at the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum upon arrival and must check out upon the completion of their submissions, at the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum.
● Any participants under the age of 16 years of age are required to be accompanied by an adult while participating in the competition.
● This competition is open to all mediums where possible.
● The Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum will not be providing any supplies to create the artwork being submitted. Therefore, each artist is required to bring their own supplies with them. This includes any chairs, tables, tents, etc. to work on during the competition.The full artwork must be completed on site, and submitted no later than Saturday, July 25th at 7:00 pm (EST) to staff at the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum (11 Old Slys
Rd, Smiths Falls, ON K7A 3M3).
● A limit of one piece will be accepted per artist.
● All entries must be original compositions and cannot be based on anything that has been published elsewhere. Copies of other artists’ work are NOT considered original and are not eligible. Artwork based on another person’s photograph (even if copyright-free) are NOT eligible. All entries must be 100% created by the artist entering. Use of AI is strictly prohibited.
● Artwork from photographs taken within the competition boundaries, during the duration of the competition, that the artist took for reference are eligible. The artist is not allowed to work on their piece outside of the competition boundaries.
● Final submitted works must be available for promotion of this and future Rideau Artist of the Year competitions.
● Artists must choose and confirm their location with museum staff in advance of the competition as some spaces may have limited availability for space. Locations are awarded on a first come, first served basis by museum staff. See attached map for event locations/boundaries.
● Artist workspaces cannot interfere with any businesses, traffic, or pedestrian movement.
● Artists are encouraged to show or sell their other artwork during the event but all sales will have to be handled by the artist or their own designated assistant.
Judging
● After the close of the competition, invited guest judges (professional artist, museum or gallery professional) will select the best artwork submission for each category based on a blind judging system. This means that the judge never sees who the artist is. The winners will be notified via email and official announcements, and promotion will begin on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
● In the event a judge who has been promoted is unable to judge for any reason, an alternative judge will be appointed. If one cannot be found, judging will be done by trained museum staff/volunteers.
● The jury deliberation will begin on Sunday, July 26, 2026, following the completion of the competition. Participating Artists will be invited back to the Heritage House Museum (11 Old Slys Road, Smiths Falls, ON K7A 3M3), on Saturday, August 8, 2026, from 1pm - 3pm for the announcement of the competition winners and a vernissage. Artists will be permitted to bring guests to the event, but will be asked to RSVP how many, prior to the announcement.
● By entering the Rideau Artist of the Year competition, you agree that you are submitting images of your own original artwork and not that of other artists or material in which you do not hold the copyright. You are also agreeing, in advance, to have your submitted artwork and your image published to promote the event. This includes, but is not limited to, print and digital media, newsletters, websites, e-mails, social media pages, and promotional materials in perpetuity.
Art Show
Every effort will be made to accommodate all competing artist works on display at the Heritage House Museum (11 Old Slys Road) from August 8 - October 4, 2026. The museum will be open Wednesday - Sunday, 10:30 am - 4:30 pm or otherwise by appointment. There is no admission to see the Rideau Artist of the Year Art Show. General admission rates still apply for touring the rest of the museum. Paintings are requested to have the ability to be hung wherever possible. Artworks that aren’t to be hung must be provided with the proper supports from the artist. The museum cannot guarantee the appropriate supports required. Artists can frame their pieces after the competition should they choose before Wednesday, August 5, 2026. The museum will provide labels to recognize the artist, title of the piece, medium used and any pricing.
Art Sales
Every competing artist has the option to display or sell their completed work throughout the duration of the art show. All sales will be handled by museum staff and the museum will require a 25% commission for handling sales and associated transaction fees. Payments will be processed to the artist(s) that have had sales at the completion of the art show. Artists must inform museum staff of their pricing when submitting their completed work. Artists are welcome to sell some of their artwork during the event competition. Sales will be completed by the artist or their designated helpers and the museum will not be requiring a commission.
Museum Contact Information
For questions about the competition or the art show, please contact the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum by phone at 613-283-6311 or by email at sfheritagehouse@gmail.com.
