March 1, 2026 - March 31, 2026
Call For Artists: If Chairs Could Talk
If Chairs Could Talk
Lincoln Museum & Cultural Centre
The Lincoln Museum and Cultural Centre is inviting artists to apply for If Chairs Could Talk, a new artist project inspired by the Museum’s permanent collection. The project draws inspiration from A Yard Scene from the Porch, a Chair in the Foreground, a 1953 painting by Group of Seven artist A.J. Casson, which depicts a historic Mennonite spring chair also held in the Museum’s collection. Just as Casson created a painting based on this object, selected artists will be invited to visit the Museum, choose an object from the collection, and create an original two-dimensional artwork in response.
Three artists will be selected. Their completed works will be featured in the upcoming exhibition Keep in Touch, opening Fall 2026. Each artwork will be displayed alongside the object that inspired it and professionally reproduced as a postcard.
About the Exhibit:
In 1953, A.J. Casson created A Yard Scene from the Porch, a Chair in the Foreground as part of a program organized by the Ontario Artists’ Society. The program invited eighteen Canadian artists to paint their interpretation of an antique chair. Casson was the only artist who recognized the chair as Mennonite furniture and painted it in its proper context. The Lincoln Museum and Cultural Centre holds both the painting and the original chair in its permanent collection.
If Chairs Could Talk continues this tradition by inviting contemporary artists to create new artworks based on objects from the Museum’s collection. These works will be presented as part of Keep in Touch, an exhibition about the history of communication in Lincoln, including mail, postcards, and symbolism.
Artist Opportunity:
Artists working in two-dimensional media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, and other hand-produced flat works, are invited to apply.
Each artwork will:
- Be inspired by a collection item at the Lincoln Museum & Cultural Centre
- Be no larger than 3ft x 3ft (36 x 36 inches)
- Be exhibited onsite at the Museum from October 10th, 2026
- Be professionally reproduced as a postcard available to visitors
Selected artists must be available to visit the Museum in person to explore the collection and select the object that will inform their work. Museum staff will support access to the collection and provide contextual information during the visit.
Artist Fee: Each selected artist will receive a fee of $1500
Eligibility: Emerging and established artists are welcome to apply. Priority may be given to artists with a connection to the Niagara Region and/or the Town of Lincoln.
Key Dates:
- Call for Artists opens: March 1st, 2026
- Submission deadline: March 31st, 2026
- Selected Artists Notified: April 15th, 2026
- Artwork completion and delivery: August 1st, 2026
- Exhibition mounts: September 30th, 2026
Submission Requirements:
Interested artists are asked to submit:
- A brief statement of interest (max 250 words), including why you are interested in responding to the Museum or its collection
- 3–5 images of recent work
- A short artist bio or CV
- Contact information
Selection Process:
Artists will be selected through a curatorial review process led by Museum staff, based on artistic quality, clarity of concept, and relevance to the Museum’s stories and collection.
Ownership and Reproduction Rights:
The Lincoln Museum and Cultural Centre will retain ownership of the original artwork.
Selected artists grant the Lincoln Museum & Cultural Centre a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free licence to reproduce the artwork as postcards for sale and distribution through the Museum’s gift shop, as well as for related promotional, educational, and institutional purposes. The artist will be credited in all reproductions.
How to Apply:
Please submit all materials as a single PDF to: Adam Montgomery, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections - amontgomery@lincoln.ca
Questions may be directed to: Adam Montgomery, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections - amontgomery@lincoln.ca