Artists from around the world are invited to submit bodies of work, installations or individual pieces to the Festival. The curators Gareth Bate and Dawne Rudman will draw from the pool of submissions to create different thematic group exhibitions as well as many solo shows and installations.
We are open to submissions of artwork that have been made between Apr. 2023 and Jan. 2026.
The World of Threads Festival is a leading international showcase of contemporary fibre and textile art. We are a not-for-profit initiative with charitable status run by a few dedicated volunteers and paid contractors. Some of the most exciting and compelling artwork being made today is happening in the field of fibre and textile arts. Through our initiatives we have discovered some remarkable artists and brought them to the attention of Canadian and international audiences.
Since we are representing the world of fibre and textile art, we are willing to exhibit individual artists from all countries. We acknowledge the State of Palestine. World of Threads Festival artists do not represent nation states, but rather are in solidarity as artists of the world. We encourage First Nations, Inuit, Métis and other global Indigenous artists to apply.
-Your work needs to be available from mid Aug. 2026 to end Feb. 2027
-Artwork shipments must arrive between: Aug. 24-29, 2026
-Artist in-person drop-off dates: Aug. 24-29, 2026
-Your work needs to be available from mid Aug. 2026 to end Feb. 2027
-Artwork shipments must arrive between: Aug. 24-29, 2026
-Festival install period: Aug. 30 – Sept. 18, 2026
-Festival starts: Wed. Sept 23, 2026
-Opening Reception: Sat. Sept 26, 2026
-Festival ends: Sun. Jan. 17, 2027
-Festival take down period: Jan. 18 – Jan. 22, 2027
-Artists can collect work in-person between: Jan. 19 – Jan. 22, 2027
-shipping to artists Artwork return between: Jan. 25 – Feb. 28, 2027
We will not exhibit artwork that uses generative AI imagery. We are interested exclusively in human creativity and human-made imagery. Please do not submit work to us made using generative AI imagery.
Your work can be for sale and we will try to sell it. There will be a 40% commission on any sales. This year we are not able to sell work made in the USA because of the ongoing trade war tariffs. When the Festival ends, all artwork originating in the US will be returned.
The artists are responsible for the costs of shipping work.
Scroll down this page for how to pay the submission fee. Make sure you’ve read the info on the web page first. One submission constitutes a Body of Work, or Individual pieces or Installations. You can make multiple submissions.
Body of Work – Maximum 10 pieces + details + in-context shots.
Individual Pieces – Maximum 10 pieces + details + in-context shots.
Installations – Maximum 10 images + details + renderings/in-context shots.
-Artists cover the cost of shipping.
-We are open to artists from all countries.
-All artwork must have been made between Apr. 2023 and Jan. 2026.
-NO entry can be withdrawn from the exhibition once it has been accepted.
-All work must be original – NO patterns or commercial kits are acceptable.
-NO AI generated imagery. We are interested exclusively in human creativity and human-made imagery. Please do not submit work to us made using generative AI imagery.
Festival Background:
Submission Deadline:
Saturday, February 28, 2026 at Midnight Toronto Time.
During the Festival world of thread festival’s team make a lot of effort to connect the artists for networking opportunities with each other. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow fibre artists from around the world in person. Some you may know only from social media. Bus tours bring visitors from Toronto to Oakville for the opening reception.
Festival 2026-27 will be focused around our usual venue Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
In addition to the beautiful gallery, we will also be using the Display Area Gallery, the Corridor Galleries, lobby and open public spaces of the entire facility.