Art Bank – The Rooms

The Art Bank, administered by The Rooms in St. John’s, NL, is a provincial acquisition program that purchases artworks from local artists to build a public collection and provide economic benefit. Applications are accepted annually; the 2026 cycle opens on July 7, 2026 and closes on September 7, 2026. Artists submit up to three unframed, archival-quality works (owned by the artist) via an online form and supporting email attachments. Submissions are reviewed by an independent jury and recommendations are made to the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Art and Recreation for purchase. The process takes 5‑6 months. Selected works are purchased, added to the Art Bank collection, and gain public exposure. No application fee is required.

Eligibility: Artists must have resided in Newfoundland and Labrador for at least 12 continuous months before the deadline. Jury members and their immediate families are ineligible. Artwork must be owned by the artist, unframed, and produced with permanent, archival-quality materials. Only one work per artist can be purchased each year.

Required materials: up‑to‑date CV (max 3 pages), a 250‑word artist statement, and 2‑3 images per artwork following detailed image guidelines. Submissions are made through the online form (link provided) or by mail/courier by the deadline.

Resources offered: purchase of selected artwork (financial compensation), inclusion in the provincial Art Bank collection, and public exposure through The Rooms’ exhibitions and publications.

Artwork purchase, inclusion in Art Bank collection, public exposure

Must reside in Newfoundland and Labrador for at least 12 continuous months before deadline; artwork must be owned by artist, unframed, archival-quality; jury members and immediate family ineligible; only one work may be purchased per artist per year.