How to Apply

Please read through each section below before starting your application to the 2023 Award.

To be eligible, you’ll need to be: 

  • A resident of Canada 
  • At least 18 years of age 
  • An emerging artist 

We consider an emerging artist to be someone within the first five years of their professional career, beginning with their first solo or group exhibition in a museum, public or commercial gallery, or artist-run centre. 

Applicants are not required to be current students or to have completed a degree in Fine Arts. We encourage all emerging artists matching our definition to apply. 

Your submission must take the form of ‘Digital Art’, defined as a screen-based artwork that demonstrates an engagement with digital technologies in the process of its creation. Analogue processes may be part of the work’s production, but the output must be digital. Digital documentation of traditional media will not be considered. 

Artwork must: 

  • Rely on the digital to exist, taking advantage of and experimenting with its immaterial qualities 
  • Have a visual component (i.e. cannot solely be sound-based) 
  • Stand on its own when viewed on a single screen or projection (i.e. if the work is part of a larger interactive or physical installation) 

Digital submissions may include, but are not limited to:  

  • Images, videos, animations, and GIFs 
  • Websites, games, and applications 
  • Augmented and virtual realities 

The work must be dated no earlier than five years prior to the submission deadline. Only one work per applicant can be considered.  

Submissions are assessed under five main criteria: 

  1. Relevance
    The extent to which the work meets our qualification criteria as a digital artwork.
  2. Technique
    The technical aspects of the work, including the approach to production and handling of the medium. 
  3. Aesthetics
    The presentation of the work in relationship to its technique and concept. This includes stylistic choices, experimentation with form, and visual content.  
  4. Concept
    The ideas and/or concerns driving the work, how they are embodied in the technical approach and stylistic choices, and the work’s relationship to digital culture more broadly. 
  5. Originality
    The extent to which the work reflects a nuanced perspective and is unique in its approach to digital art practice.

Artist Statement 

Your written statement should address how your work meets the five evaluation criteria. When writing, here are some questions to consider: 

  • How does the work participate in a broader contemporary discourse around digital technologies, spaces, and objects? 
  • How was your artwork made, and what technical skills or proficiencies are demonstrated in the creation of your artwork? 
  • How does the work’s aesthetic form and content relate to your intention as an artist?
  • What are you trying to communicate through this work? 

Your application must include either a weblink (web-based submissions only) or a download link to a full–resolution version of the artwork using a file sharing service such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or WeTransfer. Files will be downloaded within 7 days of submission. 

If the work can be also be experienced online through Vimeo, YouTube, or your own website, you are encouraged to include this as an additional link on the online application form. 

For games or immersive technologies that require specialized software (ex. Unity) and/or hardware (ex. Oculus) to run, please include either a link to experience the work through a web browser, or a demo video of the work, along with the original file(s), which will allow each jury member to review and assess remotely. 

There are no limitations on the duration of an artwork; however, if the submission exceeds 15 minutes in length, it is highly recommended that you submit an excerpt along with your original file(s).

Submitted artworks must meet the following requirements: 

Category Digital Format Requirements
Motion Graphic,
Video, or Animation
  • .avi
  • .mov
  • .mpeg
  • .mp4
  • .wmv
  • .f4v
  • The maximum file size for motion graphics is 2 GB.
  • For entries with sound, you must own the copyright to the sound used. If the sound is created by someone else, permission must be granted and credit given.
  • For web and app-based entries, please provide brief instructions in the online application form.
Digital Image
  • .gif
  • .jpeg
  • .png
  • Maximum file size of 500 Mb.
Application
  • .exe
  • .html
  • Interactive programs must be compatible with Windows 7 or later (.app files not accepted).
  • Websites or web-based projects must be compatible with Google Chrome or Internet Explorer.
  • Files must be submitted in a zipped folder.

Submissions must follow the naming convention:
FirstInitialLastName_TitleOfWork

If you experience technical difficulties with your online application, contact us at edaa@eqbank.ca.

To be considered for the 2023 Award, please submit a completed online application form by June 15, 2023, 11:59pm EST, including:

  • A curriculum vitae (CV) in either PDF or .doc format 
  • A link to your digital artwork
  • A short artist biography (100 words max.) 
  • A written statement about your work (200 words max.) 
  • A confirmation that you agree to the Terms & Conditions 
Apply Now!