Gladstone House Toronto 2027: Free Three-Month Studio Residencies for Local Digital and Visual Artists
Three months in a public-facing art studio in Toronto
Gladstone House on Queen Street West, Toronto, is seeking professional local or regional visual artists and makers for its 2027 Art Studio Residency. Selected artists receive three months in a shared working space in the hotel. The 480-square-foot studio has three artist workstations and is open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. seven days a week, offering opportunities for focused creation while encountering guests and members of the public.
This is a self-directed studio programme rather than a commissioned artwork with a fixed theme. Applicants may use the period to develop new work, prepare an exhibition, refine a portfolio or extend an existing project. Digital practice is expressly eligible, together with illustration, collage, textile work, painting in allowed materials and small-scale sculpture. Practices regularly requiring noisy equipment, solvents or industrial ventilation are unsuitable.
Four available studio blocks between January and December 2027
Residency blocks are January 4–March 31, April 1–June 30, July 2–September 30 and October 1–December 31, 2027. Applicants must name their first and second choice of block. Three artists share the open workspace; each is allocated a workstation of about 11 by 6 feet with desks and a chair. There are no dividing walls between the workstations, so privacy, sound and collaboration should be considered.
Gladstone House supplies tables, chair, storage and complimentary Wi-Fi, but artists supply their own laptop, printer, software, drawing materials or other equipment. The studio is located a level below the main floor and is accessible by stairs only. Applicants who need accessibility adjustments may contact the curator about practical options and alternative application formats.
Who qualifies: established local practice and no separate studio
Professional artists must be at least 19 years of age. The hotel prioritizes local and regional artists and does not supply housing or transportation, so participation requires the ability to reach the Toronto studio regularly. The call is intended for artists who do not already have an external studio space outside their home, and former Gladstone House residency participants are ineligible.
The word professional is not restricted to degree-holders. Gladstone House cites recognition by peers, specialized training, public exhibitions or presentations and sustained commitment to artistic practice. Artists early in their careers may therefore qualify if they can demonstrate an active professional practice. This is not an unrestricted international residency with immigration or travel funding.
The exchange: regular attendance and engagement with visitors
In return for free studio use, the artist must work on-site at least two full days or four half-days each week and commit to one regularly scheduled half-day throughout the residency. The door should remain open while working, allowing guests to observe or discuss the process. An artist interested in computer-based image making should be comfortable explaining work in a public environment rather than expecting an isolated private office.
Each resident must also contribute to the hotel's arts programming by showing work, leading a workshop or creating another agreed public activity at a reduced fee or without a fee. That contribution is negotiated with the curator. The call makes clear there is no stipend and no accommodation provided: access to shared space is the core benefit, and participants should budget their own living and materials costs.
A single PDF, 6 MB maximum, due November 1
Email one PDF no larger than 6 MB to curator Lee Petrie at lpetrie@archivehospitality.com, with the subject line '2027 Artist Residency Application'. Include a biography of no more than 100 words, an artist statement of no more than 100 words and a work plan of no more than 75 words. Describe a possible hotel programme contribution, name two preferred three-month terms, and include five work images or a website with titles, media and dimensions.
Add your artistic website or Instagram and explain where you heard about the call. Do not attach pictures as separate email files or place the required responses only in the email body. The organiser specifies Sunday November 1, 2026 at 11:00 p.m. EST as the deadline and expects to notify selected applicants in early December. Read the official call for the exact instructions before sending.
Source: Gladstone House 2027 Artist Residencies official call, accessed 18 October 2026. This programme offers a studio, not a salary, artist fee or housing. Refer to the full official application instructions.