Portrait Society of Canada

The 2026 Canadian Portrait Competition is an online competition sponsored by the Portrait Society of Canada. It is open to all Canadian visual artists and to anyone interested in the art of portraiture in Canada.

As the only professional online competition dedicated to fine art portraiture in Canada, this initiative offers a unique opportunity to encourage public recognition of portraiture within contemporary Canadian art.

Entry Deadline: November 20, 2026

Awards

Best Portrait Award – $1,000 CAD

People’s Choice Award – $500 CAD

Artists are invited to submit digital images of their work. Jurying will be conducted by a selection committee appointed by the Portrait Society of Canada.

Top finalist works will be exhibited on the Portrait Society website from December 1 to December 20, 2026.

Final award winners will be announced on December 20, 2026.

All submissions will be evaluated based on composition, technique, application, and overall vitality of the portrait.

Cash awards will be mailed to the winners on December 20, 2026.

All entries must be received by November 20, 2026.

Competition Timetable

Deadline for Submissions: November 20, 2026

Top Finalists Display: December 1–20, 2026

Online Exhibition of Finalists: December 1–20, 2026

Final Judging: December 20, 2026

Awards Mail-Out: December 21, 2026

Independent Jurors

Michael John Angel, Florence, Italy
Irena Korosec, Canada
Veronica Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan, Canada

Rules and Procedures

Open to artists worldwide, aged 17 and over.

Portraits and sculptures in all media (2D and 3D) are accepted. All submitted works must be original and must not have been previously entered into Canadian competitions.

Due to copyright law, photographs, internet images, or copies of other artists’ works are not permitted.

Entries must be submitted as digital JPEG images via the online entry portal or mailed on a flash drive (maximum file size: 5 MB each).

Artist’s name, title of work, medium, and dimensions must appear on the flash drive and registration form.

Entry Fees:

$60 CAD per artwork (maximum of 4 entries per artist)

$30 CAD per artwork for Portrait Society members (maximum of 4 entries; online submission available through member accounts)

Flash drives will not be returned, except when accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Mail submissions to:
Portrait Society of Canada
1057 Steeles Avenue West
P.O. Box 81665
Toronto, Ontario
M2R 3X1, Canada

All entries must be postmarked on or before November 20, 2026.

“The Miracle of the Portrait”

2026 Online Portrait Competition

Awards

Competition Timetable

Independent Jurors

Rules and Procedures