Welcome

The SPARK Photo Festival is a celebration of photography, and the artists, dreamers, innovators, storytellers, professionals and enthusiasts behind the camera lens. Every year, the month of April marks the arrival of numerous photographic exhibits and artists, in locations throughout the Northumberland, Peterborough, and the Kawartha Lakes regions. Technical workshops, lectures, talks, films, and other related photographic events and activities take place year-round as well as during the festival.

The 8th annual SPARK Photo Festival is scheduled for April 1 to April 30, 2020. Open call registration will be available in October 2019. 

Open Call & Primary Exhibits

The backbone of the SPARK festival can be attributed to the depth and variety of the Open Call Exhibits by regional photographers working at every skill level - student, enthusiast, fine art, and professional. The festival features more than 50 open call exhibit venues. A list of the registration categories for open call exhibits can be found below.

SPARK organized exhibits are called primary exhibits and these exhibits include the highly competitive Juried Exhibit contest, which, based on a theme, features 30 of the best submissions from across the Province of Ontario as selected by a panel of expert judges.

For 2020, expect a few surprises as SPARK continues to evolve as a festival.

It is SPARK's inclusiveness and our celebration of the community of photographers that sets SPARK apart as a festival. That you will find photography in places where you least expect to, part of SPARK's charm.

Open Call Exhibit Categories

  • Individual
  • Small Group
  • Group
  • Community Organization
  • Corporate
  • Student Individual
  • Student Group
  • Featured (Individual or Group)

View the 2019 Exhibits

Juried Exhibit

Best in Show 2018 - Damselflies On Pondweed by Peter Clute

Best in Show 2018 - Damselflies On Pondweed by Peter Clute

Family Life Logo

The theme of the 2019 Juried Exhibit was Family Life.

The 2020 theme will be announced in October 2019.

Open Call Registration

Open Call Registration for 2020 will be active in October 2019. Registration details to come.
For registration assistance/questions please email info@sparkphotofestival.org .

Juried Submissions

The Juried Exhibit details will be announced in October 2019.

SPARK SPiN Routes

SPARK SPiN Logo

How do you take your art? Cycling!

For 2019, SPARK Photo Festival joined forces again with GreenUP and B!KE to provide festival goers with SPARK Spin self-guided cycling routes that will take you to exhibits in Peterborough, Lakefield, Bridgenorth, Douro, Campbellford, Warkworth, and Lindsay. in 2018, GreenUP also added a walking route. Check social media updates for 2020 news!

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