The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival presents our first ever Festival Exhibit Call!
As part of the ongoing efforts of the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival to champion creativity in mountain spaces, 2026 marked the first year of our Festival Exhibit Call.
Building on the past success of the Mountain Photo Competition, we opened our annual competition to a wider diversity of mediums, accepting 2D visual art and digital art exhibits which explore themes of adventure, wildlife, mountain sport, the environment, or natural history.
Accepted exhibits will be displayed as part of festival programming around the Banff Centre during the 2026 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival between October 31-November 8, 2026.
Selection Process
- All entries will be viewed by a selection committee chaired by the Director of Mountain Culture.
- The selection committee will work with artists to determine the best area for their exhibit.
- Artists will be contacted in July 2026 with offers for their exhibit.
For questions, please contact banffmountainfestival@banffcentre.ca.
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2026 Exhibitors
'Submersed Landscapes' by Sarah Fuller
Submersed Landscapes engages with the idea that the ecosystem has agency, and that a rendering of the land can be expressed not only as an image but also revealed chemically through its materiality in a photographic process.
To incorporate elements from the environment into the final image, Sarah uses a technique called ‘film souping,' using water collected from the Athabasca glacier, ash, Labrador Tea leaves, and Fireweed.
With this series, Sarah considers the ways that glacial melt, forest fires, and alpine flora can interact with images of the land affected by these same processes of destruction and regeneration.
“With the generous support of the Winnipeg Arts Council with funding from the City of Winnipeg”
'Desolation' by Steve Shannon
The Columbia River is the most dammed river in the world. In 1964, the Columbia River Treaty created three storage reservoirs in Canada for flood control and downstream power generation in the USA. Over 110,000 hectares of fertile valley full of riparian areas, old growth forest and farmland was flooded by the Hugh Keenleyside, Duncan and Mica dams. The levels fluctuate up to 50 metres (150 feet) annually, resulting in the land becoming a desolate, barren, wasteland.
Amongst this devastation, Steve finds beautiful textures and stunning landscapes that he hopes will make viewers pause and think about the realities of hydro power, and that all forms of energy come at a cost.
'DICHOTOMY' by Camille Santiago
DICHOTOMY is a portrait photography series that challenges preconceived notions of what athletes are, how they should look, and who they are allowed to be. Featuring individuals across a range of ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, body types, and professions, the work reframes athletic identity beyond dominant visual stereotypes in sport and mountain culture.
Accessibility Support
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity welcomes applications from people with disabilities, Blind or have low vision and people who have barriers accessing technology. In exercising our commitment to providing equal access to our resources, applicants who require support with their application, can email banffmountainfestival@banffcentre.ca.
Diversity Statement
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment. We encourage women; First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons; members of visible minority groups; persons with disabilities; persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression; and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas at the Centre to apply.