SustainSU is teaming up with the Environmental Studies Students’ Association (ESSA) to host an artist exhibition to mark Sustainable Development Goals Month! Submissions are due March 1 2026, to be displayed at our event on March 13 2026. 

The exhibition will be a space for art to do what science can’t do alone: open hearts, stir wonder, and help us see our connection to the planet with renewed clarity. UAlberta students, staff, alumni, and faculty are welcome to submit your art for consideration, especially if it has not been previously published or shown in a public setting.

We welcome every form of creative expression including sculptures, poetry, paintings, academic posters, digital pieces or any other medium through which you explore what it means to care for our shared future. Let your work reflect the visions that sustainability inspires within you.

Submission Guidelines

• Artwork may take any creative form, whether physical, visual, written, or audio and video based. 
• Rough draft or incomplete submissions can be submitted with a description of the intended submission by the submission deadline. Accepted proposals must be ready for display/publication by March 6 2026.
• Pieces do not need to be newly created; previously completed work is welcome.
• Multiple submissions will be accepted; depending on interest, multiple submissions from the same contributor may be accepted into the exhibition. 
• All work must be original and submitted by the creator. All creators will receive public credit for their work unless requested otherwise.
• The submissions chosen will be shared publicly with the University of Alberta community during the sustainability art exhibition, during which photos and videos of the event and art work will be allowed.

Our goal is to gather artworks that represent a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and interpretations of sustainability. The pieces selected will guide the overall direction of the exhibition and influence how the final work is shared. 

The curation team will respond to submissions by March 7 2026 with final selection information. The team will consist of student volunteers and staff at SustainSU and the ESSA.
 

Artist Eligibility

• To take part in the SustainSU Sustainability Art Exhibition, contributors must meet the following requirements:
• You must be a current or former member of the University of Alberta community, including students, staff, faculty, or alumni.
• The artwork must be your original creation. AI-generated material will not be accepted or reviewed.
• You must hold the copyright to the piece (with original work this is usually a given; with previously published work, check with the original publisher for details). 
• The work must engage with themes related to sustainability or our relationship to the environment. 
• You must be prepared to transport/provide your submission for the exhibit to the Students’ Union Building (SUB) on the University of Alberta’s North Campus. 

For more information, or to ask any questions about the planning of this event, reach out to the SustainSU staff at sustain@uasu.ca! 

About Sustainable Development Goals Month

The UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals are an urgent call for action by all countries—developed and developing—in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth—all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. 

Read more about the SDGs, and progress around the world on their website.