who are we?

The Organization of Kingston Women Artists (OKWA) is a non-profit independent association formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1989, with a current membership of approximately sixty artists.  The organization provides a forum for mutual support and exchange of information and ideas among local professional women artists. 

Our annual exhibitions and other events serve to engage the public and other artists, increasing awareness and appreciation of contemporary women's art in our community.   OKWA artists are individually active in teaching, lecturing, creating and exhibiting their work locally, across Canada, and internationally.   

In 2014 we celebrated twenty-five years of our visual art organization with an anniversary publication. Areas represented are painting in encaustic, oil, acrylic, paper, and watercolour; printmaking, ceramics, mixed media, rug-hooking, artist's books, pencil crayon, collage, and photography.  This is a beautiful book about our artists and their work.

As our membership has grown, so has the scope of our talent. Always with a thoughtful theme, our annual exhibitions have offered a launching pad for many Kingston women artists to get exposure to the broader community and they continue to attract many art-lovers each year. 

Are you interested in having a closer connection with local visual artists? Our artist's talks began as a way for OKWA artists to share stories about their art and art practices with others.  These talks provide a venue for the artists and the community to engage in an informal and fun way.

Also, in conjunction with our past annual exhibitions, we have held a critique night for members and the public.  This is an evening for member artists to share and discuss work-in-progress or, alternatively, talk about and answer questions about their work in the exhibition. Other events include discussion groups, speaker series and studio visits. 

For several years OKWA has provided scholarship funds for a graduating high school student intending to pursue a post-secondary art education.

We offer four ways to be a part of our association:  

• Artist Memberships (Membership is by juried application only)
• Student Membership
• Associate Membership
• Patron