Swash & Serif is an annual lettering and typography show in Toronto. It has been running since 2014, and has shown the work of over 100 artists from Canada and around the world. It is the only show of it’s kind in Toronto, a unique opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the art of lettering and type design. Swash & Serif is run by the Toronto Design Directory, and was developed originally in partnership with Ligatures.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Can I submit work to Swash & Serif if I don’t live in Toronto? Yes! This show is open to everybody from all over the world. You’re responsible for shipping your work to and from Toronto, and keep in mind how long it’ll take for your work to get here so it arrives in time for installation.
- Can I submit lettering or typography work that isn’t in english? Yes! We love seeing work in other languages, and in non-latin alphabets too!
- Do I have to pay to submit? No! Submission is free, however if you’re accepted into the show then there’s a $30 hanging fee per person.
- How many pieces can I submit? Each person can submit up to three pieces. If you have a series of pieces that are grouped together, that’ll be considered one piece. We reserve the right however to select only one piece out of series if we feel the full series too much.
- Do I have to be a professional letterer or popular on instagram to be in the show? Hell no! We wanna see work from everybody and anybody, and all kinds of styles too. Read the submission tips on the show page to see what kind of work we’re looking for.
- Does it matter what my lettering says as long as it looks good? The message you convey is part of the overall piece, so it matters to a certain degree and we’ll judge on a case by case basis. We won’t include any work that says anything racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted or hateful.
- If I’m in the show, do I have to attend? Not if you don’t want to, but we’d love to see you there! Opening night is usually a big party, and the gallery is open during the week for viewing. Bring your friends and family to show them your work and just enjoy the show!
- How will I be credited for my work? We have artist tags next to all the work with the information that you shared in your submission. Once the show is over, you will be credited on our website too.
- What if somebody wants to buy my work? Congrats! That’s awesome. This year for the first time we’ll be running a print shop at the gallery where visitors can pick up prints of your work. Details of how this works will be sent to artists selected for the show. If a visitor wants to purchase the original piece on the wall, we can negotiate that on your behalf as well, and they can pick up the piece after the show closes.
