Project Overview

The City of Toronto invites professional artists (including artist teams) to submit proposals for an outdoor three-dimensional sculptural public artwork that captures the likeness of the late Deputy Mayor Pam McConnell and has an element of engagement and accessibility with the viewer.

The commemorative artwork is to highlight the outstanding contributions of the former teacher, public servant and political leader, whose dedication to the community and social justice facilitated solutions to many challenges facing lower-income communities, such as child poverty and hunger, literacy, homelessness and affordable housing.

The art component of this new public space will be selected through an open, one-stage competition, with a net budget of approximately $250,000 (+HST). The project budget includes all costs directly associated with the artwork: all fees for design, fabrication, installation, engineering and professional services, insurance, travel and other incidental expenses.

Ward 13 – Toronto Centre

Public Art Opportunity

The City of Toronto’s new Public Art Strategy outlines the City’s commitment to public art created for, and with the input of, Toronto communities, and to create opportunities for artists of diverse backgrounds, experience and practice.

The primary site for artists to consider is the Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre, located at 640 Dundas Street East (at the corner of Sumach Street) in Regent Park. The site will be described in detail in the Terms of Reference.

The commissioned artist or artist teams will work closely with the City’s Economic Development and Culture division, in collaboration with Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and other partners to develop and complete the project.

Competition Process

This is a one-stage, open, competition for professional artists or artist teams residing and working in the province of Ontario, with emphasis on artists with specific connections to Toronto. Submissions from women, Indigenous, Black, and racialized artists and those who may not have previously worked in the public realm are especially welcome.

Per the Canada Council’s guidelines, a professional artist is defined as someone who:

• has specialized artistic training (not necessarily in academic institutions)
• is recognized as a professional by their peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition)
• has a history of public exhibitions
• has produced an independent body of work

A specially convened selection panel, composed of practicing arts professionals, community members and a McConnell family representative will be established for this one-stage competition.

Stage 1: Request for Proposals

Professional artists are invited to submit proposals to be reviewed by the selection panel. The panel will select one proposal to be executed, based on artistic excellence and the proposal’s suitability to the overall design scheme and context.

The contract will be awarded in September/October 2021.

ArtworxTO, the City’s Year of Public Art, begins in fall 2021 as part of the City’s commitment to artists and art as part of COVID-19 recovery. All new commissions will be included in the ArtworkTO program wherever possible.

Timelines

August 10, 2021, 4 p.m.: Last day for questions to be submitted
August 16, 2021, 4 p.m.: Request for Proposals submissions due
August 30, 2021: Selection panel meeting
September 2021: Notification to competition artists of finalist artist (artist team) selected
September/October 2021: Contract awarded to finalist artist (artist team)
Fall 2021 – Spring 2022: Artwork production phase; site preparation; transportation to site; installation.
July 2022: Official public unveiling of the Pam McConnell Memorial

Submission Requirements

Professional artists (artist teams) are invited to respond to by submitting two PDF documents, with the following information:

One PDF file labelled: Last Name First Name_file 1_Pam McConnell

• Written proposal concept, maximum three pages.
• Proposal concept sketches, renderings, design details, a plan to show location.
• Details on proposed materials and any other relevant information to explain the proposed project.
• A preliminary budget outlining critical costs such as production/fabrication, professional fees, such as engineering drawings, etc., transportation and installation.

One PDF file labelled: Last Name First Name_file 2_Pam McConnell

• CV (one for each team member, if applicable).
• Names and contact information for two references (preferably from recent projects).
• Maximum ten images of previous and relevant work, with caption including title, materials, dimensions, location, and commissioning body (if applicable).

The PDF applications must be labelled with the name of the artist and project as noted above.

The documents should be emailed to publicartcompetitions@toronto.ca with subject line: “Last Name First Name_file 1_Pam McConnell” and “Last Name First Name_file 2_Pam McConnell” and should not exceed 20 MB total size per email.

East End Arts and our partners are seeking women, transmasculine, transfeminine, Two Spirit and non-binary artists to be part of an exciting transformation of a laneway within the Riverside Business Improvement Area around Queen Street East and Broadview Avenue, Toronto, over summer and early fall 2021! Throughout this project, we are committed to exhibiting the work of artists from diverse communities with a specific commitment to featuring the work of artists who are Black, Indigenous and People of Colour . Applications are open until July 14, 2021, 11:59 PM EST.

ABOUT WOMEN PAINT RIVERSIDE

A partnership between East End Arts, Women Paint, Native Women in the Arts, and the Riverside BIA, ‘Women Paint Riverside’ is an exciting opportunity to beautify and enhance the Riverside neighbourhood with a series of interconnected murals, exploring the relationship between the vibrant urban Riverside community and the Don River from which it takes its name. The project builds upon the area’s existing public art legacy, and will feature the work of 10 street artists, as well as an opportunity for the participants from Girls Mural Camp 2021 to put what they learned at camp this summer to the test as apprentice mural artists.

Working with  co-curatorial consultants Bareket Kezwer and Ariel Smith, Women Paint Riverside aims to bring diverse women, transfeminine, transmasculine, Two Spirit and non-binary street artists, muralists and graffiti writers together to create new work, bring attention to the importance of the Don River within an urban setting, and share their diverse stories in public spaces—a place these voices are often underrepresented.

Women Paint Riverside will take place on the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, which is also the traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Haudenosaunee confederacy and the Anishinaabe. This territory is subject to the dish with one spoon treaty, a covenant between the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee to share and care for the land and resources in the lower Great Lakes area.

In many Indigenous nations across Turtle Island, women and Two Spirit people have long carried sacred responsibilities to protect the water, and are strong  leaders in the growing movement for water sovereignty around the great lakes. Given the close relationship of the Riverside community to the Don River and Lake Ontario, the murals for this exciting laneway transformation will all explore the element of water.

Laneways and alleys have historically been areas that do not always feel safe for women and other gender marginalized people, and can be associated with the threat of violence. Projects like Women Paint and Girls Mural Camp take up space in the public sphere and help facilitate discussions about important issues that affect our overlapping communities such as misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, white supremacy, colonization and gentrification.

EXHIBIT THEME

“Currents of Change”

The Riverside neighbourhood is in the midst of a great shift. The Don River is at the heart of a huge infrastructure project looking at the ecology and the environment of the floodplain – literally changing the shape of the river. As we have seen in the many historic floods of recent years, despite our best efforts to control the element of water that is so closely knit with our community and our city, we remain lake people, and our lives are directed by the currents of change in those lakes and rivers. Some of these changes are massive, political and cultural, like moving a river, but some are tiny personal moments shared between people beside the water that forms the geography of this place we call home. We invite artists to consider in their proposed works the incredible power and beauty of these waters, their eons of supporting human life, and the urgency required to protect them.

Women Paint Riverside builds on Riverside’s long history and connection celebrating the Don River, and asks participating artists and viewers to remember our environment, ecology, mobility, built form in the neighbourhood, waterways, and the traditional keepers of those waterways.

The project will also build upon and connect to the existing repertoire of Riverside BIA’s ‘open air gallery’ of 10+ public art pieces, including the ‘Tkaranto Past, Tkaranto Future’. This work, completed in 2017 by artists Chief Lady Bird (Chippewa/Potawatomi), Odinamaad (Anishinaabe), Dave Monday Oguorie (Ojibwe/Nigerian), and Philip Cote (Shawnee/Lakota/Potawatomi/Ojibway/Algonquin), speaks to Indigenous knowledge and worldviews.  Featuring a large eagle feather the artists shared the meaning: “The eagle feather is the highest honour you can receive, based on contribution to the community, given from one Indigenous person to another. The Tkaranto skyline provides a contemporary connection whereby the feather becomes your medicine and symbolizes the enduring Indigenous presence here in Tkaranto.” Indigenous community members spoke to how this mural had touched them and helped re-build connection by physically inviting and recognizing them in the community. ‘Women Paint Riverside’ will help to further build upon that positive connection.

‘Women Paint Riverside’ will provide a platform and opportunity for artistic expression for women, transfeminine, transmasculine, Two Spirit and,  non-binary muralists in a cis male-dominated field.

SELECTION PROCESS 

There will be 10 artists chosen for ‘Women Paint Riverside’. They will be selected via a two-stage call, with a five-person peer assessment committee representing the field and local Riverside BIA-community, facilitated by our curatorial consultants and East End Arts (EEA).

Stage One will be an open call requiring a written description and submission of six (6) pieces of support material that they feel represents their work.

Stage Two will invite 20 artists to submit a more fulsome application, including a mock up of their design. Recognizing the work that goes into producing a mock up and EEA’s commitment to paying artists a fair living wage, each of the Stage Two artists will receive a $500 honorarium,

INFO SESSION

EEA will host an online information session with Bareket Kezwer and Ariel Smith, in order to help applicants with their applications, or answer any questions about this call for artists. Join us on Thursday June 24th at 6:00pm on Zoom for this Info Session. Register at this link to join.

PRODUCTION DETAILS

Selected artists will be paid $500 – $4500, based on the square footage of their assigned space. Walls will range from 6×8 feet to 36x16feet

All 10 mural sites are of varying sizes, textures and materials. Shortlisted artists will be asked to create their design without knowing their final mural site and will be expected to adjust their design to fit their assigned space.

To create consistency between the murals, artists will be asked to work with a pre-selected colour scheme, which will be made available to short listed artists for the creation of their mock ups.

For those artists requiring lift equipment, it will be organized by East End Arts.

Acrylic paint in the colours specified in the colour scheme will be available to the selected artists. Those wishing to work with aerosol paint will be responsible for providing their own. Artists will be responsible for providing all other supplies.

Storage within close walking distance will be provided for selected muralists.

EVALUATION

Submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Artist/collective shows a standard of work that is in keeping with EEAs goals for artistic excellence.
• The support materials provided demonstrate Artist’s capacity to deliver a high-quality project of similar size and scope.
• The bio/and or support materials demonstrate Artist’s ability to plan, manage and meet project timelines and budget while achieving success at executing art projects of a similar scale.
• Is the submission complete and clear?

IMPORTANT DATES

1. Info Session on Zoom: June 24, 2021 at 6PM
2. Deadline for applications: July 14, 2021 by 11:59PM EST
3. Notifications to Short Listed applicants: July 28, 2021
4. Short List deadline to submit mockups for Round 2: August 10, 2021
5. Notification to Finalists: August 20, 2021
6. Painting: September 10-24, 2021

TO APPLY

Thank you for your interest in Women Paint Riverside! To apply, please fill out the Google form below.

GOOGLE FORM HERE

Artists are welcome to submit proposals to the Langley Arts Council for Solo, Duo, and Group Exhibitions at one of the three Langley Arts Council Art In Found Spaces Galleries Brick and Mortar Galleries. The exhibition spaces are the Civic Gallery, Walkway Gallery, and Arts Centre Gallery. The Langley Arts Council has partnered with the Township of Langley and the City of Langley to offer these exhibition spaces for local and emerging artists and artisans to exhibit and sell their artwork.

Sales

All sales are handled through the Langley Arts Council. Exhibiting artists will be paid once their exhibition has come to a close and the artwork has been picked up by the buyer. It may take up to two weeks for the cheque to be delivered to that artist. A 30% LAC commission will be deducted from the artist’s cheque.

We are delighted to announce that
APPLICATIONS FOR ARTRICH 2021 ARE OPEN!
And we have so much to discuss!

richmondartscoalition.com/artrich2021

The Richmond Arts Coalition, with support from the Richmond Art Gallery, operating funds from the City of Richmond, and support from the BC Arts Council, is pleased to present ArtRich 2021, our fourth bi-annual, juried exhibition for local artists at the Richmond Art Gallery.

The exhibition will take place from December 3, 2021, to January 2, 2022. The exhibition provides an opportunity for emerging and established artists from Richmond and nearby communities to exhibit together and celebrate local talent. ArtRich 2021 profiles artists with a connection to the Lower Mainland. Entries are not expected to fit a specific theme – we want to see the work you are most excited to share!

New this year, we have an exciting collaboration with the City of Richmond!

ArtRich-selected artists will be considered for the No.3 Road Art Column Exhibition from February 1, 2022 to August 1, 2022! Three ArtRich 2021 artists will be selected and provided with a $1,500 artist fee. Printing and installation costs will be the responsibility of the City of Richmond. ArtRich-selected artists will be asked to apply in October 2021 with images of their proposed four (4) artworks for the exhibition and a Statement of Interest (incorporating artist bio and artwork statement). For more information about the No.3 Road Art Columns, visit: www.richmond.ca/culture/publicart/whatsnew . RAG and RAC agree to help selected artist digitize their work if needed.

And that’s not all! We recognize that the pandemic has put unusual and unprecedented stress on the finances of many artists. Thanks to a one-time BC Arts Council Resiliency Grant from the Province of British Columbia, this year we are able to waive ArtRich’s entry fees! All entrants will still need to be members with RAC, but there are no other costs to applying for this exhibition.

ENTRY FEES:
We recognize that the pandemic has put unusual and unprecedented stress on the finances of many artists. Thanks to a one-time Resiliency grant from the BC Arts Council and the Province of British Columbia, for ArtRich 2021 the usual entry fees have been waived. Note however that all entrants do still need to become members with RAC. Entry forms will not be processed until those entrants have an active membership with RAC.

AWARDS:
Once again, there will be People’s Choice awards for the event, with winners chosen by visitors to the exhibition and announced at the end of the exhibition. There will be three $150 awards for the top vote getters.

Open to all artists worldwide, this is an annual exhibition and competition for artists practicing representational and semi-representational arts excellence. All subjects are permitted so long as they are representational in style. Please read this booklet carefully for further information.

First Place – $2,000 CA
Second Place – $1,000 CA
Third Place – $500 CA
3 x Honourable Mentions – Awards in Title

This exhibition was created to provide a safe space and platform for specific voices of those whom we, perhaps, don’t hear from as often as we should. The Beyond Barriers call is created specifically to allow BC artists who identify as having a disability or being differently-abled (currently or recently, permanently or temporarily) to showcase their work, without any of the labels you may have acquired over the years. The type of difference is not important, and all are welcome regardless of whether your situation is obvious to those around you (visible) or not (invisible).

Although we are inviting artists who identify in this way, the show is NOT about this identity, it is about moving past these barriers into whatever is important to you, and about remembering everyone’s wholeness in spite of obstacles. The LAC welcomes all perspectives, and all subject matter is welcome.

Commission

The LAC takes a 15% commission on sales for any sales Online Exhibitions.