Call for Artists: Public Art Project
City of Toronto
Call to Artists for Expression of Interest (EOI)
Permanent Public Art Work
Mount Dennis Neighbourhood Project at Weston Road and Dennis Avenue
Toronto Cultural Services works with staff across City of Toronto divisions and agencies, boards and commissions to identify exciting new opportunities for commissioning innovative contemporary artworks in the City’s public spaces.
Recently, with real estate development in Ward 11 (York South-Weston) generating Section 37 funds, street upgrades and a traffic calming enlarged sidewalk inserted at the corner of Weston Road and Dennis Avenue, this gateway site to the Mount Dennis neighbourhood has been chosen as the site of a new public art work to be commissioned by the City. The decision has been reached through extensive community consultations, which concluded that an artwork would define the site as a focal point, create a pedestrian friendly environment and encourage awareness of the neighbourhood’s collective heritages and identity.
With roots in a rural past, the Mount Dennis area became a burgeoning centre of mills for saw, wool and grist by the beginning of the 19th century. It gradually evolved into one of Toronto’s largest industrial hubs and for decades was dotted with hundreds of factories and rail yards surrounded by a thriving community of merchants and single home dwellers. But industry eventually left and the culturally diverse neighbourhood is now ripe for much needed revitalization.
Cultural Services views the unique context and parameter of this site as an opportunity to commission an artist or artist team to create a site specific public art work with light and new media components (Note: the bench in the photograph will be removed to accommodate the art work). The art production budget for this project including all fees, materials, technologies, fabrication and installation costs is $225,000.
For this first stage of the competition, Toronto Cultural Services is inviting local and national artists or artist teams to respond to this Expression of Interest (EOI) by submitting the following:
* Resume(s) in text form
* Artist(s) statement in text form outlining interest in the project and experience
* 6 to 8 digital images of recent, relevant work in the following format:
jpg images on a PC compatible CD-R
each maximum of 1024 x 768 pixels
each resolution of 72 dpi
each maximum of 1 MB
each RGB, sRGB or grayscale colour mode files only (no CMYK)
caption each with number, your name and title of work
* An “Image Information” sheet that details per image: number, artist(s) name, title, date, medium, dimensions. Please be sure the number on the list matches the number of the jpeg image.
* Be sure to label the CD-R with your name.
* If desired, include a stamped, self-addressed envelope for return of submission material.
Submissions by email are not accepted.
Submissions must be received by Friday, 24 September 2010 at 4:00 p.m. via mail or
hand-delivered to:
Toronto Cultural Services
City Hall
100 Queen Street West
East Tower, 9th floor
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2
Attention: Janet Wardleworth
E-mail: culture@toronto.ca
Please note: Artists are NOT asked to submit proposals at this first stage of the competition.
A short list of 3 to 5 artists will be selected during this first stage. For the second stage of the competition each artist will be paid a fee to develop a project proposal based on a Terms of Reference document provided to him or her by Toronto Cultural Services. A public open house exhibition of the short listed designs and final design selection will be held at a date and place to be announced.
Note that the artists selected for the short list must be prepared to consider the challenge and importance of working closely with the Mount Dennis community and its creative interests. This may take the form of on site community workshops involving organizations such as Urban Arts to inform the development of the artistic content.
The public art concept for the Mount Dennis Neighbourhood Project will be selected through a two stage open competition by a specially convened independent Selection Committee made up of practicing arts professionals and community representatives.
The Mount Dennis Neighbourhood Project is administered by the Public Art Office of Cultural Services in collaboration with Transportation Services, Public Realm, and Right-of-Way (ROW) of the City of Toronto.
Categories: Call for Artists, Call for Submissions, Projects
