Call for Expressions of Interest: Strawberry Hill’s Early Japanese Canadians, City of Surrey

Harvesting berries on the Hirasawa farm, 1930s. Courtesy of the Hirasawa and Murakami families

Artist Call (Public Art)
Strawberry Hill’s Early Japanese Canadians

Submission Deadline: March 10, 2025
Design Fee: $280,000

The City of Surrey invites Expressions of Interest (EOI) from professional artists or artist teams to create a heritage feature with integrated artworks in a public park, as well as a related small-scale intervention in the historic Strawberry Hill neighbourhood of Newton, Surrey. These spaces will connect residents to the legacy of Surrey’s early Japanese Canadians and will confront the injustice of their uprooting, dispossession, and internment.

This is a collaborative project where the artist will work closely with a landscape architect from the City to ensure the technical feasibility of their design, as well as with a researcher, hired specifically for the project, to incorporate heritage interpretation into the design.

This project is being generously funded through the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society.

Eligibility:

• This call is open to all professional artists and artist teams.
• Artists with Japanese Canadian or Japanese heritage will be prioritized.

Deadline for application is March 10, 2025

Your Expression of Interest should contain the following information:

• Contact Details: Name, address, email and phone number
• Letter of Intent: Outline you artist approach to this project and initial concept ideas
• Artist CV: History of past exhibitions, commissions, education and/or relevant experience
• Bio & Artist Statement: A brief introduction to who you are, your practice and your connection to the Japanese Canadian community. (1 page max)
• Portfolio: Up to 10 images of past work

The full artist call and submission guidelines can be found at:
www.surrey.ca/arts-culture/surrey-public-art/artist-calls-project-updates

Contact: If you have any questions, please contact us at publicart@surrey.ca

City of Surrey
13450 104 Ave
Surrey, BC V3T 1V8