Request for Qualifications: Arts Commons Transformation Expansion Public Art, Calgary

2025 Public Art Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
Arts Commons Transformation (ACT) Expansion Project, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC)

The ACT Expansion project is a $270 million addition to Calgary’s premiere performing arts centre. The project is a timely response to the community’s swelling demand for flexible and accessible arts and performance venues that support diverse and relevant programming. The Expansion features a 1,000-seat main theatre and a 200-seat flexible studio theatre, as well as lobby, event, and back-of-house spaces.

The Arts Commons Expansion will be a distinctive addition to Calgary’s downtown, and its architectural design emphasizes both functionality and artistic expression. As a result of the placement of the ACT Expansion within the Arts Commons campus, the building’s north edge is located immediately adjacent to the public realm and is highly visible from the passing Calgary Transit (CTrain) light rail cars and by pedestrians. The design of the Expansion limits windows along the north edge, leaving a solid, rather long and tall façade bordering an important part of the public realm. As a result, CMLC and its partners are launching the ACT Expansion Public Art RFQ that will play an essential role in connecting the Arts Commons Campus with its urban context

CMLC seeks an artist or artist team to create an artwork(s) for the ACT Expansion through this unencumbered call. CMLC encourages all locally, nationally and internationally qualified artists to apply. The public art design will beautify, activate, and enliven the Arts Commons campus. The successful artist/artist team will work with CMLC, Arts Commons, the design team KPMB Architects, Hindle Architects, and TAWAW Architecture Collective, and the Construction Manager EllisDon to coordinate design, fabrication, and installation.

Budget: $1.32 million CAD

Required Submission Materials

• A statement about your interest in public art and how it should engage or respond to its environment and the audience.
• Annotated image list–twelve (12) images with: date, title, media, and dimensions of past and current work. If the image reflects a public work, include the location of the project and the commissioning agency. Multimedia items (video and/or sound clips)that describe your work may be included as part of the annotated image list but not exclusively so. Links to web-based portfolios are encouraged.
• A selected biography (CV) including current contact information, including phone number and email address.
• If working as part of a team, a brief resumé or CV of each team member and a description of past experiences working together.
• Two (2) or three (3) reviews or news articles about past projects (optional).
• Two (2) professional letters of reference.

Selection Process

A Selection Committee will evaluate each response and prepare a long list for consideration by a jury. The adjudication and selection of the potential candidates for the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage will be formalised through a Professional Recommendation to CMLC and the Arts Common’s Transformation team authored by the Selection Committee and Art to Public. Candidates will be notified if they move to the RFP stage. Those moving to the RFP stage will receive an honorarium of $15,000.00 CAD for the development of and support of the final design concept. All applicants will be notified regardless.

Deadline and Submission Details

Proposals will be accepted until Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 5:00pm MT. Responses that do not fully meet the criteria above may not be considered. It is the respondent’s responsibility to request clarification of any item that is unclear or uncertain within the context of the RFQ package by contacting:

Art to Public: info@arttopublic.net
+1 (587)318-0601

Please click here to view the entire RFQ and to upload submission materials.