Call for Expressions of Interest: Interactive Public Art at Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex

Kitchener Indoor Recreation Facility main entrance located at RBJ Schlegel Park, Kitchener. Image credit: Unity Design Studio

Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex
Public Art Competition

City of Kitchener is building a new multi-purpose recreation facility and seeking expressions of interest to install an outdoor sculpture commission on site.

Something extraordinary is under construction in Kitchener – we’re building a new hub for sport, recreation, and community connection. The Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex is going to be a game changer, and we’re looking for some sports-themed interactive public art to help bring it to life. The submission deadline is Monday, December 15, 2025.

We invite artists or artist teams to submit an expression of interest for this exciting public art opportunity to create exterior sculptures that are imaginative, engaging, and visually striking, that invite public interaction, and are inspired by the theme of Sport.

Project Requirements

• One project will be selected and awarded a maximum of $200,000.
• There are two exterior locations included in this call.
• Expressions of interest (EOIs) should include sculpture ideas for both identified sites.
• EOIs may be submitted by individual artists or artist teams.
• EOIs will embody the theme of Sport and represent at least one of the principal sports played at the facility; soccer, lacrosse, cricket, basketball, pickleball, and volleyball.
• Sculptures proposed for the installation should be engaging and invite public interaction, which could include interesting texture or sensory components to touch, and/or opportunities to climb in/on, sit in/on, stand beside/in/on, and even the integration of seating.
• Sculptures will be installed on a hardscape surface outside each facility entrance, and should be designed as permanent structures suitable for high-traffic areas.
• Sculptures should be durable enough to withstand the elements and be fabricated using high-quality, long-lasting, and low-maintenance materials suitable for an outdoor environment.

Location One: West (main) entrance to the facility with yellow rectangle representing sculpture location. Image credit: Unity Design Studio

Location One: Ground-mounted outside the facility’s west (main) entrance

An approximate 4 meter by 4 meter area on a hardscape surface has been identified at the main entrance of the facility for the installation of a sculpture with a maximum height of 1.5 meters from the ground.

Location Two: Model of facility north entrance with yellow rectangle representing sculpture location. Image credit: Unity Design Studio

Location Two: Ground-mounted outside the facility’s north entrance

An approximate 12 meter by 8 meter hardscape area has been identified at the north entrance of the facility for the installation of a sculpture with a maximum height of 1.5 meters from the ground.

Compensation

The $200,000 commission available for this public art competition must cover:

• Design and production
• Insurance and legal fees
• Material
• Studio and storage
• Fabrication
• Transportation of the artwork to the site
• Installation, including connection bolts, plates, concrete foundations, or piers
• Subcontractor fees related to the design, engineering or production of the artwork
• Documentation (photography of work-in-progress, finished work, material specification sheets, maintenance schedule, etc.)
• Artist or team travel and meeting time

Selection Process

Commission of this public art will be achieved through a two-stage competition:

Stage One

• Call for expression of interest from artists or teams
• Jury reviews, deliberates, and selects artists or teams to be invited to stage two

Evaluation Criteria

Jury members will independently evaluate the EOI submissions from artists or teams using the evaluation categories included below:

• Artist or team qualifications and ability to produce high-quality artwork
• Artistic merit of the proposed concept
• Proposal is in alignment with core theme of sport; representing at least one of the principal sports played at the facility
• The artwork invites public interaction in a way that is playful and engaging
• The proposed artwork is feasible to install

Stage Two

• Short-listed artists or teams will be asked to prepare detailed concept drawings and/or models of their sculptures, accompanied by a presentation of their proposal to the jury
• Up to five EOIs short-listed by the jury will be paid $2,500 per selected artist or team.
• This stage of the decision-making may include a public voting component
• Jury will make a recommendation for the commission

Submission Requirements

To be eligible for stage one consideration, applications must include:

• Letter of interest (maximum 1,000 words) highlighting artistic practice, relevant experience and a description of the proposed sculpture idea
• Summary of relevant credentials or qualifications, or a Curriculum Vitae (maximum two pages)
• Current contact information
• An estimated budget to produce the artwork proposed
• No more than 10 high-resolution image or video files that illustrate past public art projects and preliminary sketches or renderings of your proposed artwork concept, ideally contained within a single PDF document
• Two letters of reference from administrators of past public art projects or other sponsors of your artwork

An information session will take place on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at Kitchener City Hall in the Conestoga Room, 6 – 8pm. To attend virtually, email publicart@kitchener.ca to receive a link.

How to Submit

Submission Deadline: Monday, December 15, 2025, 5pm ET

Read more information about the Public Art Call on the City of Kitchener Website.

You can apply:

• Online
• By email to publicart@kitchener.ca
• By delivery or mail

If you have any questions, please send us an email.

Online
To apply online, please complete the application form.

By delivery or mail
To apply by delivery or mail, please submit two unbound copies of your package (page size 8 ½″ x 11″) before the final deadline to:

Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex public art competition
c/o Economic Development
200 King Street West
Kitchener, ON N2G 4G7
Canada
Attention: Andrea Hallam, Arts and Creative Industries Manager

For additional information or questions, please contact: PublicArt@kitchener.ca

City of Kitchener
www.kitchener.ca
PublicArt@kitchener.ca