Call for Applications: Fall 2026 Artist in Residence Program at the Richmond Hill Cultural Centre

Make Your Mark on the Richmond Hill Cultural Centre

Application Deadline: Monday, August 17, 11:59pm ET

Calling all artists, the City of Richmond Hill is looking for professional artists to apply for the Artist in Residence (AiR) Program commencing Fall 2026.

This residency offers an unique opportunity to enhance the visual identity of the Richmond Hill Cultural Centre, the newly opened cultural hub for creative professionals. The AiR candidate selected will be commissioned for the design and execution of a cohesive interior mural inside the Cultural Centre, as well as two exterior street-pole banners.

Richmond Hill’s Artist in Residence is a program initiated to provide artists with the opportunity to develop new pieces of work with the purpose of animating public spaces throughout the City. The goal of the artwork is to engage the community through the creation of temporary installation and/or creative experiences.

Project Requirements

The selected Artist in Residence will create two cohesive components that will be displayed at the Richmond Hill Cultural Centre. The theme of the pieces are open to artist interpretation, but must aligned with the City of Richmond Hill’s Strategic Plan vision of “A vibrant and inclusive city of neighbours.”

The project components include:

• One interior, hand-painted mural located in the boardroom, size 106.5″ (W) × 96″ (H) and
• Two complementary exterior street-pole banners that extend the project’s themes into the surrounding streetscape, size 24″ (W) × 60″ (H)

Production specifications are available at RichmondHill.ca/ArtistResidence.

Images (left to right): A vertical exterior banner on the outside of the Cultural Centre. The Cultural Centre’s boardroom wall, awaiting a mural.

Eligibility

The Artist in Residence Project is open to applicants, who are:

• Open to emerging, mid-career, and established professional artists
• Applicants must be 18+
• Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident, and legally able to work in Canada.
• Richmond Hill and York Region–based artists are encouraged to apply.

Compensation

The selected Artist in Residence will be provided with the following compensation to help with the creation and production of their mural and exterior banners:

• Studio access at the Richmond Hill Cultural Centre
• Artist fee + Approved production budget
• City support for promotion, coordination, and site access/approvals (as applicable)

Exterior of the Richmond Hill Cultural Centre

How to Apply

For more information and to apply, visit the Richmond Hill website, and complete the online application form, including the list of required support materials.

The successful artist will be asked to submit additional forms including insurance and project-specific terms in the formal artist agreement.

Application Deadline: Monday, August 17 at 11:59pm ET

For additional information or questions, please contact:
Leanne DiMonte, Cultural Services Coordinator
leanne.dimonte@richmondhill.ca

Richmond Hill Cultural Centre
10184 Yonge Street
Richmond Hill, ON L4C 1T6
RichmondHill.ca/CulturalCentre
Facebook @RHRecandCulture
Instagram @myrichmondhill

Image Descriptions:
1. Artist arm with blue glove, holding a paint brush and painting a blue and yellow mural.
2. Two side-by-side photos. The left image shows a blue vertical exterior banner on the outside of the Cultural Centre. The right image shows a boardroom with a blank white wall, awaiting a mural, positioned between a glass-framed door and a black brick wall.
3. Red brick exterior of Richmond Hill Cultural Centre building, with flagpole on top.