Call for Expressions of Interest: Charlottetown Library Mural

Charlottetown Library Learning Centre exterior. Photo: City of Charlottetown

Call to Artists: Public Art Mural at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre

Submission Deadline: May 28, 2026, 11:59pm AT

Charlottetown, the capital of Epekwitk/Prince Edward Island, is a growing coastal city of approximately 48,700 residents. The City of Charlottetown is located on Epekwitk, within one of the seven districts of Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. A vibrant tourism destination welcoming more than 1.6 million visitors annually, the city offers a lively arts and culture scene, year-round festivals, and is a premier event host city.

The City of Charlottetown invites professional artists and artist teams to submit expressions of interest to stage one of a public mural commission at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre (CLLC), located at 97 Queen Street. This two-stage mural commission will result in a site-specific mural installed on the exterior of the library building in the heart of downtown Charlottetown. The artwork will be painted at the library in the Summer or Fall of 2026 and will remain on public display for approximately five to ten years.

For full details, visit the Charlottetown Public Art Opportunities page.

Project Requirements

There is no prescribed theme for this call. The final artwork is expected to strengthen the existing connection between the library and the community, engage with the site’s purpose, and add to the already welcoming atmosphere of the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre.

The mural will be painted directly onto 3mm aluminum composite material (ACM) panels installed on a concrete retaining wall that wraps around the front and sides of the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre. The retaining wall includes two surfaces, both of which must be painted by the selected artist or artist team. The total square footage of both surfaces is 409 square feet. The City of Charlottetown will cover the cost of purchasing and installing the aluminum panels prior to painting. The mural must be painted on site.

The mural must be original, site-specific, and suitable for permanent outdoor public display in weather conditions typical of Prince Edward Island.

Eligibility

• Open to professional artists residing in Canada
• Both individual artists and artist teams are welcome to apply.
• The City of Charlottetown strongly encourages applications from artists who identify as Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, and/or people with disabilities.

Compensation

The commissioned artist or artist team will be selected through an open, two-stage competition and will be paid $12,500 (+HST if applicable) for this commission. This fee includes all costs directly associated with the artwork, including artist fees, production, materials, equipment rental, professional services, accommodations, travel, insurance, and other incidental and production expenses.

The City of Charlottetown will cover the cost of purchasing and installing the aluminum panels.

The three artists or artist teams shortlisted for Stage Two will each receive $500 (+HST if applicable) to develop a detailed proposal.

Charlottetown Library Learning Centre exterior. Photo: CLLC

Selection Process

This commission will be awarded through a two-stage, open competition.

Stage One: Expression of Interest
A peer jury of arts-sector and community representatives will review expressions of interest and shortlist up to three artists or artist teams. Evaluation will be based on:

• Portfolio (artistic skill, originality, and consistency)
• Relevant project experience (experience with murals or large-scale public art work)
• Thematic alignment (past work demonstrates engagement with local communities and site-specificity)

Stage Two: Design Proposals
The three shortlisted artists or artist teams will be invited to submit a detailed proposal and will be paid $500 (+HST if applicable) to develop their Stage Two proposal. Proposals will be evaluated based on artistic proposal and methodology, community relevance and site integration, public engagement and impact, and artist experience. Extra consideration will be given to proposals that strongly reflect site-specificity or include community engagement.

The successful artist or artist team will then work with city staff to coordinate on-site installation in the Summer or Fall of 2026.

Submission Requirements

Applications must be submitted as a single application package and received no later than 11:59pm AT on Thursday, May 28, 2026.

Submissions must include:

• Contact information (name, preferred pronouns, full address, email, phone number, website if applicable)
• Optional self-identification
• Letter of intent (maximum two pages) describing artistic practice, experience, and interest in the project
• Artist CV(s) (maximum two pages per artist)
• Images of past work: minimum of three and maximum of ten images

Artists submitting to Stage One are not expected to submit sketches or design concepts.

For a full list of submission requirements, visit the Charlottetown Public Art Opportunities page.

How to Submit

Applications may be submitted by email or by mail.

Email:
ddumais@charlottetown.ca

Mail:
ATTN: Doug Charlton-Dumais
City of Charlottetown
PO Box 98
Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K2

Submission Deadline: May 28, 2026, 11:59pm AT

For additional information or questions, please contact:
Doug Charlton-Dumais
ddumais@charlottetown.ca | 902.629.4085

City of Charlottetown
charlottetown.ca
city@charlottetown.ca
902-566-5548

Facebook @CityofCharlottetown
Instagram @city_of_charlottetown

Accessibility:
The City of Charlottetown is partially accessible. For more information, visit charlottetown.ca.

Image Descriptions:
1. Street-level photograph of the front of the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre in Charlottetown. A concrete retaining wall runs around the base of the building and around the corner at an intersection. The sections of both walls are bordered in red, identifying the mural area.
2. Street-level photograph of the front steps and entrance to the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre in Charlottetown. The image shows a small section of the concrete retaining wall with a person walking in front of it.