Call for Expressions of Interest: James Stevenson Park Legacy Project, Peterborough

Baseball at Riverside Park, industrial buildings seen behind. Image courtesy of Peterborough Museum & Archives.

Call to Artists – Expression of Interest (EOI)
James Stevenson Park Legacy Project

Submission Deadline: Friday, November 13, 2026, by 4:00pm ET

The City of Peterborough invites professional artists and artist collectives to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for illuminated interactive sculpture with bilingual interpretive panels at James Stevenson Park. The project is part of a Legacy Grant upgrade funded through the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage (BCAH) program. It commemorates 150 years since Peterborough’s first recorded local baseball game, reflecting the city’s long-standing connection to the community, sport, and public space.

Project Requirements

The selected artist or artist collective will design, fabricate and install:

1. An illuminated, interactive sculpture suitable for permanent outdoor installation.
2. Interpretive panels in English and French that explain the artwork and commemorate Peterborough’s first recorded baseball game.

The artwork should respond to the park setting, offering an engaging, accessible experience for visitors.

Artwork Parameters

• Artwork Type: Illuminated, interactive sculpture with bilingual interpretive panels
• Location: James Stevenson Park, 325 Burnham Street, Peterborough Ontario K9H 1T5
• Material: Durable materials suitable for year-round outdoor conditions. Finishes must resist UV damage and allow for easy graffiti removal.
• Permanence: Permanent, fixed installation
• Accessibility and Safety: The artwork and interactive features must support safe and accessible public use.
• Maintenance: Low maintenance design. The selected artist must provide care instructions for the sculpture, lighting, interactive components, and interpretive panels. Illumination must be derived from solar or battery power.

Riverside Park, taken from outfield looking north-west. You can see the two grandstands that accompanied the park and the original Quaker Oats building (before the 1916 fire destroyed it and it was rebuilt). Image courtesy of Peterborough Museum & Archives.

Fabrication & Installation

The city will work with the selected artist to ensure the project meets architectural, engineering, and operational requirements.

The respective responsibilities of the artist and City for foundations, electrical connections, engineering, permits, translation and installation support will be outlined in the project brief provided to shortlisted artists.

The total project budget of $ 45,000 CAD (inclusive of all fees, expenses, and HST) must cover all aspects of the project, including artist fees, design development, fabrication, and installation of the sculpture.

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to professional artists and artist collectives eligible to work in Canada.

Applicants must demonstrate experience creating durable, site-responsive public artwork. Experience with outdoor sculpture, illumination, or interactive features is relevant to this project.

Artist collectives must designate a lead artist who will serve as the primary contact.

Compensation

• Total project budget: $45,000 CAD, inclusive of all fees, expenses, installation
• Stage 2 honorarium: $1,500 CAD + plus applicable HST (included in the total project budget) per shortlisted artist or artist collective

The project budget must cover artist fees, design development, materials, fabrication, installation of the sculpture and bilingual interpretive panels, insurance, travel, and contingencies.

Aerial view of James Stevenson Park. Photo: Kawarthanow.com

Selection Process

This call adheres to the City’s two-stage Expression of Interest process.

Stage 1 – Expression of Interest
Artists submit qualifications and examples of past work. No detailed design proposal is required at this stage.

A shortlist of up to three (3) artists or collectives will be selected based on:

• Artistic quality of previous work.
• Relevant experience with durable outdoor public art.
• Demonstrated ability to complete projects of similar scope and budget.
• Experience responding to a site’s history, community, and public use.

Stage 2 – Design Proposals
Shortlisted artists or collectives will be invited to develop a project-specific proposal and will receive an honorarium for this work.

The Stage 2 brief will outline proposal requirements, technical information, evaluation criteria, deadlines, and any presentation requirements.

The Public Art Jury will review proposals through the City’s approved selection process. The selected artist or collective will enter into an agreement with the city before proceeding.

Stage 1 – Expression of Interest (EOI) Submission Requirements

Interested artists and artist collectives must submit the following:

• Artist Information: Artist or collective name and contact information.
• Statement of Interest: A brief statement outlining your interest in the project and relevant experience (maximum 1 page).
• Resume/CV: A current resume or CV for the artist and key collective members (maximum 3 pages).
• Examples of Previous Work: Examples of relevant completed projects, including the title, date, location, materials, and a brief description of your role (maximum 10 pages).
• Artist collectives must identify one lead artist who will serve as the primary contact for the project.

Key Dates

• Stage 1 – EOI Submission Deadline: November 13, 2026, at 4:00pm ET
• Shortlisted Artists Notified: December 3, 2026
• Stage 2 – Proposal Submission Deadline: January 18, 2027

How to Submit

All Stage 1 submissions must be emailed to: culturalservices@peterborough.ca

For questions about the project or submission process, please contact:
culturalservices@peterborough.ca
705-742-7777 ext. 2219

City of Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
www.peterborough.ca
recruiting@peterborough.ca

Instagram @CityPtbo
Facebook @CityPtbo

Accessibility
The City of Peterborough is partially accessible. For more information, please visit our website.

Land Acknowledgment
We respectfully acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional and treaty territories of the Williams Treaties First Nations, which include the Anishinaabeg peoples of Hiawatha, Curve Lake, Alderville, Beausoleil, Georgina Island, Rama, and the Mississaugas of Scugog Island. For thousands of years, the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg have lived in reciprocity with these lands, guided by traditional knowledge, ceremony, and responsibility. These Nations continue to uphold their responsibilities as stewards of the lands, waters, and caretakers of knowledge.