Call for Expressions of Interest: Two Public Art Opportunities for Indigenous Artists, Cabbagetown BIA

View from Spruce Street at Parliament Street. Cabbagetown BIA.

Call to Indigenous Artists – Expressions of Interest (EOI)
Two (2) Permanent Public Art Installation Opportunities

Submission Deadline: November 29, 2026 by 11:59pm EST

The Cabbagetown BIA and City of Toronto would like to commission the design, fabrication, and installation of one (1) large sculptural art piece, or a series of sculptural art pieces, by a single Indigenous artist, as well as one (1) mural by a single Indigenous artist, on the wall of No Frills at Spruce Street and Parliament Street. The sculptural art piece(s) and mural shall have an Indigenous theme or design elements that complement one another, where the mural will act as a backdrop for the sculptural art piece(s). The overall budget is approximately $108,000 +HST for the sculptural art piece(s), and $20,000 +HST for the mural.

Project Requirements

The installations will centre around the idea of connecting the Cabbagetown neighbourhood and the City of Toronto to its Indigenous roots and create artworks that carry the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation. The goal for these art installations is to embody and honour Indigenous history of the lands that Cabbagetown now resides through artworks that embrace Indigenous teachings, culture, and values.

The artwork should:

• The project should celebrate Cabbagetown’s Indigenous connections; past, present and future.
• Share culture and history, creating artworks that are lasting and have impact in the community.
• Serve as welcoming elements for locals and invite exploration by visitors. It should also support wayfinding and placemaking by guiding people from Parliament Street into the Spruce St parkette.
• The artworks must engage the community at large, local and regional Indigenous communities, the general public and the Cabbagetown community, fostering connection and dialogue among all.
• The artworks must be impactful, lasting artworks that are durable and require minimal maintenance.
• Both opportunities should complement one another through theme or design elements. Artists must be willing to work together to agree upon a thematic connection or elements for a cohesive design.

Eligibility

The Cabbagetown BIA and City of Toronto are inviting Indigenous artists, based in Canada, with connections to the City of Toronto, to submit their credentials for consideration as part of the first stage of a two-stage public art process. Applicants must be Indigenous artists with a history of public exhibition, a background of artistic training, and/or recognition as artists by arts professionals and peers. Applicants must also have some form of recognition as an Indigenous person within their Indigenous community, and ability to demonstrate learnings from their own lived experiences.

• The definition of Indigenous for this project includes those who identify as Indigenous; status or non-status, Métis or Inuit.
• Do not hesitate to submit your credentials even if you have not previously completed a public art commission.
• Please note that these opportunities entail artist collaborations.
• We will not consider non-Indigenous applicants.

Spruce Street view of potential sculptural locations. Cabbagetown BIA.

Compensation

This is a two-stage competition. Stage two shortlisted artists will be paid a fee of $1,000 (+HST if applicable) for this completed stage.

Selection Process

This is a two-stage competition process.

In Stage One, artists will submit an Expression of Interest outlining their qualifications. The Selection Panel will review all submissions and identify a shortlist of up to six (6) artists; four (4) Indigenous artists for Opportunity 1: Sculptural art piece(s), and two (2) Indigenous artists for Opportunity 2: Mural, to advance to Stage Two, where each will be invited to develop a more detailed proposal.

Shortlisted artists, as well as the final selected artist, will be determined through a combination of scoring criteria and deliberation by the Selection Panel. Preference will be given to applicants with a strong background in public art and a connection to Toronto and the Cabbagetown neighbourhood. These selections will be based on artistic excellence, relevant experience and demonstrated or perceived ability to create and execute an innovative, engaging public artwork that is complementary to the overall design scheme and community context.

View of No Frills from Spruce Street at Parliament Street. Cabbagetown BIA.

Submission Requirements

Please submit your EOI packages via email as a single PDF document no larger than 20 MB to Indigenous Public Art Curator Tessa Shank at tkaonto.art@gmail.com.

Please specify the opportunity you are applying for in the PDF document title and in the email header; (Opportunity 1: Sculptural art piece(s), or Opportunity 2: Mural).

A complete submission PDF package must include the following documentation:

1. Artistic Statement: 1-page maximum. Outline your artistic experience, ability, approach and interest in this project, highlighting relevant experience. If applicable, please note your personal connections to the City of Toronto and to the Cabbagetown neighbourhood. Proposals will NOT be accepted at this stage of the competition.
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV): 2-page maximum. Detail professional experience as an artist, past public art experience, and other information relevant to this EOI.
3. Artist Portfolio: Maximum of ten (10) images of previous work, on similar/relevant projects. Each image has an accompanying list that clearly outlines the following information, in the following order: Title, year, location, mediums, commissioning agents and/or collaborators, project budget, dimensions, and a brief description of the works (maximum 50 words).
4. Connection to Community: A written statement describing your connection to Indigenous community, and/or lived experience as an Indigenous person.

How to Submit

Please submit your complete EOI documents as a single PDF document (maximum 20MB) via email to Indigenous Public Art Curator Tessa Shank at tkaonto.art@gmail.com.

Please review & download the full EOI document at www.tessashank.com/curation.

Submission Deadline: November 29, 2026 by 11:59pm EST

For additional information or questions, please contact:
Tessa Shank | Indigenous Public Art Curator
tkaronto.art@gmail.com
www.tessashank.com/curation
Instagram @tkaronto.art

Cabbagetown BIA
237 Carlton Street
Toronto, ON M5A 2L2
bia@cabbagetownto.com
www.cabbagetownto.com
Instagram @cabbagetown.toronto