Call for Indigenous Expressions of Interest: River Street Underpass Mural Project, Toronto

Call for Expressions of Interest:
River Street Underpass Mural Project at King/Queen Triangle

StreetARToronto invites artists who identify as Indigenous persons to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in the River Street Underpass Mural Project at King/Queen Triangle.

The goal of this Expression of Interest (EOI) is to obtain a roster of artists who identify as Indigenous, who will be eligible to participate in this project. The River Street Underpass Project aims to beautify and animate the North and South walls with meaningful murals (one on each wall) representative of the local historical Indigenous perspective.

Expressions of Interest are due: June 5, 2023 by 11:30PM EDT.

For more information about StreetARToronto (StART) and this project
View the Expression of Interest Application Here.

Concept

The murals will transform the River Street Underpass walls at King/Queen Triangle into a celebrated community feature representative of the local historical Indigenous perspective that commemorates the creativity and wisdom of Indigenous ways of knowing and being.

The design of the two (2) murals must work cohesively together and complement the overarching design concept by the Waterfront Toronto commissioned Artist team, Jordan Bennett (Mi’kmaq) and Amy Malbeuf (Metis), who are developing public art for the site that integrates sculpture and landscaping. Their vision is to create artworks that celebrate the continuity between Indigenous histories and contemporary urban experience, one that enriches the site with artworks to see, touch and rest with, as people make their way through to another destination. Along with the team’s landscape architect, their aim is to create a seamless integrated space between art and landscape, through story. This mural will express the mural artist’s story, and in addition will act as an extension and continuation of the site’s ongoing stories.

Five (5) short-listed artists will then be invited to develop a design-concept that responds to these themes (one concept per short-listed artist).

Artist Fees

Artists whose concepts are selected for implementation will be paid as follows:

• River Street Underpass (2 Walls) $28,600 + HST

Eligibility Requirements

This REOI is open to Indigenous artists located within Ontario who have completed large, outdoor murals and have experience in mural and street art design and implementation.

Indigenous people include Status and Non-Status First Nations, Métis, Inuit. The City understands that the term Indigenous People includes diverse communities and cultures that originate from all areas across Canada.

Interested Street Artists may respond to this Request for Expressions of Interest by completing the application online here All Expressions of Interest must include the components detailed below.

When submitting supporting PDF documents please save file as “First Name_Last Name_River Street Mural Project EOI”. Videos, if included, must be zipped and must not be longer than 15 minutes.

Expressions of Interest should include:

1. Full name or names (if collaborative), address with postal code, phone number, email address, and email), and social media addresses and/or website if you have these.
2. Artist information and Experience – Highlights (up to but not more than 850 words in 12-point font for each point below).
   a.  Artist Statement and Bio – To understand how and why you do the artwork you do, please tell us about your art, creative process, inspirations and the materials you work with.
   b.  Statement of Interest – Describe your interest in this project and your goals related to creating street art in the public realm.
   c.  Relevant Work History – Please elaborate on your history of working on large scale projects. Include experience working on scaffolding and/or lifts and details on health and safety training if you have it.
   d.  Community Experience – Describe your experience working on projects where you have incorporated community ideas and/or feedback into your final artwork design concept.
   e.  Resume or CV (Optional) – if you are providing a team/collaborative submission, each member may provide a resume.
3. Two references who can speak to your art-making experience – please provide their name, phone number and email address.
4. Images of past work – up to 5 images. Please include digital images of past work in any medium that best illustrates your qualifications for this project. Please include the following information for each image: Title of work, your role (ie. Artist, Lead Artist, Artist Assistant, Member of Collaborative), medium, dimensions (approx.), location, date of installation.

How to Apply

Please complete and submit the application form under 2023 StART River Street Underpass Mural Project – Open Request for Expression of Interest.

Submissions will not be accepted past the deadline.

For further information or questions related to this Request for Expression of Interest please contact Catherine Curran, Project Curator at catherine.curran@toronto.ca.

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