Call for Proposals: Art Nest 2026

Toronto Outdoor Art Fair: July 2026, Nathan Phillips Square

Sanctuary II, Sharl G. Smith, Art Nest 2025, Stainless steel beads & aircraft cable.

Call for Proposals: Art Nest – Public Art Opportunity for Artists at TOAF’s 65th Anniversary

Submission Deadline: November 10, 2025, 11:59pm ET

As Toronto Outdoor Art Fair celebrates its 65th anniversary, Art Nest 2026 invites artists to reflect on what it means to reach this milestone—both for an organization and in the human life cycle. Age 65 is often associated with retirement, closure, or transition, yet it can also signal renewal, clarity, and the freedom to create on one’s own terms.

We are seeking proposals for public artworks that explore the intersections of creativity and aging: the shifting values of legacy, purpose, and intergenerational exchange; the challenges of health, identity, and relevance; and the possibility of imagining “an artist’s retirement.”

What would it mean to make a final artwork, or to never stop making? How might public art reframe ambition, permanence, and monumentality through the lens of later life? We welcome submissions from artists across disciplines and stages of practice who are interested in engaging these themes in bold, thoughtful, and site-responsive ways.

Learn more about Art Nest

Why Apply?

• Mentorship & Guidance: Work closely with accomplished Independent Curator Rui Pimenta, who will support your artistic journey and provide personalized mentorship throughout the process. Gain invaluable insights into conceptual development, installation logistics, and public engagement that will set you up with success and prepare you for future artistic endeavours.
• Exposure & Audience: Showcase your art to a diverse audience of 170,000 art lovers, collectors, and critics. Whether you’re looking to expand your network, build relationships with industry professionals, or simply share your vision with a broader public, TOAF offers an exceptional platform to showcase your practice.

Compensation

Funding & Recognition: Selected artists will receive a commission fee of $2,000, as well as an additional $2,000 to support material costs, allowing you to experiment and bring your ambitious concepts to life.

#hopeandhealingcanada, Tracey Mae Chambers, Art Nest 2025, Woven yarn.

Eligibility

Art Nest invites artists—emerging or established—with a passion for public art, to expand their practice by creating commissioned projects for installation at Nathan Phillips Square during the 65th Toronto Outdoor Art Fair in July 2026.

Submission Guidelines

Please submit all materials in a single PDF document to artnest@TOAF.ca by November 10, 2025. Include your full name and “Art Nest 2026,” in the subject line. Images can be submitted in a separate compressed zip file.

• Your name, address, telephone number and email contact
• Links to social media accounts if applicable
• A brief bio (150 words maximum) and CV (2 pages maximum)
• Statement describing the proposed work for exhibition, how it would be installed and how visitors might interact with it
• 5 images or sketches/renderings of the work to be exhibited and 5 images of previous works that are either relevant to the proposed project or show your ability to deliver the proposed work.
  ◦  JPG images can be no larger than 1024 x 768 pixels and 300 dpi
• Description of images (title, year, medium)
• Please compress your images into a zip file

Shortlisted artists may be contacted for further details. Proposals must account for visitor safety. All proposals are subject to approval by the City of Toronto.

Although some install support will be provided, selected artists should be prepared to install and tear down their own work. Artists must provide all materials for installation. Although not required, artists are encouraged to be present during the 3 days of the Fair to greet the public, answer any questions about their work and for associated programming (Art Talks, public art tours).

Selection Process

Only those with selected proposals will be contacted by January 8, 2026. We are not able to provide feedback on applications that were not selected.

Submission Deadline: November 10, 2025, 11:59pm ET

Picnic, Jes Young, 2025, Glazed porcelain.

What past participants had to say:

“Art Nest helped me grow as an artist in a professional and public setting. It provided me the space to really create a large scale project with the help and support of the Art Nest team and curator Myta Sayo. I was able to take risks, play, experiment with techniques in order to realize my project and provided the space to show it in a new exciting context.”
– Jes Young, 2025 Art Nest Artist

“Art Nest gave me the opportunity and means to take my practice in a new and experimental direction. Providing the space to exhibit this piece, with instant feedback from TOAF viewers, is so valuable, and gives me the confidence to continue this body of work.”
– Chris Harms, 2024 Art Nest Artist

About Toronto Outdoor Art Fair

Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (TOAF) is Canada’s leading outdoor and online art Fair. Established in 1961 to connect Canadian artists directly to the public, TOAF showcases 400+ emerging and established visual artists, including painters, photographers, sculptors and artists working in ceramics, textiles, jewellery and more. The event brings together 170,000 art lovers and enthusiasts who spend over 2 million dollars on art during the Fair. This free public event takes place every July — rain or shine — at Nathan Phillips Square in the heart of downtown Toronto. Since 2020, TOAF’s online Fair has become Canada’s fastest-growing e-commerce and discovery platform for artists across Canada. Toronto Outdoor Art Fair is a registered charitable nonprofit organization.

416-408-2754 | artnest@TOAF.ca
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Accessibility: Toronto Outdoor Art Fair is fully accessible.