Call for Proposals: Mandy Lowe Artist-in-Residence Program, University Health Network

Call for Proposals:
Mandy Lowe Artist-in-Residence Program

Deadline: September 30, 2026

University Health Network (UHN)’s Education Program invites applications for the inaugural Mandy Lowe Artist-in-Residence Program. This new one-year residency honours Mandy Lowe’s contributions to clinical learner education by supporting an emerging artist whose work explores the intersections of health, learning, and community.

As UHN’s inaugural Artist-in-Residence, the selected emerging artist will have the opportunity to develop and share their creative work within a hospital environment. The program aims to enrich the health sciences libraries by integrating thoughtful, evocative and beautiful art into the built environment, and, build community by facilitating reflection, dialogue, belonging, wellness, and creative expression for hospital staff and students.

Residency Overview

• Duration: 1 year (anticipated start: Late Fall 2026)
• Honorarium award: $4,000

The award supports an emerging visual artist to create and display an original artwork or small series connected to healthcare education and learning.

Artists are invited to explore themes such as:

• Health and wellness in healthcare education
• Community, collaboration, and shared learning in healthcare
• Art as moving health education forward

The selected artist will also design and deliver one engagement session for students and members of the TeamUHN community, shaped by the artist’s practice and proposed project.

The Mandy Lowe Artist-in-Residence may choose to draw inspiration from UHN’s health sciences libraries collection, selected Corporate Archives resources, and conversations with members of the TeamUHN community, with access coordinated according to project needs and feasibility. The recipient will also have opportunities to connect with members of the TeamUHN community to explore the role of art in a hospital and educational setting, including consultations with the artistic advisory council.

A display wall in the Health Sciences Library at Toronto General Hospital, approximately 14 feet wide, will be available for the completed work. Images of the wall are included; for scale, the artwork currently mounted is approximately 4 feet 2 inches by 3 feet 4 inches. Projects may include painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, or other wall-mounted media that can be safely displayed in the space.

Artwork must adhere to hospital infection prevention and control best practices (ideally easy to clean, non-porous materials, framed or encased; consideration may be given to material more difficult to clean or damp dusted only) and require minimal maintenance. Artwork should be original. This space where the art will be hosted is accessible to hospital staff and students 24/7 for viewing. It is also accessible to patients and the public during weekdays for viewing.

There is no dedicated studio space. UHN will provide engagement-session space, along with coordination, promotion, and communication support.

The selected artist will receive a $4,000 residency award to compensate for their creative and professional contribution. Installation, travel, workshop supply, or other direct project costs will be supported separately and should be identified in the proposal and discussed before the residency agreement is finalized. Payment terms will be confirmed in writing and may include milestone-based payments.

The artist will retain ownership and copyright unless otherwise agreed in writing. UHN will display the work for up to one year and permission to photograph or reproduce images for non-commercial program promotion, internal communications, reporting, and archival purposes.

Residency Deliverables

The one-year residency provides time and flexibility for the following deliverables; it is not intended to require full-time or continuous work:

• Create and present one original, wall-mounted artwork or small series for display in the Health Sciences Library at Toronto General Hospital.
• Design and deliver one engagement session for students and staff of the hospital community.
• Provide a short artist statement or reflection of approximately 100–150 words to accompany the displayed artwork.
• Attend and participate in one informal reception related to the completed work, subject to scheduling.

Who Should Apply?

• Artists who self-identify as ‘emerging’ and are in the early stages of their artistic career or are current students
• Residing in the Greater Toronto Area

Submission Guidelines

Interested applicants are asked to submit the following:

• Name and contact information (email, phone number)
• A brief project proposal describing the proposed work, one engagement session, alignment with program themes, and any anticipated direct project costs (500 words maximum)
• Resume or CV
• Samples of work or Relevant portfolio (recommendation of a selection of 5 images of your work either embedded into a PDF to help us understand your artistic practice and it’s connection to the proposed project)

How to Submit

Please submit applications to: UHNLibraries@uhn.ca

Application Deadline: September 30, 2026

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee. Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate a strong connection to the program’s themes, show potential for meaningful community engagement, and are based locally (GTA). Only the selected applicant will be contacted.

About Mandy Lowe

Mandy Lowe retired from the role of Senior Director of clinical education at UHN in Winter 2024 after a transformative career in education leadership. Her impact on clinical learner education and collaboration at UHN and beyond remains palpable. Mandy was also a lover of the arts, in her retirement she’s been spending much of her time painting in nature. The artist-in-residence program seeks to honour and recognize her impact.

About UHN

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada’s top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it anational and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto. UHN’s vision is to build A Healthier World and it’s only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality. More about UHN at www.uhn.ca