Call for Proposals: Yonge + St. Clair Art Installations for DesignTO Festival 2027

Mike Geiger, Nature’s Meadow, 2026. Photo: Spectre Agency

Yonge + St. Clair Business Improvement Area [BIA] Call for Proposals

Festival Dates: January 22 – 31, 2027
Submission Deadline: Sunday, September 13, 2026, 5:00pm ET

About the Opportunity

For more than seven years, the Yonge + St. Clair BIA has partnered with DesignTO Festival, Canada’s largest annual celebration of art and design, to transform publicly accessible spaces into a neighbourhood-wide exhibition celebrating art, design, and placemaking.

We invite artists, architects, designers, fabricators and multidisciplinary creatives to submit ambitious, site-specific installations for DesignTO Festival 2027 that activate space, encourage exploration, and create memorable experiences. Selected works will be displayed throughout Yonge + St. Clair, reaching thousands of residents, office workers, and visitors. In addition, each installation will receive exposure through DesignTO Festival’s marketing channels, guided walking tours, artist talks, and neighbourhood programming.

Theme: Intersections

Yonge + St. Clair has long been a place where people, ideas and city life intersect. Situated between downtown and uptown Toronto, the neighbourhood brings together residents, businesses, office workers and visitors while continuing to evolve through significant growth and investment. These intersections between communities, disciplines, history, and progress shape the identity of the neighbourhood and the experiences of those who move through it each day.

Artists are invited to interpret Intersections through their own creative and critical lens. Proposals may explore themes of convergence, transformation, movement, identity, exchange, and/or the evolving relationship between people and place. The theme is intentionally broad, encouraging innovative responses that activate the selected site.

Installation Details

Exhibition Period: January 22 – 31, 2027 (Select installations may remain on display beyond the festival period, subject to site approval.) Power supply, or additional operational and infrastructure assistance may be provided on-site. These locations are accessible and include appropriate accommodations.

Cherie Leung, Connections, 2026. Photo: Spectre Agency

Installation Sites

One installation will be commissioned for each of the following locations:

• 2 St. Clair Ave W, Lobby (Location images)
• 2 St. Clair Ave E, Lower Level – Window (Location images)
• 30 St. Clair Ave W, Lobby (Location images)
• 40 St. Clair Ave W, Lobby (Location images)
• 55 St. Clair Ave W, Lobby (Location images)
• 95 St. Clair Ave W, Gallery (Location images)
• 1521 Yonge St, Window (Location images)

Budget

Selected projects will receive funding between $5,000 and $7,500 CAD (inclusive of HST, artist fees, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation and de-installation). Applicants are encouraged to request only the funding necessary to successfully realize their proposal. Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate exceptional value while maximizing the visual impact and activation of the selected site.

Budgets must include a detailed line-item breakdown outlining all anticipated project costs. Generalized or lump-sum budgets will not be considered. Artists retain ownership of their work following the exhibition unless otherwise agreed.

Design Considerations

Successful proposals should:

• Respond thoughtfully to the exhibition theme.
• Be designed specifically for a selected site.
• Maximize the scale and spatial potential of the selected site.
• Create an engaging public experience through immersion, interaction or visual impact.
• Be achievable within the proposed budget and timeline.
• If working at heights, artists and/or installers are required to have the appropriate certifications.
• Comply with DesignTO Festival Artistic Guidelines

Artists may submit proposals for multiple sites; however, only one proposal per artist or team may be selected. Artists are responsible for the fabrication, transportation, installation, and de-installation of their work.

Asli Alin, Beneath One Sky, 2026. Photo: Spectre Agency

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to emerging and established artists, designers, architects, and creative practitioners working in any medium. Preference will be given to applicants based in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area.

Site Hours of Operation

Applicants are encouraged to independently visit the installation exhibit locations during publicly accessible hours. Office lobbies are open to the public Monday – Friday 7:00am – 6:00pm and Saturday – Sunday 11:00am – 6:00pm. Please submit any inquiries regarding site details to info@yongestclair.ca.

Timeline

• September 13, 2026 – Submission deadline
• Late September 2026 – Artists selected
• October 2026 – Final project information submitted to DesignTO
• November 2026 – DesignTO Festival announcement
• January 14 – 21, 2027 – Installation period
• January 22 – 31, 2027 – Exhibition
• February 1 – 2, 2027 – De-installation (unless exhibit extended)

Proposal Requirements

Submit one (1) PDF for your proposed installation(s) containing:

1. Artist Information: Including your name, phone number, email, project title, and brief artist biography (maximum 300 words).
2. Executive Summary: A concise project description (between 500 & 1,000 words) outlining your concept, how it responds to the selected site and its relationship to the exhibition theme (Intersections).
3. Artistic Concept: Visual material sufficient to communicate your proposal, including sketches, renderings, diagrams, precedent images, material samples, and/or photographs of existing work. If the work is already produced, submit dimensions and high-resolution photos.
4. Budget: A detailed line-item breakdown outlining all anticipated project costs. Generalized or lump-sum budgets will not be considered.
5. Current Resume: Include prior relevant certifications, work experience, exhibition history, samples of work, and/or awards.

Submission Instructions

Submit proposals electronically via email or Dropbox link. For a full PDF version of the RFP please visit here.

Deadline: Sunday, September 13, 2026, 5:00pm ET

Email: info@yongestclair.ca

Subject Line: DesignTO Festival 2027 – Installation Name – Artist Name

Applicants may submit proposals for multiple locations; however, each proposal must be submitted separately and tailored to its intended site.

We look forward to receiving proposals that contribute to the evolving identity of Yonge + St. Clair while creating memorable experiences during DesignTO Festival 2027.

Yonge + St. Clair BIA
yongestclair.ca
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