Call for Submissions: Burlington Waterfront Sculpture Trail 2027

Images (left to right) – 2026 Award Winners: Spheres of Influence by Ron Baird; Romeo and Juliette by Tamara Kwapich. Photos courtesy Stephen Rea Photography. Made In Canada Part 2 by Mark Pflieger. Photo courtesy Matt Clark.

Dan Lawrie International Sculpture Collection presents the 2027 Burlington Waterfront Sculpture Trail at Spencer Smith Park

Submission Deadline: September 18, 5:00pm ET

Submissions are now open for the sixth edition of the Burlington Waterfront Sculpture Trail (BWST), a project of the Dan Lawrie International Sculpture Collection (DLISC). We encourage applications from both emerging and established artists. Sculptural works are selected for their ability to engage with site, materiality, and context, and to encourage audiences to think differently about place, time, and the spaces we share.

Project Overview

The exhibit will run from April 10 – May 31, 2027

The 2027 BWST will create a 2.5km long experience linking Spencer Smith Park and the Downtown Burlington BIA through a series of 60 temporary sculptures and 10 large-scale and/or interactive installation works created by local, regional, and national artists. The trail will be a fully accessible experience, free of barriers and admission, for all to engage in.

In 2027 BWST will be hosting programming opportunities to engage the public including:

• NEW Sculpture Inside at the AGB – an opportunity to display and sell small works for exhibiting artists
• Four or more public guided tours
• Two Friday Night Lights events – where we light up Spencer Smith Park and many of the sculptures
• Family Fun Day programming in Spencer Smith Park
• NEW ArtSpeaks™ – an immersive tool developed together with BWST participating artists. Bringing the art to life through AI Voice conversations that inspire curiosity, learning, and discovery. Powered by iMatr®, it combines conversational AI and AI Voice technology

Project Opportunities

This year BWST is offering three primary opportunities for exhibition:

1. Base (60 selections)
BWST offers two different plinth installation options: open-air works installed on concrete plinths with no covering and works installed on plinths under plexiglass covers.

Open-Air Plinths (30 selections)
Base installation works must be completed works that fit on a 24″ x 24″ concrete base. For each work the piece must meet the following technical criteria:

• weight not to exceed 800 lbs.
• height not to exceed 8 feet tall
• overhang from base not to exceed 24 inches
• must be affixed to plinth with a mount or anchors into the concrete

Covered Plinths (30 selections)
Covered plinth provide a protected space for more fragile works. These works must fit within a 21″ x 21″ x 30″ (tall) enclosure.

2. Large Scale Installations (10 selections)
10 large scale installations will be exhibited within Spencer Smith Park. These works must be structurally sound for public engagement. BWST can provide technical expertise, access to power, a forklift, and platform lift during installation. Engineering drawings may be requested at the time of initial selection. Selection does not ensure that the work will be exhibited as part of BWST, as large-scale works require additional installation review and Municipal approval. Fees for engineering drawings are to be covered by the exhibition fee.

For each of the large-scale works, artists will be expected to provide:

• detailed fabrication specs
• stamped engineered drawings for installation plan depending on scale and nature of work on request
• transportation to site of installation
• artwork installation, with oversight and assistance from BWST

3. Sculpture Inside (30 works)
Artists selected for BWST exhibition will be invited to submit small sculpture for sale to be displayed as part of our Sculpture Inside show, in partnership with the Art Gallery of Burlington. The exhibition will run April 22 to May 5. All sales will be processed and administered through the AGB Shop, with works offered on a consignment basis, with a preferential rate of 65% of the retail sale price returned to BWST artists and a 35% commission to the AGB. An additional submission form will be shared with BWST exhibiting artists in October.

Compensation

Each exhibiting artist will be paid an exhibition fee based on the fee schedule below.

• 30 works on open-air plinths – $1,000 per
• 30 works under plexiglass – $750 per
• 10 large-scale works – $5,000 to $15,000 per

The BWST Team will also work with our networks to sell works on behalf of the artists at their stated price. Artists will receive 100% of the sale price, less 50% of their exhibition fee—this does not apply to works for sale as part of Sculpture Inside (see above). Artists are responsible for covering all transportation and material costs associated with the work within the fee.

Selection Process

A Curator Committee of five members will be selected from the community in September to support the jurying process and provide the DLISC with a shortlist of selected works by category.

Timeline

• July – September 2026 – Open call for artists
• October 2026 – Selection of artists
• November 9, 2026 – Request documentation for selected large-scale works
• November 30, 2026 – Municipal approval/ confirmation of large-scale works
• January 15, 2027 – Sculpture Inside submission deadline
• February 2027 – Launch BWST 2027 promotional campaign
• April 5 – 9, 2027 – Install sculptures on Trail
• April 10 – May 31, 2027 – BWST Exhibition runs
• April 22 – May 5, 2027 – Sculpture Inside at the AGB
• June 1 – 3, 2027 – Removal of works

Submission Requirements

Artists interested in submitting works for consideration to BWST are asked to submit the following by the deadline above using the digital application form linked on our website:

• 75-word artist/collective bio
• 75-word statement or description of submitted work. Option to add an expanded statement for jurying process
• maximum 4-page Artist Resume/CV
• 1-6 images of previous work
• 3-5 print quality images of work for consideration. Maximum 3 works per artist
• description of proposed work
• Note: material exclusions – video/digital art/sound art

How to Submit

Please review this Call for Artists for detailed descriptions of the different types of works for submission and BWST programming. To support accessibility, applicants may choose to respond in one of the following formats: Written response, Audio recording, Video recording where indicated. Audio/Video will be transcribed for publication.

To apply visit: www.bwst.ca/call-for-artists

Submission Deadline: September 18, 2026, 5:00pm ET

For additional information or questions, please contact:
Heather Kanabe, Executive Director
heather@dlisc.ca | 416-432-8016

Dan Lawrie International Sculpture Collection
www.bwst.ca
heather@dlisc.ca
416-432-8016

Accessibility:
Burlington Waterfront Sculpture Trail is fully accessible. For more information, visit www.bwst.ca.