Call for Submissions: Etobicoke Construction Hoarding Public Art, City of Toronto

The City of Toronto invites artists to apply to have their artwork installed on the custom hoarding of a construction site in Etobicoke.

Deadline: August 6, 2025 at noon

The City of Toronto invites artists to apply for the opportunity for their work to be included as part of the custom art hoarding, to be installed around the construction site of the new Etobicoke Civic Centre. The custom art hoarding will enhance the overall public environment and pedestrian streetscape experience while the Etobicoke Civic Centre construction is ongoing.

Competition Process

This is a two-stage, competition for practicing artists who work in two-dimensional media. Priority will be given to West-Toronto and Etobicoke-based artists, or artists that have lived experience in these neighbourhoods.

Six shortlisted artists will be determined based on artistic excellence and demonstrated/perceived ability to develop a series of engaging and site-specific public artworks. Shortlisted artists will receive a Terms of Reference document to guide their next steps. Each shortlisted artist will be paid an artist fee of $1,000 to design work for the hoarding.

Three of the six shortlisted artists will be commissioned for this opportunity, one for each side of the hoarding along Bloor Street West, Kipling Avenue, and Dundas Street West. Each selected artist will be awarded an artist contract and will be paid a fee of $7,500.00 (+HST) for design and consultation services (including contract administration, project management, travel and other incidental expenses), working closely with staff of Economic Development & Culture and the project team to refine their concept proposal to the requirements of the site and other conditions for project realization. The selected designs will need to be approved by City staff, the project team, and the local Councillor.

City of Toronto Economic Development & Culture staff are organizing the Call for Artists, facilitating a jury and project selection. Collaborating with the selected artists, City staff will manage all aspects of the production of the work, including budget, scheduling, coordination with the general contractor, and installation. The commissioned artists must submit their designs in a format that can be reproduced and printed on vinyl for the site. (i.e. print-ready files). Artists will not be permitted to paint/directly alter the custom art hoarding surfaces once installed.

Proposed Schedule

• August 6, 2025 at 12 pm (noon): Call for Artists submission form closes
• August 15, 2025: RFP to shortlisted artists
• September 15, 2025: Shortlisted designs due
• Fall 2025: Artist contracts issued, hoarding installed

Submission Requirements

Interested artists should use this apply using this online form. Applicants will be asked to provide a one-paragraph artist biography and one PDF document containing details of five recent artworks.

The online form will automatically close at noon on August 6, 2025. Late submissions will not be accepted.

About the new Etobicoke Civic Centre

The new Etobicoke Civic Centre (ECC) at 3755 Bloor Street West will be located within the newly redeveloped Etobicoke Civic Centre Precinct (formerly the Westwood Theatre Lands). As the first civic centre to be built in the last fifty years, the ECC is designed as a mixed-use building comprising of office spaces, including municipal offices and a multi-purpose council chamber, a child care centre, library, public health clinic, recreation centre, retail spaces and a civic square located steps away from a new affordable housing community.

The new ECC is located within the City’s Bloor-Kipling (Six Points) Block Plan, which was proposed as part of the reconfiguration of the former Six Points Interchange, also known as the ‘Spaghetti Junction’. In 2021, Six Points was replaced by a new network of streets, unlocking almost 18 acres of land and creating seven blocks for redevelopment. Besides the new civic centre, the area includes five blocks earmarked for rental housing developments. Approximately 10,340 square metres of parkland is also being created or planned in the area.

The City of Toronto’s Public Art Strategy

The City of Toronto’s Public Art Strategy outlines the City’s commitment to public art created for, and with the input of, Toronto communities, and to create opportunities for artists of diverse backgrounds, experience and practice. The Public Art Strategy recommends opportunities for temporary public art and career-development.

Questions and Contact
Katriina Campitelli
Public Art Officer, City of Toronto
publicartcompetitions@toronto.ca