Call for Submissions: “Out of Many, One” Mural Project

The “Out of Many, One” Mural Project

Submission Deadline: October 15, 2022

Project Background

The University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) is partnering with Nobellum Enterprise and The Ubuntu Creative Arts Project (UCAP) to commission an art installation located in The BRIDGE Finance & Data Lab at UTSC’s Instructional Centre. Artist(s) are invited to submit proposals for a large-scale three piece paneled mural meant to serve as a site for community programming.

This project aims to foster a deeper sense of belonging amongst UTSC’s racialized communities. We seek to create a space where students, faculty, staff, and communities, including Black folks, who were traditionally equity-deserving in academic spaces, see themselves fully welcomed, embraced, and reflected. The commissioned artwork is meant to interrupt the space and systems within the fabric of the Department of Management located in the Instructional Centre, and will be activated through programming and community engagement initiatives.

Location Details

The BRIDGE is in the Instructional Centre at the University of Toronto Scarborough. 1095 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario. The venue is accessible.

Project Goals

The installation and production of this artwork aims to accomplish the following:

• To inspire and serve as a space of belonging for equity-deserving students pursuing futures in finance, STEM, and entrepreneurship.
• To create a meaningful site of activation for programming committed to inclusion and anti-Black racism.
• To provide mentorship opportunities for racialized artist(s) in Scarborough communities throughout the production of the work and beyond.
• To support an equitable engagement and reciprocal knowledge exchange between racialized communities and the Department of Management, and UTSC as a whole.

Eligibility

In order to be considered:

• This call is open to professional racialized artists or artist groups. The project seeks to engage students of colour, specifically Black students. Artists who come from such communities will be given preference.
• Artists must be located in the Greater Toronto Area, with preference given to Scarborough artists.
• This project seeks artist(s) who have a working history of social practice, community engagement, and/or large-scale public artwork.
• The selected artist(s) must be available for ongoing communication with The BRIDGE Mural Project Team by telephone, email, video conferencing, and in person for scheduled meetings and programs for the duration of the project.
• The selected artist(s) will be expected to be proficient in all professional aspects relative to their creative work, including: working under contract, working within schedules, meeting deadlines, providing complete and accurate documentation, budgeting, expense tracking and invoicing related to their work.

Scope of Work

• Initial site visit and overview meetings with The BRIDGE Mural Project Team
• Development of project outline including conceptual implications, process, scale, medium, and associated programming
• Community engagement process – our goal for this project is to be community-oriented from its onset, through its development, and in its completion. The BRIDGE Mural Project Team will support the artist(s) in developing whatever community engagement components their practice calls for throughout the development of their work.
• Attendance of internal meetings with The BRIDGE Mural Project Team
• Attendance of any related programming throughout the production process
• Attendance of the mural unveiling event
• Reference the Appendix with the dimensions of the wall

Submission Requirements

• A project proposal – proposed artwork concept: A written description of proposed concept, including a process method and approach.
• Portfolio of similar work completed. Work must be of similar scope / scale.
• Artist bio / professional statement. This must include the links to any websites and social media.
• Artist’s CV
• The University of Toronto Scarborough is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQ+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. Candidates are encouraged to self-identify in their submissions.
• The University of Toronto Scarborough aims to make the selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodation for artists with disabilities. If you require any accommodations at any point, please outline your accessibility needs in your submission.

Project Timeline

• RFP Submission Opening: September 9, 2022
• Deadline for Artists to Submit questions (if applicable): September 20, 2022
• Response to Artist Questions: Ongoing
• Artist Proposal Submission Deadline: October 15, 2022
• Review Period: October 15 – November 15, 2022
• Artist Selection: November 15, 2022
• Kick-Off Meeting with Artists & Project Team: November 30, 2022
• Community Engagement Sessions 1 – 3: November – December 2022
• Production & installation of artwork: January – March 2023
• Launch Event: Spring 2023

Project Budget

The commissioned artist(s) will receive an honourarium fee of $6,000 plus $2,000 for materials, in Canadian Dollars. Fabrication and installation costs are covered by the University and are not included in this proposal.

Reserved Rights of the The BRIDGE Mural Project Team

UTSC, Nobellum Enterprise and, The Ubuntu Creative Arts Project (The “The BRIDGE Mural Project Team”), at their sole discretion, may request clarifications or request additional information, as deemed necessary to evaluate the submissions. The Project Team retains sole discretion to determine whether a submission is responsive if the prospective Artist(s) is / are capable of performing the Work. The Project Team reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to determine the number of pre-qualified Artist(s). The Project Team reserves the right to not proceed with awarding a contract.

Termination of Contract with Artist(s)

The Project Team reserves the right to terminate the contract just cause as per the Terms of the Artist Agreement which will be distributed to the selected artists upon award of the contract.

Publication of Competition Information

The Project Team shall have the exclusive right to issue all public announcements regarding the mural.

Appendix: Elevations, Photos and Dimensions Space

Visit this page to find the images and details on the space.

Submission & Contact Information

All submissions must be packaged and submitted via email to BOTH contacts noted below with the Email Subject Line: Artist Proposal – “Out of Many, One” Mural Project

Kathryn Lawrence, Founder, The Ubuntu Creative Arts Project & Co-Founder and Brand Director, Nobellum Enterprise kathryn@nobellum.com

Sandy Saad, Curator, University of Toronto Scarborough Doris McCarthy Galley sandy.saad@utoronto.ca