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delivering more than inspiration

call to artists

Dance Residency (pilot)

Through the Dance Residency (pilot), the Edmonton Arts Council (EAC) will invest in the development and capacity of the Edmonton dance sector by fostering collaborations between artists (individual artists or a collective of artists) and organizations. The EAC aims to support both artistic vision and organizational growth by providing meaningful resources to explore dance.

The residency pilot will provide time and space for artists to experiment, reflect, create and collaborate. Residency proposals could range from learning, collaboration and experimentation, to producing a final work. There are no restrictions on what phase of creation the applicant chooses to apply with. 

For the pilot initiative, the EAC will fund up to two residencies, each with a maximum funding of $50,000, up to the equivalent of 6 months’ full-time work.

Public art calls

Creating a work of public art is an opportunity to use your artform to connect communities, create memorable urban places, and build an inclusive, attractive, liveable, healthy, and thriving city for the future.

The EAC’s approach to selecting artists for public art opportunities places an emphasis on the potential of what an artist might create for the public realm. Artists are asked to first consider the site, and then develop artistic concepts specific to each unique setting and the needs of the surrounding community.

A mural depicting blue, green and orange shapes and swirls floats above a blue pool, the pool reflects the image.
Neon Sky by Victoria Wiercinski, photo by Doyle C Marko

request for qualifications

Whitemud Drive Widening Public Art Project 

The Edmonton Arts Council (EAC), on behalf of the City of Edmonton, is seeking an artist/​artist team residing in Canada to create one or two sculptures located next to the Whitemud Park parking lot. Emerging artists, Indigenous artists and artists from equity-seeking backgrounds are encouraged to apply. 

This Request for Qualifications includes a two-stage selection process. 

Deadline for Request for Qualifications: 11:59 AM (noon) on Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Project Budget: $285,000. This budget encompasses all costs directly associated with the creation and installation of the artwork, including artist fees, travel, materials, fabrication, foundations, transportation, and installation. 

request for qualifications

Zoie Gardner Park Public Art Mural Project

The Edmonton Arts Council (EAC), on behalf of the City of Edmonton, is seeking an artist/​artist team with connections to Edmonton or Treaty 6 to create a mural design that will be printed onto panels to be installed on the west and east exterior walls of a washroom facility located at Zoie Gardner Park. Emerging artists, Indigenous artists and artists from equity-seeking backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Deadline for Request for Qualifications: 11:59 AM (noon) on Wednesday, October 302024

Artist Design Fee: $10,000 (The artist is not responsible for fabrication and installation costs.)

Information Session:
Wednesday, October 16, 2 — 4 PM at Prince of Wales Armouries (10440 108 Ave) 

request for qualifications

107 Avenue Revitalization Public Art Project

The Edmonton Arts Council (EAC), on behalf of the City of Edmonton, is seeking an artist/​artist team residing in Edmonton/​amiskwaciywâskahikan to create seven (7) gateway sculptures along 107 Avenue. Emerging artists, Indigenous artists and artists from equity-seeking backgrounds are encouraged to apply. 

Deadline for Request for Qualifications: 11:59 AM (noon) on Wednesday, November 202024 

Project budget: $190,000

Information session: Thursday, October 24, 2 — 4 PM at Prince of Wales Armouries (10440 108 Ave)

Bring your vision to life.

The EAC’s approach to selecting artists for public art opportunities places an emphasis on the potential of what an artist might create for the public realm. Artists are asked to first consider the site, and then develop artistic concepts specific to each unique setting and the needs of the surrounding community.

In general, public art projects are broken down into multiple phases (see sample contract template below): 

1. Contract signing 

2. Concept development 

3. Detailed design 

4. Fabrication and Installation 

5. Project completion and accession into the City of Edmonton Public Art Collection

The selected artist will enter a three-way contract with the EAC and the City of Edmonton. The EAC oversees the artist’s contract deliverables and supports the artist through all phases. Artists are encouraged to review the sample contract template below prior to application.

The successful artist(s) must guarantee that their artwork is original and does not violate the copyright of another person. The successful artist(s) must also be prepared to grant and license to the City of Edmonton and the EAC the exclusive right to exhibit the artwork in perpetuity and the nonexclusive right to photograph or videotape the artwork for promotion or distribution, without further compensation.

The artist retains copyright as the creator of the artwork. The City of Edmonton will not alter the artwork without prior consultation with the artist(s). The City of Edmonton reserves the right to move or de-accession the artwork if necessary and will make every effort to notify the artist.

Artworks created for the public realm have unique requirements. For the finished artwork to last, the artist(s) must consider sound design, materials, building methods, safety, and exposure to external risks. The EAC works with artists, conservators, and technical experts to advise and plan lifecycle management.

A realistic statue of a magpie sits on top of a white skeleton of a globe. The photo looks up towards the artwork and the sky.
The Magpies' Nests by Kevin Sehn & Chai Duncan, photo by Doyle C. Marko Photography

Draft contract

Prior to submitting an application for a public art call, review the EAC’s Draft Public Art Contract.

Large stone slabs sit in at the end of a gravel path in a grassy nook. The slabs are etched with Indigenous beadwork patterns.
Preparing to Cross the Sacred River by Marianne Nicholson, photo by EAC

Public Art Approach

Read about the EAC’s shifting approach to selecting artists for public art opportunities.