The Edmonton Arts Council (EAC), on behalf of the City of Edmonton is seeking an Indigenous Public Art Curator/​Consultant with connections to amiskwaciywâskahikan/​Edmonton and Treaty 6 to create a comprehensive vision and plan for the public art at Lewis Farms Facility and Park featuring works by Indigenous artists from Enoch Cree Nation, Treaty 6, and across Canada. The total budget for art for the facility is $1.5 million.

The Lewis Farms Facility and Park Project is located on the southwest side of 92 Avenue and Rosenthal Way in the area known as Ward Nakota Isga, which is Sioux, and means ​“The People.” Enoch Cree Nation is located south of the project site. The Cree name for Enoch is maskêkosihk and translates as ​“people of the land of medicine”. Nearby Edmonton neighbourhoods include Rosenthal, and the Lewis Estates neighbourhoods of Breckenridge Greens, Potter Greens, Suder Greens, Webber Greens and Stewart Greens.

Construction of Lewis Farms Facility and Park Project is anticipated to be completed in 2028. The project includes a community recreation centre, public library and district park. Facility amenities will include an aquatics facility with a 50-metre pool, twin arena, multi-purpose and studio spaces, fitness centre, double gymnasium, and a medium-sized Edmonton Public Library branch. For more information on the project, click here.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Public Art Curator/​Consultant will work with the Edmonton Arts Council (EAC) and the City of Edmonton’s Lewis Farms Facility and Park Project Team to identify opportunities for public art integration.

The Curator/​Consultant will:

• Develop a strong understanding of the project and stay apprised of project developments.
• Regularly attend meetings with the EAC, the Project Team, and various stakeholders and partners including but not limited to:
  • Enoch Cree Nation and the Confederacy of Treaty Six Nations
  • Métis Nation of Alberta
  • Edmonton Public Libraries

• Familiarize themselves with local, regional, and national Indigenous artists.
• Provide bi-weekly updates to the EAC.
• Make recommendations on public art commissioning and acquisition processes and procedures.
• Present the curatorial vision and public art plan to the EAC, the Project Team, and project partners/​stakeholders.
• Work with the EAC to develop terms for the calls to artists.
• Invite and encourage artists to apply and support interested artists with the application process.
• Participate in the selection of artists and artworks for commission and acquisition.
  

For further information on the scope of work, view the draft contract. 

ANTICIPATED PROJECT TIMELINE

• June 2, 2025 at 11:59 am (noon): Deadline for Expressions of Interest
• June 2025: Curator/​consultant selection 
• December 2025: Completed curatorial plan 
• February 2026: Calls to artists released
• May – June 2026: Artist selection and contract phase 
• June 2026 – September 2027: Art purchase/​art fabrication 
  
• September 2027– March 2028: Art installation (to be confirmed in individual artist contracts depending on art opportunity and location)

These dates are preliminary, and subject to change.

PROJECT IMAGES

About Edmonton

Located in the heart of Treaty No. 6 Territory, amiskwaciywâskahikan/​Edmonton is one of Canada’s youngest and fastest growing cities. The traditional meeting ground for many Indigenous communities, including the Nehiyaw (Cree), Denesuline (Dene), Nakota Sioux (Stoney), Anishinaabe (Saulteaux), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Métis and the Inuk/​Inuit peoples, Edmonton is home to Canada’s second-largest urban Indigenous community. The city’s continual development as a thriving urban centre encourages ongoing migration of people from across Canada and around the world.

EAC’s Public Art Program

The EAC is a not-for-profit organization that supports and promotes the arts community in Edmonton. The EAC works to increase the profile and involvement of arts and culture in all aspects of our community life. The EAC provides stewardship of, and direction for, the City of Edmonton’s Public Art to Enhance Edmonton’s Public Realm Policy and manages the City of Edmonton’s award-winning Public Art Collection.

Edmonton’s 10-year arts and heritage plan, Connections & Exchanges, guides the EAC’s commitment to Indigenous artists and artists from equity-deserving groups. Currently, the City of Edmonton Public Art Collection has underrepresentation from Indigenous artists and artists from marginalized, racialized, and equity-deserving backgrounds. The EAC continues to explore ways to increase representation within the collection by engaging curators and artists as subject matter experts.

Submit through EAC’s online portal at SmartSimple.

• Complete (or update) an individual profile in SmartSimple. This is required by whoever is submitting the application (the primary applicant).
• Once a profile has been made, the Call for Expressions of Interest application form will be available in SmartSimple under the ​“Open Opportunities” icon. If the applicant already has a profile, the Public Art Curator/​Consultant – Lewis Farms Facility and Park application will be visible.
• If the application is for a team or collective, all named members of the team will need individual profiles in SmartSimple by the application deadline.

If you have any questions about the SmartSimple registration process, please contact support@​edmontonarts.​ca.

ACCESS SUPPORT

Those facing barriers while completing their application may be eligible for Access Support. A barrier can include, but is not limited to, language, culture, physical or cognitive limitations, or any inequity that may complicate completing an application. This support provides funding for specialized assistance with the artists’ application. This could include hiring a qualified typist, interpreter, translator, or other type of support worker to help with submitting a clear application that accurately reflects the artist’s ideas and intentions. Normally, professional grant writers are not supported by this program unless they are assisting the artist with a specific barrier.

Eligible assistance will be supported up to $500. For more information, contact support@​edmontonarts.​ca.

DRAFT APPLICATION ASSISTANCE

The EAC offers the opportunity for artists submitting to this public art call to have their draft submission reviewed before the deadline. If you would like someone to review your draft, please email support@​edmontonarts.​ca no later than 10 business days before the deadline. The EAC may not be able to accommodate requests for review made after this time.

The Edmonton Arts Council is committed to equity in all aspects of its work and invites proposals from all interested parties. We thank all applicants for their time and professional interest in this call. Unsuccessful applicants are welcome to request feedback on their applications.

Artists must submit the following through SmartSimple for consideration:

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Individual profile information will automatically upload from your individual profile, this includes your biography, CV/​resume and social media information.
• If applying as a collective, we ask that you provide a separate CV/​resume for each member of the collective (PDF, recommended two pages per document).
• Collectives are asked to provide a statement describing the collective’s or each individual’s overall practice and work, including motivations, themes explored, and processes. (300 words).
• Provide a biography for each collective member summarizing life and career highlights, and education relevant to their practice (300 words).

LETTER OF INTEREST

• Explain your interest in this project and how it relates to your current curatorial practice (500 words).
• Include past experiences that relate to this project. (300 words).
• Explain your connection to Edmonton, the neighbourhood, or the community where the artwork will be situated, if applicable (300 words).
• Describe how you would approach this project (300 words).

SUPPORTING MATERIAL

To support your application, you may upload up to 10 audio/​visual samples of your artistic work. For each sample of your work uploaded, you are required to provide the information listed below.

1. Title
2. Date
3. Medium
4. Dimensions
5. Location
6. Commissioning agent or client
7. Budget
8. Brief description of the work

Please DO NOT submit images as PDF files, rather directly upload images in JPEG or PNG format.

SELECTION PROCESS

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview and to present their past work before a committee comprised of EAC staff, project team members, and community representatives.

The Edmonton Arts Council thanks all applicants in advance and will only be contacting applicants who are invited for interviews. Please email support@​edmontonarts.​ca if you wish to follow up on your submission.