CALL TO INDIGENOUS ARTISTS | Expressions of Interest | Two (2) Permanent Public Art Installations for the Cabbagetown BIA
Cabbagetown BIA & City of Toronto
Located in the heart of Cabbagetown at the corner of Parliament and Spruce Street, both artworks will be installed along the South-facing wall of No Frills and sidewalk of Spruce Street. The sculptural art piece(s) to be installed on the sidewalk, between and beside the existing planter boxes, near the wall of the No Frills, maintaining the public right-of-way. The mural will be painted along the South wall of the No Frills and will act as a backdrop to the sculptural art piece(s).
The Cabbagetown BIA and City of Toronto would like to commission the design, fabrication, and installation of one (1) large sculptural art piece, or a series of sculptural art pieces, by a single Indigenous artist, as well as one (1) mural by a single Indigenous artist, on the wall of No Frills at Spruce Street and Parliament Street. The sculptural art piece(s) and mural shall have an Indigenous theme or design elements that complement one another, where the mural will act as a backdrop for the sculptural art piece(s). The overall budget is approximately $108,000+HST for the sculptural art piece(s), and $20,000+HST for the mural.
The installations will centre around the idea of connecting the Cabbagetown neighbourhood and the City of Toronto to its Indigenous roots and create artworks that carry the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation. The goal for these art installations is to embody and honour Indigenous history of the lands that Cabbagetown now resides through artworks that embrace Indigenous teachings, culture, and values.
The artwork should:
• The project should celebrate Cabbagetown’s Indigenous connections; past, present and future.
• Share culture and history, creating artworks that are lasting and have impact in the community.
• Serve as welcoming elements for locals and invite exploration by visitors. It should also support wayfinding and placemaking by guiding people from Parliament Street into the Spruce St parkette.
• The artworks must engage the community at large, local and regional Indigenous communities, the general public and the Cabbagetown community, fostering connection and dialogue among all.
• The artworks must be impactful, lasting artworks that are durable and require minimal maintenance.
• Both opportunities should complement one another through theme or design elements. Artists must be willing to work together to agree upon a thematic connection or elements for a cohesive design.
Eligibility
The Cabbagetown BIA and City of Toronto are inviting Indigenous artists, based in Canada, with connections to the City of Toronto, to submit their credentials for consideration as part of the first stage of a two-stage public art process. Applicants must be Indigenous artists with a history of public exhibition, a background of artistic training, and/or recognition as artists by arts professionals and peers. Applicants must also have some form of recognition as an Indigenous person within their Indigenous community, and ability to demonstrate learnings from their own lived experiences.
• The definition of Indigenous for this project includes those who identify as Indigenous; status or non-status, Métis or Inuit.
• Do not hesitate to submit your credentials even if you have not previously completed a public art commission.
• Please note that these opportunities entail Artist collaborations.
• We will not consider non-Indigenous Applicants.
Please review & download the full EOI document at www.tessashank.com/curation
Artists must submit their EOI electronically as a single PDF document (maximum 20MB)
Please submit your complete EOI documents via email to Indigenous Public Art Curator Tessa Shank at [email protected]
Submission Deadline: November 29, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST