Call to Artists: Children's Area Public Artwork, Guelph Central Library

About this call

The Friends of the Guelph Public Library invite experienced and qualified artists and artist-led teams to submit an Expression of Interest for an original public artwork in the Children's Area of Guelph's new Central Library in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The space is designed for children aged 0 to 12 and their caregivers, framed on two sides by floor-to-ceiling windows, and the artwork will be visible from the street day and night. The work should be imaginative and joyful, inspire child-led engagement, and be durable, low maintenance and easy to clean; it is to be contemporary art for a young audience, not a climbing structure. The call runs in two phases: Phase 1 selects up to five artists or teams, who are paid a CAD 2,500 +HST honorarium to develop a detailed proposal in Phase 2. The selected artist(s) receive a CAD 250,000 +HST project budget covering artist fees, production, travel, installation and insurance, and the artwork joins the City of Guelph's Public Art Collection. Installation is anticipated in fall 2027.

Who can apply

• Domestic applicants
• Medium: Installation
• Entry fee: See official site
• Open to artists or artist-led teams whose primary place of residence is Canada and who are legally entitled to work in Canada, and to Indigenous artists residing in or originating from the unceded territories now known as Canada. Artists with limited large-scale or technical experience are encouraged to apply with a supporting team. Friends of the Guelph Public Library, Guelph Public Library and City of Guelph employees are not eligible. Phase 1 asks for an Expression of Interest (up to 500 words), CVs (up to 3 pages each), up to 10 pages of support material and two letters of reference from previous public art projects.