City of Kitchener 2027 Artist in Residence

About this call

The City of Kitchener in Ontario, Canada, invites a local artist, or an artist with a connection to the Waterloo Region, to be its 2027 Artist in Residence. The six-month, part-time residency works with the Parks & Open Space Design & Development team on arts-based engagement with residents of the Lancaster West Park Network, surfacing themes of storytelling, neighbourhood identity and wayfinding. It ends with a documentation package that will inform a future public art call for the five parks. The call is open to artists working at the boundaries of writing, academic or archival research, and visual arts.

Who can apply

• Limited by country or region
• Medium: Writing / Mixed Media
• Entry fee: See official site
• Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, reside or work in Waterloo Region or have a clear, ongoing connection or affiliation with the region, and demonstrate commitment to their practice. Submit a CV, biography or summary of credentials (max. three pages), a letter of intent (max. 500 words) summarising your arts-based engagement concept, its feasibility, community impacts and how the residency would advance your artistic development, three to four work examples (writing, publications, visual imagery), a community engagement plan (max. 250 words), an approximate budget and schedule showing how the honorarium will be used, and one reference letter on your community engagement facilitation. Apply online (25 MB attachment limit), by email to ArtistInResidence@Kitchener.ca with the subject "2027 AIR application", or by delivery or mail to City Hall (one unbound 8.5 x 11" hard copy; materials are not returned). Incomplete or late submissions are not considered. The selected artist signs a legal agreement with the City and provides an HST registration number if applicable. The committee may interview a short list of up to three artists. The residency runs from April 2027 to the end of September or October 2027; activities should be facilitated in multiple disciplines. Optional in-person information sessions on October 20 and November 12, 2026 at Kitchener City Hall.