Call to Emerging Artists: Public Art Banners
Alyah Holmes, The City in Colour, 2024
The City of Mississauga’s Public Art Program seeks to commission an emerging artist, artist team, or illustrator to create original banner artwork.
The commissioned artist(s) will receive $10,000 CAD + HST to create six digital artwork files, which will be printed on vinyl banners.
Banner artwork will be displayed on light pole standards throughout the city, creating a captivating and uplifting visual presence from June 2025 to early 2026.
The City will work directly with a contractor to fabricate and install the banners. Directly overseeing and managing this contract are not included in the commissioned artist(s)’ scope of work or budget, although the commissioned artist(s) will have the opportunity to shadow City staff to gain knowledge in contracting public art fabricators.
Click here to download a PDF version of the call to artists.
Submissions will be accepted until February 19, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
For more information, contact Rachel Pennington, Public Art Curator, via email at public.art@mississauga.ca.
This is a public competition open to emerging artists, illustrators, and artist teams residing in Canada. Students, including art, design and architecture students, and established gallery artists looking to expand their practice into public art are encouraged to apply.
* The City defines an emerging artist as an artist in the early stage of their professional career who may have specialized training (not necessarily gained in an academic institution) and has created a modest independent body of work that may include professional exhibitions, commissions, presentations and/or installations.
The City seeks to commission artwork that encourages community well-being, belonging, and social trust, including artwork that:
- Creates a sense of optimism, joy, trust in one’s neighbours, and belonging, in the viewer
- Engages Mississauga’s diverse local communities and celebrates local pride and togetherness
- Brings more colour, vibrancy, and beauty to city streets
Applying artists are encouraged to review past banner installations and find opportunities to present new thinking, new art forms, or new topics.
The commissioned artist(s) is responsible for:
- Creating and submitting high-resolution digital files of six (6) art designs
- Writing a brief statement for each art design and for the overall series
- Working with the City through design review, including providing up to three (3) revisions
- Supporting fabrication, installation and interpretive signage, in an advisory capacity
The City will work directly with a contractor to fabricate and install the banners. Directly overseeing and managing this contract are not included in the commissioned artist(s)’ scope of work or budget.
The commissioned artist(s) will receive an artist fee of $10,000 + HST Canadian Dollars.*
This fee does not include contractor fabrication and installation costs.
* This fee includes (but is not limited to): contract execution; development of artwork and/or design; submission of artwork in required form; design review and revisions (up to three revisions); supplying artist and project statement, bio, headshots and suggested didactic text; attendance at meetings; and insurance as required by the City.
It is expected that the commissioned artist(s) will comply with the project’s general timeline dates, as highlighted below:
- February 19, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST – Submission Deadline
- By March 31, 2025 – Art Selection Committee evaluates propoals; contract execution; applicants notified
- By May 30, 2025 – Final artwork files due
- June 2025 – Banner fabrication and installation
- June 2025 to early 2026 – Banner exhibition
For more information, please email public.art@mississauga.ca or refer to mississauga.ca/publicart.