Call for Indigenous Artists: Town of Caledon Muskoka Chair Animations

STEPS and the Town of Caledon are looking for Indigenous artists to enhance public seating and celebrate Indigenous stories and art within the community!

Extended Deadline: July 7, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET (original deadline: June 17, 2024)
Compensation: $2,100 (inclusive of HST)

Artist credit: RallyRally
Photo credit: Selina McCallum

About this Call for Indigenous Artists Opportunity

The Town of Caledon and STEPS Public Art are looking to collaborate with five (5) Indigenous artists to paint a total of ten (10) Muskoka chairs. Each artist will be tasked with designing and painting two (2) chairs. These vibrant pieces will be showcased across the Town of Caledon. This project is a celebration of Indigenous stories and art within the community.

Moreover, we plan to engage two (2) Indigenous artists who identify as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Each artist will paint two (2) chairs, portraying their unique experiences as Indigenous individuals within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, contributing to Caledon’s dedication to demonstrating visual representations of Pride within our communities.

Background

The Town of Caledon is looking for artists to enhance public seating to support our revitalization efforts across the Town and tell a story through their art. We are looking for artists to celebrate Caledon’s natural landscapes and look forward to seeing submissions that are bright, colourful, and representative of Caledon’s scenic and breathtaking landscapes. Caledon is home to natural features including the Humber and Credit Rivers that run through Caledon. Caledon is part of the Oak Ridges Moraine, Niagara Escarpment, Greenbelt and home to urban river valleys Caledon is a beautiful place to be.

As current residents and visitors to the unique landscape and environment in Caledon, we recognize and respect that Indigenous Peoples have inhabited and stewarded this land long before us. These chairs, presented in sets, serve as a reminder of this; that Indigenous People are still here and that Caledon has a responsibility and an opportunity to reinforce the importance and significance of Indigenous History, Art, Traditional Knowledge, Language, and Teachings.

This initiative will further foster our understanding of Indigenous culture on a deeper level to ensure we do not contribute to its erasure and instead, actively play a role in ensuring Indigenous culture not only survives but is given a platform to be celebrated.

Final Deliverables

• If selected, the artists will submit two concept sketches one for each chair, aligning with a provided design brief. These sketches will undergo approval by the City before the artists proceed; revisions may be requested during this process.
• Artwork will adorn standard size Muskoka chairs (33 x 30 x 36 inches).
• Artists will also be responsible for assembling the chairs.
• The artist will coordinate the delivery of the completed chairs to Square 6311 Old Church Road.

Artist Qualifications

• Applicants should be Indigenous artists, with a particular emphasis on local artists (those residing, having resided, or worked in the Town of Caledon or its immediate vicinity, as well as artists with ancestral connections to the local land).
• We kindly ask that all selected artists have their own insurance coverage.

How to apply

Apply by the extended deadline on July 7, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET via Google Forms.

Applicants who have a disability or who need support applying for this opportunity are encouraged to contact Madison Kennedy at Madison@stepspublicart.org or call 1-888-783-7780 extension 3 at least one week before the application deadline to allow STEPS and Caledon to accommodate your needs.

Contact

Madison Kennedy, Cultural Planner
Phone: 1-888-783-7780 ext. 3
Email: madison@stepspublicart.org

Partners