Indigenous Artist in the Park
Request for Proposals
Application deadline: March 27 at 11:59 pm (EST)
Learn more and apply here.
The Office of Social Innovation (OSI) at Ryerson University* invites Toronto-based Indigenous artists to submit proposals for a five-month, site-specific visual arts project hosted in Allan Gardens. Since the great melt of the last ice age more than 11,000 years ago, many diverse nations of First Peoples have lived in and cared for this neighbourhood. This project is intended to acknowledge, reflect, and respond to the continuous Indigenous presence in the area of Allan Gardens.
This residency is part of Imagine the Park, a year-long series of cultural events and activities in and around the Allan Gardens neighbourhood presented by OSI. Imagine the Park aims to foster a more welcoming, creative, well-resourced green space for the wider Allan Gardens community.
Overview
The successful artist or collective will receive a $20,000 honorarium over a five-month residency, taking place from May 15 to October 15, 2022. The expected time commitment is approximately 12 hours per week, with 4 hours or more per week working in-person at Allan Gardens. We feel it is important for the community to be aware of the artist(s) and their work and for the artist(s) to be familiar with the community of park users.
Allan Gardens Park is a partially accessible space, with an accessible bathroom under development. For indoor space, Imagine the Park will work with the successful artist or collective to find a working space in the community that best fits their needs and the needs of the proposed project.
Imagine the Park will provide modest additional funds to cover creation, production, and exhibition costs. Estimates for these costs should be detailed in the application.
Eligibility
Applications are open to self-identifying Indigenous artists who are living and working in the Greater Toronto Area and eligible to work in Canada.
Criteria
Applicants will be expected to articulate a compelling proposal for a visual arts project grounded in the physical landscape of Allan Gardens and that acknowledges, reflects and responds to the continuous Indigenous presence in this Toronto neighbourhood. We are looking for:
- Visual appeal
- Relevance and potential impact
- Your demonstrated ability to manage and complete the project within the proposed time frame and budget
Application Process
Applications are to be submitted here. The deadline for submissions is March 27, 2022, at 11:59 PM (EST).
Accessibility Requests
We aim to provide an accessible experience for all applicants. If you have restrictions that need to be accommodated to participate in any phase of the application process fully, please contact us at [email protected]. We ask that all accommodation requests be submitted within ten business days of the application due date.
Timeline
- March 27, 2022: Deadline for applications
- April 21, 2022: Artist(s) announced
- May 15 – October 15, 2022: Project period
- For more information on the Indigenous Artist in Residence and Imagine the Park, click here
Key Contact
Rina Fraticelli, Director, Strategic Initiatives, Office of Social Innovation
[email protected]
1 Dundas Street West
4th floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1ZS
Renaming in Process
In August 2021, the university announced that it would begin a renaming process to address the legacy of Egerton Ryerson and build a more inclusive future. Let’s write the next chapter together.
