Art Bus RFQ 2025

Calgary Arts Development invites artists and artist collectives to submit qualifications for an opportunity to wrap the exterior of one of seven public transit buses with new artwork. These buses will be in service for 12 weeks in the summer of 2025. In addition to the exterior bus wrapping, there are interior display opportunities that will share information about the artist and reproductions of their pre-existing work. We welcome artists in any stage of their career who have a strong connection to Calgary/Mohkinsstsis to apply.

Previously successful applicants to this program are not eligible to apply.

Up to seven artists/artist collectives will be selected through this Request for Qualifications. Selected artists will work with Calgary Arts Development to create and refine an original artwork in response to one of the following themes that considers the multiple contexts of Calgary and the communities the buses will connect with:

• Honour Indigenous stories and perspectives
• Public transit as social space
• Share stories of your community
• Bring beauty, joy, whimsy and hope

The artwork will then be enlarged and printed onto vinyl to wrap the exterior of a bus for about 12 weeks from the beginning of June 2025 to August 2025.

This initiative provides opportunities for the public to engage with public art in unexpected spaces, bring temporary art into a wide variety of communities, and showcase the talent and diversity of artists with strong connections to Calgary/Mohkinsstsis.

Successful artists/collectives will be paid $9,000 (not including GST) per art bus. This total, all-inclusive amount includes all costs associated with engagement, creation and communication for the artwork. In addition, selected artists/collectives will be provided with transit passes for the duration of the project (February – August).

Please ensure you review the complete guidelines, and you submit all requirements outlined in the Program Criteria & Scoring section to have a competitive application for assessment. 

We acknowledge that the land we gather on, Mohkinsstsis, is the ancestral territory of the Siksikaitsitapi — the Blackfoot people — comprising the Siksika, Kainai and Piikani Nations, as well as Treaty 7 signatories, the Tsuut’ina Nation, and the Îyârhe Nakoda Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney First Nations. Today this land is home to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government Districts 5 and 6 as well as many First Nations and Inuit from across Turtle Island.

Calgary Arts Development is committed to the process of eliminating institutional racism, ableism and barriers in our programs, policies and practices by centring the creativity and leadership of those communities most impacted by structural inequities. Read our full Commitment to Equity statement on our website.

This initiative provides opportunities for seven artists or artist collectives to share their artwork on public transit.

Selected artists will create new, original artwork using a template designed specifically to wrap the exterior of a bus. Additionally, artists may submit their existing artworks that will be reproduced for display inside the bus. The artwork will be installed for approximately 12 weeks from June 2025 to August 2025.

Once selected, artists must propose a new, original artwork for the bus exterior in response to one of the following four themes.

Honour Indigenous stories and perspectives

• Share stories of Indigenous culture, traditions, and history
• Share contemporary Indigenous perspectives and ideas
• Explore paths toward reconciliation and inspire dialogue, understanding and change

Public transit as social space

• Explore the social dynamics of public transit as a shared space where people from diverse backgrounds come together to create moments of interaction, connection and community-building
• Reflect on the role of transportation in shaping urban landscapes and connecting communities

Share stories of your community

• Delve into your experiences of how you relate and connect to the community around you
• Celebrate diverse communities and rich cultural histories

Bring beauty, joy, whimsy and hope

• Share a sense of whimsy, surprise and joy with Calgarians and visitors

For art displayed inside the bus, four (4) images of pre-existing artwork will be selected. These images are not required to relate to a proposed theme and are instead a way to showcase your body of work.

Only selected artists will be asked to create a new artwork for the bus exterior based upon the themes indicated in the call. Selected artists are expected to work closely with Calgary Arts Development public art project team, staff from The City of Calgary, and Pattison’s design team. Artworks will be subject to approval at various stages throughout development by Calgary Arts Development, The City of Calgary and Calgary Transit, and art must adhere to the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards.

In addition, artworks will not be approved if:

• Artwork does not comply with or respect cultural protocols.
• Artwork uses or presents Indigenous cultural material, traditional knowledge or stories without express permission from the community and/or clear connection to the originating community.
• Artwork willfully or in bad faith promotes intolerance, hatred or hate speech to incite violence or harm.
• Artwork encourages activity that is illegal or contravenes provincial or federal law, or municipal bylaws.
• Artwork promotes contests and competitions, or fundraising activities (e.g., undertaken to raise funds on behalf of a political party or charity).
• Artwork relates to campaigning for a specific political candidate or party in an election.
• Artwork would be construed as advertising.

Selected artists must use the provided templates and work closely with Pattison’s graphic designers to ensure they are preparing files that can be successfully converted into an exterior vinyl bus wrap.

Artists are responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate equipment and software to deliver final files according to the following requirements:

Exterior Vinyl Wrap

• Final files must have a resolution of 900 ppi and be in CMYK format
• Files must be delivered in either a .tif or .eps file format
• If fonts are included, they must be supplied in Mac Postscript Type1, TrueType or Open Type format, or convert all text to outlines
• If colour match is critical, provide an accurate proof that matches the desired colour rendering or Pantone colour references must be provided

Interior Display Opportunities

• Selected images can be reprinted up to 34” Width x 10” Height (86.36 cm Width x 25.4 cm Height).
• Files must have a resolution of 150 ppi and be in CMYK format
• Files must be delivered in either a .tif or .eps file format
• If fonts are included, they must be supplied in Mac Postscript Type1, TrueType or Open Type format, or convert all text to outlines

If colour match is critical, an accurate proof that matches the desired colour rendering or Pantone colour references must be provided. All artworks must be original and belong to the artist.

The selected artists will:

• Participate in an engagement activity facilitated by Calgary Arts Development.
• Create and refine an original artwork that responds to one of the proposed themes.
• Submit their artwork for comments, revisions and approval. Artwork must be original to the artist and created for the purpose of this call.
• Work with the Pattison design team to adjust their artwork to fit the bus and address parts of the bus that need to be vinyl free.
• The bus interior will display reproductions of the artist’s pre-existing artworks, subject to approval by Calgary Arts Development, The City of Calgary and Calgary Transit. Artists will supply an installation layout that identifies the order of the artwork and accompanying text for each interior card.
• Develop and provide an artist bio and artwork statement that may be used in communications about the project.
• Work with Calgary Arts Development staff to communicate project development.
• Participate in a celebration event and provide a brief artist talk about their artwork and involvement in the project.

Note: The artist’s scope of work and budget does not include printing, installing or maintaining the bus wrapping and artwork reproductions. These tasks will be financed separately and managed by Calgary Arts Development.

Program Goals

• Provide opportunities for artists of all levels to share their artworks and stories.
• Bring public art into a variety of areas and communities that may not have historically had access to municipality funded public art.
• Educate Calgarians about what public art can be and how it can change a landscape.
• Create connections between different areas in our city.
• Provide pedestrians and drivers with an engaging visual art experience.
• Enhance the overall experience of people who use public transportation.
• Celebrate Calgary’s cultures, communities, histories, geography and diversity.
• Provide a temporary and impactful public art experience for all Calgarians.

Successful applicants will be selected by a committee made up of artists, arts professionals, community representatives and subject matter experts. If you are interested in participating on an assessment committee, please apply through this link.

Submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Letter of Interest (50 points)
(Max 500 words)

Provide a response to each of the following statements.

• Explain your interest in this opportunity.
• Describe your connection to Calgary/Mohkinsstsis.
• Specify how your experience and art practice will contribute to this project.
• Indicate which theme from the guidelines you have selected and describe how you would respond to that theme.
• Share how this opportunity will support your practice.

Curriculum Vitae (20 points)

• Demonstration of relevant experience in public art, visual art or design.

Images (30 points)

• Minimum of five (5) and up to 10 images of existing finished artworks uploaded as individual media files. The following information must be included for each image: title, date, size, materials and a brief description.
• Demonstration that this artist’s work lends well to this medium.
• Demonstration of artistic skills and approach needed to deliver a compelling design for this project.

Uploaded artworks must be original and belong to the artist. If artworks were done in collaboration with another artist, indicate the name of the collaborating artist(s) and describe your role in the collaboration. Failure to credit collaborators or co-creators and/or upload artworks that do not belong to you and/or infringe on another artist’s copyright will make your application ineligible for assessment.

Artists are responsible for ensuring that submissions are received by the deadline. For any accommodations and application assistance, please reach out no later than 10 business days before the deadline. Any application not received by the closing date and time will not be considered. Do not send materials that have not been requested, as they will not be reviewed.

The application process is competitive. The assessment panel will review all eligible and complete applications. Decisions of the selection panel are final and the panel reserves the right to select no applications.

Scoring Process

Committee members will review applications and rate the level to which they agree or disagree the information meets the project criteria listed in the section above based on the following scale:

• Strongly Agree
• Agree
• Disagree
• Strongly Disagree