2026 Road Works Open Call
BUMP Festival Arts Society
Deadline for applications: Friday January 30, 2026
The 2026 Road Works Open Call Is Now Open!
BUMP Festival Arts Society is excited to open applications for the sixth year of our Road Works program. Launched in 2021 in collaboration with The City of Calgary, Road Works has to date, over 100 Calgary based artists have created 300+ painted traffic barriers installed across neighbourhoods throughout the city, turning utilitarian objects into vibrant, welcoming markers in the public realm.
Road Works was developed to support safer, adaptive patios and public spaces using existing road infrastructure. Artists selected for the program are commissioned to create 2 – 4 painted traffic barriers, encouraging them to think about art that is:
- Functional
- Playful
- Temporary
- Responsive to the public realm
The program is well suited for artists interested in working on non-traditional surfaces, experimenting with scale, and exploring how art lives in the city beyond the gallery. For many participants, Road Works is also a valuable opportunity to practice translating studio or illustrative work into public projects.
Painting for Road Works 2026 will take place in early spring 2026.
- This program is open to artists based in Calgary and surrounding areas.
- Artists may apply to multiple BUMP Festival application streams
- Emerging artists are strongly encouraged to apply
Please review the complete 2026 Road Works Artist RFP, linked in our bio. The document includes full program details, eligibility requirements, application guidelines, and access to the application portal. Our application deadline is Friday January 30, 2026 at 6pm MT.
For more information visit Artist Call: 2026 Road Works – BUMP Festival.
Please note that this is not the 2026 Mural Artist Call. That call will launch in February, and you are welcome to apply to it as well.
