Call for Indigenous Artists

Classified Categories: Archived

Call for Indigenous Artists

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is seeking seven Indigenous artists to create original artworks for permanent display in the redeveloped Canadian Wilds. We are seeking Indigenous artists with connections to seven ecological zones found throughout Alberta and the Northwest Territories: Prairies, Foothills, Rocky Mountains, Boreal Forest, Northern Coast, Tundra, and River.

Each selected artist will be asked to create a two-dimensional artwork inspired by one of the seven landscapes and its wildlife. We hope artists will feel comfortable sharing their personal connections and perspectives on the landscape they have selected to showcase. Each completed work of art will be reproduced digitally, then printed and installed as a permanent feature in the Canadian Wilds alongside related animal species and interpretive signage.

Our preference is for painted, drawn or digitally illustrated art, but other two-dimensional media will be considered if they can be converted to a suitable format for printing. Please indicate on in your letter of interest which landscape or two you feel most connected to and why.

Submission Deadline: April 30, 2023, 4pm MT

Artist Information Sessions

A virtual information session will be conducted on April 13, 2023 at 11am and 4pm. If you are interested in attending, please email Marketing@calgaryzoo.com for a link to the session.

Budget

Each artist will receive $3,500 CAD + GST as compensation for their finished artwork. This encompasses all artist time and costs associated with creating the artwork, including materials and supplies. The artist will not be required to pay for the digital reproduction and printing of the panel, or for the recognition signage.

Timeline

Submission Deadline: April 30, 2023
Contracts Awarded: May 5, 2023
Concept Sketch Due: May 30, 2023
Completion: Pieces must be completed by July 31, 2023. Artists may submit a progress invoice after their concept sketch is approved for 50% of the contract value, with the remainder to be paid upon completion of the artwork.

Eligibility

This call is open to Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) artists over the age of 18 who reside in Canada and feel connection to the land in the region now known as Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

Submission requirements:

  • Letter of Interest or Video Submission explaining your interest in this opportunity and your connection to one or more of the landscapes or regions in Alberta and the Northwest Territories listed below (maximum 500 words). Please share which nation (or nations) you are part of in your letter.
  • A short description of your artwork and material used.
  • Portfolio: Up to 10 images of current or past artworks uploaded as individual media files.
  • Please note that concept proposals or sketches are not required at this stage.
Share this page
Share