CreateSpace Public Art Residency

STEPS believes public art has the ability to challenge the systemic inequities that exist in public space. In support of this important work, we facilitate programs that: foster inclusive public art practices; build the capacity of artists who are underrepresented in Canadian public art; and demonstrate the power of community engaged art to reimagine equitably designed cities.

We are thrilled to launch the 2023 CreateSpace Public Art Residency, a national public art program designed in collaboration with advisors from coast to coast, to provide emerging Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) and racialized artists with the skills, relationships and practical experiences needed to build and advance community engaged public art practices.

Twenty artists and artist teams from across the country participated in the program’s first two years, with each participant acquiring valuable skills in the field of public art. Each artist created unique and inspiring public artworks that ranged from experimental to performative to sculptural. Visit the CreateSpace Public Art Residency webpage to learn more about these artists and their projects.

2023 Creatspace Participating Artists will gain:

• Skills: Virtual workshops, artist talks and studio visits for greater understanding of the public art process through the lens of Community, Identity, Accessibility and Land, including: demystifying public art RFPs, exploring fabrication and approaches to public engagement.
• Relationships: Opportunities to connect with public art practitioners from across the country, cultivating professional networks in various sectors and industries.
• Practical Experience: Creating new community engaged public art work with tailored coaching from STEPS staff and artistic advisors, through which experimentation is encouraged.
• Public Audiences: Through promotional support leveraging STEPS and partner network, as well as supports to document and present past and current public work.
• Financial Support: Artists will each receive individual support valued at up to $5,000 CAD, inclusive of a $1,500 participation honorarium, as well as production, documentation, engagement and accessibility supports.

Eligibility

This residency is open to early to mid-career Canadian-based visual and media artists working in public space, who identify as Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) and/or racialized, interested in participating in a virtual residency from March through December 2023. Up to 10 artists will be selected for this opportunity by a selection panel composed of members of the arts community who identify as Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) and/or racialized. Program components will be offered primarily in English, with translation and ASL services available as needed to support participation of a diverse community of artists.

Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident to qualify for this opportunity. Interested applicants must submit their expressions of interest by Sunday, February 5, 2023 at 11:59pm PT.

Those living outside of the Pacific time zone are encouraged to use a timezone converter to ensure your application is received by the deadline.

Participating Artists (with the Support of STEPS Staff and Program Mentors) are Expected to: 

• Attend at least 10 of approx. 15 residency sessions held over 10 months which will include: workshops, artist talks, panel discussions facilitated discussions, studio visits, etc.
• Identify and execute a community engaged public art project by the end of the residency.
• While participating artists are NOT expected to have well thought out plans for a public art project at the time of their application, having a project concept and clearly defined learning objectives for advancing your public art practice are important to make the most of the support that STEPS and CreateSpace partners can provide.
• Participate in ongoing program evaluation that will help shape the CreateSpace Public Art Residency and other artist capacity building programming.
• Respect the time and knowledge of CreateSpace advisors, mentors, staff and fellow participating artists, by committing to cultivate a safe, inclusive, supportive and respectful space for learning, exploration and growth.

Key Program Dates:

• Deadline to request accommodations (for application process): Tuesday, January 17, 2023
• Application Deadline: Sunday, February 5, 2023 at 11:59pm PT
• Selected Artists Announced: March 2023
• Residency Programming: March – December 2023
• Facilitated Sessions: March – November 2023
• Public Artwork Production & Installation Period: June – October 2023
• Documentation & Audience Development: June – November 2023
• Program Reflection & Wrap: December 2023

How to Apply

To apply, please fill out the application form by Sunday, February 5, 2023 at 11:59pm PT.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants cannot save the form and return to complete it at a later time. We strongly recommend downloading the following form and saving your answers on a separate document prior to filling out the online form.

We encourage all applicants to visit the STEPS website prior to preparing this application to have a better understanding of the organization that will be facilitating this residency. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the CreateSpace Public Art Residency program are available.

We encourage applications from all qualified candidates that represent the full diversity of communities in Canada, including complexities of intersecting identities such as ability, class, gender, race and sexual orientation. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from equity-deserving communities, such as those who identify as two-spirit, trans, Indigiqueer, Afro-Indigenous, as well as individuals living with a disability.

Applicants who are Deaf, have a disability, or who need support applying for this opportunity are encouraged to contact Belinda Uwase at belinda@stepspublicart.org or call 416.366.6565 ex. 2 at least two weeks before the application deadline (by Tuesday, January 17, 2023) to allow STEPS to appropriately accommodate your needs and to discuss alternate formats for submitting your application.