Art Bus 2026 RFQ

Calgary Arts Development invites artists and artist collectives to submit qualifications for an opportunity to wrap the exterior of a public transit bus with new artwork. The buses will be in service for a minimum of 12 weeks in the summer of 2026. 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 and working in any artistic discipline who live in Calgary/Mohkinsstsis to apply. Residency requirements will be waived for First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) artists and collectives practising and operating in the Treaty 7 region.  

Artists previously selected for Art Bus or Centre City Banners 2023 to 2025, or currently selected for Centre City Banners 2026 to 2028, 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 a minimum of 12 weeks between May and October 2026.  

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 living within Calgary/Mohkinsstsis as well as First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) artists and collectives practicing and operating in the Treaty 7 Calgary region. 

Successful artists/artist 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 four books of transit tickets for inspiration and research during the concept phase or to ride the new Art Buses after installation. 

Please ensure you review the complete guidelines and 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. 

We acknowledge that there has been art, music, dance, storytelling and ceremony on this land since time immemorial and it is in the spirit of this land and its people that we do our work.   

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 between May and October 2026.  

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 and culture 

• 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) pre-existing artworks 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 the 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 Calgary Arts Development’s design consultant to ensure they are preparing files that can be successfully converted into an exterior vinyl bus wrap and interior cards. 

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 
• All text must be converted to outlines 

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  
• All text must be converted to outlines 
• 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 and produce the required files within a 4-month timeframe. 
• Submit their artwork for comments, revisions and approval. Artwork must be original to the artist and created for the purpose of this call. 
• Check-in regularly with Calgary Arts Development’s design consultant to ensure the artwork files are formatted appropriately. 
• Work with the 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 any required accompanying text for each interior card. 
• Develop and provide an artist bio and artwork statement that may be used in communications about the project. 
• Participate in a brief video interview about their artwork for promotional purposes. 
• 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.  

Join our information session led by our project leads to learn more about the Art Bus 2026 artist opportunity.

This session will be held over Zoom and will cover the program overview, application requirements and how to apply, followed by a Q&A period. An ASL interpreter available for those with accessibility needs.

Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2025 from 5 – 6:30pm
Register here: eventbrite.ca/artbus2022infosession

You will receive a Zoom meeting link 48 hours prior to the event.

Open Office Hours

For those who may have further questions about the application process, we are also offering online Open Office Hours. Bring your questions for our project leads or simply join in and listen to others who may have similar questions.

Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 from 11am – 1pm
Register here: eventbrite.ca/artbus2026openoffice

You will receive a Zoom link 48 hours prior to the event.

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.  
• 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) 

• A 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 artwork 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. If the artwork was created as a commercial commission, indicate the commissioning client and describe your role in the development of the artwork. Failure to credit collaborators or co-creators and/or uploading artworks that do not belong to you and/or infringing on another artist’s copyright will make your application ineligible for assessment. If you are an artist working in commercial design, it is recommended to also submit examples that demonstrate your own artistic voice.  

Artists are responsible for ensuring that submissions are received by the deadline. For any accommodations or 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 committee will review all eligible and complete applications. Decisions of the assessment committee are final and the committee reserves the right to select no applications.  

Scoring Process 

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

• Strongly Agree 
• Agree 
• Disagree 
• Strongly Disagree