Artist call: Designs for 95 Nelson St

Application guidelines

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  About the opportunity

  This call will select 3 artists representing xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ to create individual designs for the ground surfaces at 3 building entrances at 95 Nelson St. The designs will be produced as graphic tiles and integrated into the exterior infrastructure.

  Information icon Fabrication and installation will be carried out by our project team, including associated costs.

  Design specifications

  One design will be created for each entrance:

  • Social housing entrance: 100 square feet
  • Firehall entrance: 90 square feet
  • Childcare entrance: 80 square feet

  Artist responsibilities

  Support will be provided by technical advisors from the project team. Artists will be responsible for completing these stages:

  • Detailed draft design: A draft digital design at approximately 75% completion for project team review
  • Concept proposal: A narrative explaining the artist’s approach with rough sketches or examples of the intended final work
  • Final design: Delivery of digital files to the project team

  The overall project timelines are determined by the timeline of construction, estimated to be complete in summer 2028. It is anticipated that the final designs for the entrances will be completed by summer 2026.

  Artist fee

  The individual artist fee is $10,000 for each artist.

  Review the artist call including project background and renderings PDF file (377 KB)

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  Key dates

  Information icon All dates are subject to change.

  	Date
  Artist call opens	November 15, 2025
  Application deadline	January 4, 2026
  Adjudication panel selects artists	February 6, 2026
  Artists notified and contracted	February 2026
  Artist draft designs and concept proposal deadline	May 30, 2026
  Review of draft designs for feedback	Early June 2026
  Artist final designs deadline	July 31, 2026
  Fabrication and installation	Between summer to winter 2028
  Blessing ceremony	Between fall to winter 2028

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  Who can apply

  This call is open to artists from Vancouver’s local Nations xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ.

  For the purposes of this call, the definition of an artist is a regular practitioner who meets at least 1 of these criteria:

  • Has completed basic academic training in art or apprenticed with an accomplished practitioner in the field
  • Maintains an artistic practice and has publicly shared an independent body of work for a minimum of 2 years
  • Is recognized as an artist by arts and culture peers within their community

  We will review submitted applications for eligibility and completeness. Those that qualify will move on to the selection panel for adjudication.

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  How to apply

  Submit an expression of interest

  Applicants may submit only 1 expression of interest, either individually or as part of a team. All submissions must include:

  • Contact information: Full name, pronouns, email, and phone number
  • Identity statement: A short statement noting your Nation affiliation and any intersectional identities such as gender or disability (share only what you are comfortable with)
  • Artist biography (maximum 2 paragraphs): A short synopsis of your art practice and any former training
  • Sample artwork: 4 to 6 images of your artwork with brief descriptions. Previous public art experience is welcome but not required. Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, PDF
  • Statement of interest (300 to 500 words): Why are you excited about this project? What does public art mean to you, and how might your participation positively impact your community?

  Send your submission or contact us with questions

  Email: [email protected]
  Subject line: Application: Designs for entrances at 95 Nelson St

  Application deadline

  January 4, 2026, at midnight PST.

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  Selection criteria and process

  Applications will go through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process. The adjudication panel will select 3 artists, 1 from each local Nation (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ), based on their portfolios of past work. Each selected artist will move into the next stage to develop a design for 1 of the 3 exterior ground-level entrances at 95 Nelson Street: the housing, firehall, and childcare facility entrances.

  An adjudication panel made up of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ members will evaluate applications. Panelists will be selected based on their experience with public art and public realm design.

  Criteria for selection of artists

  Artists will be evaluated on:

  • Demonstrated strength and creativity through past work
  • Demonstrated ability to produce and present artwork
  • Capacity to meet the technical demands of digital design
  • Connection to the project and its community impact