Call for submissions
Concordia's new Public Art Program
Honouring Black Presence at Concordia University
The new public art program, Honouring Black Presence at Concordia, is a long-term initiative to celebrate the histories, presence, and futures of Black Concordians through the creation of ephemeral public artworks.
The university is piloting the new public art program with the first selected artist and aims to see the initiative grow into a 12-year project. The inaugural artwork will be on public display for approximately three years. The goal is for there to be a total of four cycles of three years and that each cycle will showcase the work of a different artist/group of artists.
The artwork will be selected by a group of artists, cultural workers, specialists in public art and members of Black communities of Montreal.
Project specifications
Production Budget: $85,000 CAD
Submission Deadline: July 25, 2023, 11:59 PM EST
Schematic drawing of Hall Building at the Bishop Street entrance.
Installation locations
The commissioned artwork will be located in or outside the Hall building at 1450 De Maisonneuve Boulevard West, the specific areas considered for the placement of the artwork are:
- the south-east corner interior areas of the Henry F. Hall Building
- outside on the Bishop Street terrace area
See the attached plans and drawings, in the appendix of the Call to Artists, including the delineated spaces and specifications.
Eligibility
The university invites individuals or teams of professional artists, both emerging and established to submit an expression of interest to create the inaugural temporary public artwork; however, due to the nature of this project, preference will go to artists or artist teams who identify as Black. Selected artists or artist teams should also have connections to Concordia University and/or the Montreal Black community.
We are looking for work that:
- Is contemporary and site-specific: referring/responding to the conceptual, historical, social, cultural or formal framework of the site.
- Can be of different typologies, durations, and media.
- Can take the form of non-traditional mediums such as, media art, performances, digital art, sound or light art, virtual, or other forms yet to be identified.
- Fosters solidarity and uplifts the voices and presence of Black communities at Concordia and Montreal.
- Centers around the experiences of Black communities at Concordia and Montreal.
- Engages with communities within and beyond the University during the various phases of the project, such as during the proposal, creation and installation phases.
- Is interactive, socially engaged and/or community-based.
- Takes into consideration sustainability and environmental impact.
Artists who have limited experience in creating public art can apply if they are appropriately supported by professionals with experience.
Demystifying the Public Art Process Workshop
On July 4, 2023 a workshop designed to assist artists who are interested in applying for public art calls but have limited experience in this field was held at 4TH Space. The workshop included both theoretical and practical components, with a focus on developing participants' organizational skills and providing a concrete framework for their proposals based on real-life examples.
