Children’s Area Public Art Service

The Friends of the Guelph Public Library requests expressions of interest from experienced artists and artist-led teams to create an original public artwork for the children's area within Guelph's new Central Library. The artwork must be imaginative, joyful, and inspire child-led engagement while sparking curiosity and creative play. Eligible applicants include artists whose primary place of residence is Canada, who are legally entitled to work in Canada, and Indigenous artists residing in or originating from the unceded territories now known as Canada. Applicants must submit an expression of interest, experience documents, support materials, and letters of reference online or by email by November 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Evaluation criteria for Phase 1 include expression of interest vision (35%), artistic vibrancy (30%), experience and qualifications (25%), and reference letters (10%). The project budget is $250,000 +HST, and short-listed Phase 2 candidates will receive a $2,500 +HST honorarium. The contract spans from March 2027 through unveiling in late 2027, with offsite fabrication scheduled between April and September 2027 and installation in October 2027.