News

The University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) is partnering with Nobellum Enterprise and The Ubuntu Creative Arts Project (UCAP) to commission an art installation located in The BRIDGE Finance & Data Lab at UTSC’s Instructional Centre. Artist(s) are invited to submit proposals for a large-scale three piece paneled mural meant to serve as a site for community programming.

This project aims to foster a deeper sense of belonging amongst UTSC’s racialized communities. We seek to create a space where students, faculty, staff, and communities, including Black folks, who were traditionally under-represented in academic spaces, see themselves fully welcomed, embraced, and reflected. The commissioned artwork is meant to interrupt the space and systems within the fabric of the Department of Management located in the Instructional Centre, and will be activated through programming and community engagement initiatives.

Location

Instructional Centre, 1095 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4 Canada

Project goals

The installation and production of this artwork aims to accomplish the following:
• To inspire and serve as a space of belonging for under-represented students pursuing futures in finance,
STEM, and entrepreneurship.
• To create a meaningful site of activation for programming committed to inclusion and anti-Black racism.
• To provide mentorship opportunities for racialized artist(s) in Scarborough communities throughout the
production of the work and beyond.
• To support an equitable engagement and reciprocal knowledge exchange between racialized communities and the Department of Management, and UTSC as a whole.

Eligibility

In order to be considered:
• This call is open to professional racialized artists or artist groups. The project seeks to engage students of colour, specifically Black students. Artists who come from such communities will be given preference.
• This project seeks artist(s) who have a working history of social practice, community engagement, and/or large-scale public artwork.
• The selected artist(s) must be available for ongoing communication with The BRIDGE Project Team by
telephone, email, and in person for scheduled meetings and programs for the duration of the
project.
• The selected artist(s) will be expected to be proficient in all professional aspects relative to their creative
work, including: working under contract, working within schedules, meeting deadlines, providing complete and accurate documentation, budgeting, expense tracking and invoicing related to their work.

Scope of work

• Initial site visit and overview meetings with The BRIDGE Project Team
• Development of project outline including conceptual implications, process, scale, medium, and associated programming
• Community engagement process – our goal for this project is to be community-oriented from its onset,
through its development, and in its completion. The BRIDGE Project Team will support the artist(s) in
developing whatever community engagement components their practice calls for throughout the development of their work.
• Attendance of internal meetings with The BRIDGE Project Team
• Attendance of any related programming throughout the production process
• Attendance of the mural unveiling event
• Reference the Appendix with the dimensions of the wall

Submission requirements

• A project proposal - proposed artwork concept: A written description of proposed concept, including a
process method and approach.
• Portfolio of similar work completed. Work must be of similar scope / scale.
• Artist bio / professional statement. This must include the links to any websites and social media. • Artist’s CV
• All submissions must be packaged and submitted via email to BOTH contacts noted below with the Email Subject Line: Artist Proposal - “Out of Many, One” Mural Project

The Ubuntu Creative Arts Project & Nobellum Enterprise, Kathryn Lawrence, Founder, The UCAP Co-Founder Brand Director, Nobellum Enterprise kathryn@nobellum.com

University of Toronto, Sandy Saad, Curator, UTSC Doris McCarthy Gallery sandy.saad@utoronto.ca

Project timeline

RFP Submission Opening September 9, 2022
Deadline for Artists to Submit questions (if applicable) September 20, 2022
Response to Artist Questions September 25, 2022
Artist Proposal Submission Deadline October 15, 2022
Review Period October 15 - November 15, 2022
Artist Selection November 15, 2022
Kick-Off Meeting with Artists & Project Team November 30, 2022
Community Engagement Sessions 1 - 3 November - December 2022
Production & installation of artwork January - March 2023
Launch Event Spring 2023

Project budget

The commissioned artist(s) will receive an honourarium fee of $8,000 Canadian Dollars. Fabrication and
installation costs are covered by the University and are not included in this proposal.

Reserved rights of The Project Team

UTSC, Nobellum Enterprise and, The Ubuntu Creative Arts Project (The “Project Team”), at their sole discretion, may request clarifications or request additional information, as deemed necessary to evaluate the submissions. The Project Team retains sole discretion to determine whether a submission is responsive if the prospective Artist(s) is / are capable of performing the Work. The Project Team reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to determine the number of pre-qualified Artist(s). The Project Team reserves the right to not proceed with awarding a contract.

Termination of Contract with Artist(s)

The Project Team reserves the right to terminate the contract just cause as per the Terms of the Artist Agreement which will be distributed to the selected artists upon award of the contract.

Publication of Competition Information

The Project Team shall have the exclusive right to issue all public announcements regarding the mural

If you wish to view elevations and photos of the The BRIDGE Finance & Data Lab space click here.