Call for Artists & Designers: Clean Air Living Map (CALM)

Overview

The Clean Air Living Map (CALM) is a research-creation project by York University and OCAD University that invites artists, designers, and collectives to participate in exploring air pollution through art, technology, and citizen science. CALM brings together art, design, science, and engineering to make invisible air pollution visible through portable sensing technologies and public-facing creative works.

Key Dates

• Submission Deadline: September 4, 2026, 11:59pm ET
• Project begins: September 15, 2026
• Approximately one month dedicated to developing the creative work
• Citizen-science deployment: approximately two weeks in October/November 2026
• Completed works will be presented as part of a public exhibition in early 2027

Commissions

Four projects will be commissioned. Each selected artist, designer, or collective receives a $1,000 CAD professional creative fee per project, plus up to $1,000 CAD for approved materials, fabrication, and production costs. CALM provides the environmental sensing technology, technical expertise, and training.

Eligibility

The call is open to artists, designers, and collectives working across a wide range of creative practices and at any career stage. Applicants should be comfortable working with technology and interested in translating air-quality data into creative work. Applicants should be curious and passionate about air quality and climate justice, and ready to lead citizen scientists from the general public in collecting air-quality data through crowdsourcing, art, and design. Applicants must be available to participate in in-person activities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Project Requirements

• Participate in an interview and onboarding process
• Receive training in the CALM sensing platform
• Develop an original creative work incorporating environmental sensing
• Participate in an initial workshop and approximately weekly development sessions with the CALM research team
• Develop a work that can be reproduced and/or deployed with up to 10 citizen scientists
• Lead a team of citizen scientists during the public deployment, with support from the CALM research team
• Participate in a public exhibition and project documentation and dissemination activities

Copyright & Documentation

Artists, designers, and collectives retain copyright in their creative work. Selected participants allow CALM and York University to document and share the work through project-related exhibitions, publications, presentations, websites, social media, educational materials, and other research and knowledge-mobilization activities. Artists, designers, and collectives will be credited wherever reasonably practicable.

Application Requirements

• A short statement of interest, maximum 500 words (supporting media welcome)
• Resume or CV
• Portfolio or examples of work
• Contact information

How to Apply

Send application materials to [email protected]. For additional information or questions, contact Mark-David Hosale at [email protected] or visit cleanairlivingmap.ca.

Accessibility

CALM is committed to supporting accessible participation. In-person project activities will take place at locations in the Greater Toronto Area. Accessibility needs can be discussed with selected participants, and reasonable accommodations will be made where possible.