Call for Proposals: Yonge + St. Clair Art Installations for DesignTO Festival 2027

About the Opportunity

The Yonge + St. Clair BIA invites artists, architects, designers, fabricators and multidisciplinary creatives to submit ambitious, site-specific installations for DesignTO Festival 2027. Selected works will be displayed throughout Yonge + St. Clair, reaching thousands of residents, office workers, and visitors, with exposure through DesignTO Festival's marketing channels, guided walking tours, artist talks, and neighbourhood programming.

Theme: Intersections

Yonge + St. Clair is a place where people, ideas and city life intersect. Artists are invited to interpret Intersections through their own creative and critical lens, exploring themes of convergence, transformation, movement, identity, exchange, and/or the evolving relationship between people and place.

Key Dates

• Submission deadline: Sunday, September 13, 2026, 5:00pm ET
• Artists selected: Late September 2026
• Final project information submitted: October 2026
• DesignTO Festival announcement: November 2026
• Installation period: January 14–21, 2027
• Exhibition: January 22–31, 2027
• De-installation: February 1–2, 2027 (unless exhibit extended)

Installation Sites

One installation will be commissioned for each of the following seven locations: 2 St. Clair Ave W Lobby, 2 St. Clair Ave E Lower Level Window, 30 St. Clair Ave W Lobby, 40 St. Clair Ave W Lobby, 55 St. Clair Ave W Lobby, 95 St. Clair Ave W Gallery, and 1521 Yonge St Window. All locations are accessible with appropriate accommodations. Power supply and additional operational and infrastructure assistance may be provided on-site.

Budget & Funding

Selected projects will receive funding between $5,000 and $7,500 CAD (inclusive of HST, artist fees, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation and de-installation). Applicants are encouraged to request only the funding necessary to successfully realize their proposal. Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate exceptional value while maximizing the visual impact and activation of the selected site. Budgets must include a detailed line-item breakdown; generalized or lump-sum budgets will not be considered. Artists retain ownership of their work following the exhibition unless otherwise agreed.

Design Considerations

Successful proposals should respond thoughtfully to the exhibition theme, be designed specifically for a selected site, maximize the scale and spatial potential of the site, create an engaging public experience through immersion, interaction or visual impact, and be achievable within the proposed budget and timeline. If working at heights, artists and/or installers must have appropriate certifications. Proposals must comply with DesignTO Festival Artistic Guidelines.

Eligibility & Selection

This opportunity is open to emerging and established artists, designers, architects, and creative practitioners working in any medium. Preference will be given to applicants based in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. Artists may submit proposals for multiple sites; however, only one proposal per artist or team may be selected. Artists are responsible for the fabrication, transportation, installation, and de-installation of their work.

Proposal Requirements

Submit one PDF containing: artist information (name, phone, email, project title, artist biography up to 300 words), executive summary (500–1,000 words describing your concept and its relationship to the theme and site), artistic concept (visual materials including sketches, renderings, diagrams, precedent images, material samples, and/or photographs; if work is already produced, include dimensions and high-resolution photos), detailed line-item budget breakdown, and current resume with relevant certifications and work experience.

Contact

For inquiries regarding site details, contact [email protected]. Applicants are encouraged to independently visit the installation exhibit locations during publicly accessible hours (office lobbies: Monday–Friday 7:00am–6:00pm, Saturday–Sunday 11:00am–6:00pm).