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

About the Opportunity

The Yonge + St. Clair BIA partners with DesignTO Festival to transform publicly accessible spaces into a neighbourhood-wide exhibition. Artists, architects, designers, fabricators and multidisciplinary creatives are invited to submit ambitious, site-specific installations for DesignTO Festival 2027 that activate space, encourage exploration, and create memorable experiences. 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.

Key Dates

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

Eligibility

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. Only one proposal per artist or team may be selected.

Theme: Intersections

Yonge + St. Clair is a place where people, ideas and city life intersect. Situated between downtown and uptown Toronto, the neighbourhood brings together residents, businesses, office workers and visitors. 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.

Installation Sites

• 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
• 1521 Yonge St, Window

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 outlining all anticipated project costs; 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, and create an engaging public experience through immersion, interaction or visual impact. Proposals must be achievable within the proposed budget and timeline. If working at heights, artists and/or installers are required to have appropriate certifications. All work must comply with DesignTO Festival Artistic Guidelines. Artists are responsible for fabrication, transportation, installation, and de-installation of their work.

Proposal Requirements

• Artist Information: name, phone number, email, project title, and brief artist biography (maximum 300 words)
• Executive Summary: concise project description (500–1,000 words) outlining concept, response to selected site, and relationship to the theme
• Artistic Concept: visual material sufficient to communicate the proposal, including sketches, renderings, diagrams, precedent images, material samples, and/or photographs of existing work; if work is already produced, submit dimensions and high-resolution photos
• Budget: detailed line-item breakdown of all anticipated project costs
• Current Resume: prior relevant certifications and work experience