Call for Proposals: Atrium Commission at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery

Overview

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery invites artists, designers, and collectives to propose a new, site-responsive installation artwork to be suspended in the atrium located in the lobby. This inaugural program will feature a selected work for two years, from February 2027 to February 2029. The commission aims to bring contemporary art into the heart of the gallery, creating a dynamic and welcoming first encounter for visitors.

Key Dates

• Submission deadline: April 30, 2026, 11:59pm ET
• Successful applicant contacted: by mid-May 2026
• Artist production begins: June 2026
• Production culminates: December 2026
• Installation: January 25–29, 2027
• Exhibition runs: February 2027 to February 2029

Eligibility

Proposals welcome from artists, designers, and collectives residing across Ontario who demonstrate a strong contemporary art background and have previously displayed their artwork in an exhibition or public presentation. The RMG encourages applications from visible and invisible minority group members, women, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQ+ identifying people, racialized people, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.

Site-Specific Commission Goals

The RMG is particularly interested in proposals that respond to the architectural character of the atrium, the gallery's civic and cultural role in downtown Oshawa, the gallery's history, and the histories and landscapes that shape the Durham region. Proposals must demonstrate a strong contemporary art approach grounded in conceptual clarity and material inquiry. The RMG welcomes proposals demonstrating thoughtful experimentation with materials, process, and form. Works should engage the spatial and atmospheric qualities of the atrium—such as shadow, reflection, transparency, illumination, or seasonal variation—while remaining structurally feasible, durable, and professionally executed.

Compensation

The total budget for the project is $35,000 CAD (HST inclusive). The project budget includes all costs directly associated with the artwork, including artist fees for design, fabrication, shipping, exhibition fees, travel, installation, and any other incidental and production expenses. Insurance will be provided for the work while it is onsite and one install technician will be provided during the installation period.

Submission Requirements

• Expression of Interest: maximum 2 written pages addressing your interest in the commission, your approach, details about the proposed work including concept and design, and a brief description of your artistic practice and relevant skills
• Design Proposal: maximum 5 images demonstrating the site-specific concept through drawings, mock-ups, and tests (designs can be drawn over provided atrium images; floor plans and architectural drawings available on RMG website)
• CV: no more than 5 pages
• Work Samples: detailed information on 2 previous projects