Art Nest Call for Proposals
Submissions closed November 10th, 2025, 11:59pm ET
As Toronto Outdoor Art Fair celebrates its 65th anniversary, Art Nest 2026 invites artists to reflect on what it means to reach this milestone—both for an organization and in the human life cycle. Age 65 is often associated with retirement, closure, or transition, yet it can also signal renewal, clarity, and the freedom to create on one’s own terms.
We are seeking proposals for public artworks that explore the intersections of creativity and aging: the shifting values of legacy, purpose, and intergenerational exchange; the challenges of health, identity, and relevance; and the possibility of imagining “an artist’s retirement.”
What would it mean to make a final artwork, or to never stop making? How might public art reframe ambition, permanence, and monumentality through the lens of later life? We welcome submissions from artists across disciplines and stages of practice who are interested in engaging these themes in bold, thoughtful, and site-responsive ways.
Take a look at the Art Nest Archives
Why Apply
- Mentorship & Guidance: Work closely with accomplished and experienced curator, Rui Pimenta, who will support your artistic process and provide personalized mentorship throughout the project. Gain invaluable insights into conceptual development, installation logistics, and public engagement that will set you up with success and prepare you for future artistic endeavours.
- Exposure & Audience: Showcase your art to a diverse audience of 170,000 art lovers, collectors, and critics. Whether you’re looking to expand your network, build relationships with industry professionals, or simply share your vision with a broader public, TOAF offers an exceptional platform to showcase your practice.
- Funding & Recognition: Selected artists will receive a commission fee of $2,000, as well as an additional $2,000 to support material costs, allowing you to experiment and bring your ambitious concepts to life.
- TOAF has been celebrating art in public spaces and animating Toronto’s civic centre on a grand scale since 1961. The first iteration of Art Nest in 2022 was created in response to the City of Toronto’s ArtworxTO: Year of Public Art 2021-22 initiative. Championing career-launching platforms for the next generation of artists is central to TOAF’s programming values and key to the inspiration behind Art Nest.
Art Nest aims to redefine the meaning and future possibilities of public art in a way that is accessible and impactful by reflecting lived experiences with engaging temporary art projects.
Submission Guidelines
Please submit all materials in a single PDF document to [email protected] by November 10th, 2025. Please include your full name and “Art Nest 2026,” in the subject line. Images can be submitted in a separate compressed zip file.
Submissions must include:
- Please submit all materials in a single PDF document to [email protected] by November 10th, 2025. Include your full name and “Art Nest 2026,” in the subject line. Images can be submitted in a separate compressed zip file.
- Your name, address, telephone number and email contact
- Links to social media accounts if applicable
- A brief bio (150 words maximum) and CV (2 pages maximum)
- Statement describing the proposed work for exhibition, how it would be installed, how visitors might interact with it and how the work will consider the impact of natural elements (ie. wind, rain, heat)
- 5 images or sketches/renderings of the work to be exhibited and 5 images of previous works that are either relevant to the proposed project or show your ability to deliver the proposed work.
- Jpg images can be no larger than 1024 x 768 pixels and 300 dpi
- Description of images (title, year, medium)
- Please compress your images into a zip file
- Shortlisted artists may be contacted for further details
- Proposals must account for visitor safety. All proposals are subject to approval by The City of Toronto.
Although some install support will be provided, selected artists should be prepared to install and tear down their own work. Artists must provide all materials and equipment for installation and tear down. Although not required, artists are encouraged to be present during the 3 days of the Fair to greet the public and answer any questions about their work and for associated programming (Art Talks, public art tours).
Those with selected proposals will be contacted by January 8th, 2026. Only selected applicants will be contacted. We are unable to provide feedback on applications that were not selected.
“Art Nest helped me grow as an artist in a professional and public setting. It provided me the space to really create a large scale project with the help and support of the Art Nest team and curator Myta Sayo. I was able to take risks, play, experiment with techniques in order to realize my project and provided the space to show it in a new exciting context.”
– Jes Young, TOAF64 Art Nest Artist
“Art Nest gave me the opportunity and means to take my practice in a new and experimental direction. Providing the space to exhibit this piece, with instant feedback from TOAF viewers, is so valuable, and gives me the confidence to continue this body of work.”
– Chris Harms, TOAF63 Art Nest Artist
Questions? Contact us
416-408-2754 | [email protected]
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Check out previous Art Nest projects at TOAF
