Art Nest Call for Proposals

Deadline February 28, 2025

Showcase your large-scale artwork at the largest art fair in Canada. Art Nest invites emerging artists to exhibit installations and public art pieces at the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair.

TOAF is currently seeking proposals for installation, sculpture, new media and performance art for the 2025 season. Artwork should be site-specific, focusing on the outdoor setting and related weather conditions.

Commissioned artists will create artworks with guidance and mentorship from senior and emerging curators. The program provides artists with the experience, infrastructure, training and audience exposure needed to build confidence for future public art competitions and commissions. Proposals should also account for visitor safety. All proposals are subject to approval by the City of Toronto.

Art Nest is dedicated to inclusivity and supporting all art practices. We look forward to receiving applications that push boundaries and animate public spaces with large-scale works for outdoor settings. An artist fee of $2,000 plus $2,000 for material costs will be paid to each selected artist.

Eligibility

Art Nest is open to emerging artists or established artists who want to take their practice to the next level by creating commissioned public art projects to be installed at Nathan Phillips Square during the 63rd edition of the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, July 2025.

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] with your full name and “Art Nest 2025,” in the subject line. Images can be submitted in a separate compressed zip file.

Submissions must include:

Your name, address, telephone number and email contact
Links to social media accounts if applicable
Statement describing the proposed work for exhibition, how it would be installed and how visitors might interact with it
10 jpg images*/sketches/reference images of the work to be exhibited (include examples of previous work, especially if it is relevant to the proposed project)
Description of images (title, year, medium)
A brief bio (150 words maximum) and CV (2 pages maximum)
Please compress your images into a zip file
Shortlisted artists may be contacted for further details

*Jpg images can be no larger than 1024 x 768 pixels and 300 dpi

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 for installation. Artists must 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).

Only those with selected proposals will be contacted (by the end of March 2025).

Questions? Contact us

416-408-2754 | [email protected]
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Hear from the Artists
Check out previous Art Nest projects at TOAF

“The generosity and support from Art Nest was wonderful. It allowed me to take a risk and challenge myself in a direction that I am excited to continue pursuing. The audience that TOAF brings is invaluable. Sharing conversations and seeing people’s reactions to the work is always such a highlight.”

– Chris Harms, TOAF63 Art Nest Artist

“Public art is difficult for emerging artists to engage with because it tends to be more expensive and rely on access to studios or equipment. It was a great opportunity to invest in a large-scale installation and I was able to see how viewers interacted with the work and engage with them myself.”