OPEN CALL: Glenbow Museum Seeks Submissions For Main Entrance Mural

Glenbow is transforming the museum’s original Brutalist architecture into a modern, welcoming space, enhancing both physical and experiential aspects of the museum. Glenbow’s new 312,000-square-foot home at the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture opens all eight floors to visitors and includes exhibition, programing, and event spaces, as well as a gift shop, theatre, and restaurant. A new distinct feature will be the 13,000-square foot rooftop terrace with an all-season pavilion designed by the internationally renowned artist Maya Lin, incorporating a skylight and oculus to filter natural light into the lower floors of the museum.

As part of Glenbow’s commitment to fostering diverse and unique art experiences, the museum is seeking an Indigenous artist or artists’ team to create a vinyl appliqué mural for the primary entrance to the museum on Stephen Avenue. The appliqué vinyl mural commission will serve as a striking welcome for visitors, grounding Glenbow in its location within Treaty 7 territory. This artwork honours the original storytellers of these lands and will not only enrich the museum’s visual landscape but also invite guests to engage with the profound stories and traditions that have shaped the region.

The entryway mural will be installed for approximately two years, after which Glenbow will issue another open call for another work to take its place.

Glenbow encourages all qualified Indigenous artists and artists’ teams 18 years of age and older with traditional ties to Treaty 7 to apply. Participating Nations include: the Blackfoot Confederacy, consisting of the Siksika, Piikani, Kainai, and Amskapi Piikani First Nations, Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda First Nations including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Good Stoney First Nations. This call is also open to Métis artists with traditional ties to Treaty 7 territory. Respondents to this call will be asked to include information regarding your familial and personal ties to Treaty 7 in your biography.

The successful artist or artists’ team will work with Glenbow’s Executive Advisor, Indigenous Relations, the Glenbow museum team, and the design firm DIALOG.

Vinyl appliqué mural site specifics
The vinyl appliqué will be located inside the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture’s main entrance on Stephen Avenue. The artwork will greet visitors as they arrive, welcoming them to Glenbow. The chosen artwork for this space will form an important part of the museum’s identity. The mural will be highly visible, giving many guests the opportunity to appreciate the artwork.

Budget: 45,000 CAD
Information session: November 6, 2024, 5pm MT via ZOOM. A recording of this session will be available at glenbow.org on November 7, 2024.

Required submission materials
A statement about your interest in public art and how it should engage or respond to its environment and the viewer.

Annotated image list—twelve images with: date, title, media, and dimensions of past and current work. If the image reflects a public work, include the location of the project and the commissioning agency. Links to web-based portfolios are encouraged.

A selected biography (CV) including current contact information.

If working as part of a team, a brief resume of each team member and a description of past experiences working together.

Two or three reviews or news articles about past projects (optional).

Two professional letters of reference.

Respecting oral traditions and traditional storytelling, the above may be provided in an oral and/or video format. The oral and/or video submission must also be included with the above information.

Selection criteria
–Creativity.
–Originality expressed in past work.
–Demonstrated strong understanding of scale.
–Practical understanding of public art and the ability to see the project to completion.
–Proven track record in public art, museum, and gallery work.
–National and international profile through reviews of exhibitions, online texts, and other peer assessments.
–Interested in addressing the challenges of the site, and the building, and a willingness to work with Glenbow and the design and build team DIALOG and EllisDon.
–Ability to produce a high-quality work within the project budget.
–Professionalism.

Schedule (subject to change)
Deadline for the RFQ: December 3, 2024
RFQ evaluation: Week of December 9, 2024
Adjudication long list of candidates: Week of January 13, 2025
Notification of potential candidates: Week of February 10, 2025
RFP request sent to candidates: March 3, 2025
Deadline for RFP: April 28, 2025
Adjudication of RFP: Week of May 12–23, 2025
Finalist selected: Week of May 26, 2025

Format and address
All documents in your submission must be contained in a folder titled with the name of the artist or artists’ team.

You may include up to twelve annotated images with corresponding information in the submission.

Submissions may contain support material i.e. links to videos and websites.

Please keep the file submission to a maximum of 50 MB.

One submission per artist or artists’ team only: multiple submissions will not be considered.

Glenbow Public Art—Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
C/O Art to Public at: info@arttopublic.net

Upload submissions: Art to Public

Deadline
Proposals will be accepted until December 3, 2024, 5pm MT. Responses that do not fully meet the criteria above will not be considered at the sole discretion of Glenbow. It is the respondent’s responsibility to request clarification of any item that is unclear or uncertain within the context of the RFQ package by contacting:

Request for qualification (RFQ)
Public art competition: vinyl appliqué mural for main entrance—Treaty 7
Oki, Aba Washde, Dānast’ádā, Taanishii

Art to Public at: info@arttopublic.net / T + 403 244 2066; ext. 4