Town Mural Program

2026 Call For Submissions

The Town of Antigonish is pleased to partner with Antigonish Culture Alive (ACA) on the Antigonish Public Art Program. The Town and ACA are seeking submissions for the new Public Art Commission. This is a province-wide competition, with preference given to Antigonish Town and/or County residents, for professional (as defined by Canada Arts Council Guidelines) and emerging artists (an artist developing their portfolio and gaining experience, self-taught or formally educated).

The 2026 Public Art Commission celebrates the 50th anniversary of Antigonish Creative Dance Association (ACDA). ACDA provides a comprehensive program in which dancers of all ages, but in particular young people, can find their physical voice. ACDA is proud to note that many of the dancers in their programs today are children of former ACDA dancers, a trend that speaks to the legacy of their involvement in the community. Dance not only teaches discipline, concentration, flexibility, and technique; the intellectual, physical and social skills taught through dance are basic and fundamental to a child's success and function in other areas of development. Most importantly, child-centered dance promotes expression, joyousness, appreciation of beauty and a sense of belonging in the wider community.

This is an exciting opportunity to create public artworks for Antigonish as a cultural hub within Northeastern Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia). For the 2026 Antigonish Public Art Commission we seek to promote aesthetic literacy and cultural community. Artists with experience in large-scale works are highly encouraged to apply.

Technical skills in Adobe Creative Suite (or similar software) to render a design in digital formatare considered an asset. If needed, a professional graphic designer can assist with preparingfinalized files. The Town and ACA will oversee reproduction and installation, while copyright will remain with the artist.

Artists will be selected by a jury composed of representatives of the town, Antigonish CultureAlive, and local arts professionals.

Proposed mural location: the eastern wall on the side of Antigonish’s landmark store, 5c-$1. Size: Approximately 75-130 square feet.

Requirements for Participation:

Artists must be residents of Nova Scotia; ties to Antigonish Town and/or County will be prioritized.
Artists must be 18 years of age (or parent/guardian permission is required).
Only applications with all necessary documents as outlined below will be reviewed.

Requirements for Submission:

Applicant may submit under one of two categories. Please note in your application which category you are applying under.
- Digital Reproduction, or;
- Full Scale, In-situ Painting
The written portion (letter of intent, CV or resume, etc.) of your application includinglinks into a single PDF.
JPEGS/PNG’s are to be sent separately (not in a PDF) and named Firstname_Lastname_1

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN: Submit conceptual design(s)* based on specs provided. This may be asketch, painting, or digital image that reflects your concept for the Antigonish mural (.pdfor jpeg, no larger than 2 megabytes). Conceptual designs should provide a detailedrendering with desired final colours noted. Please submit as JPEG/PNG images.*Note on Conceptual Design Requirements: the design should clearly show your idea andapproach. You do not need to provide a fully rendered or finalized artwork. The goal is tocommunicate your concept, style, and vision for the mural. If selected for a Tier Tworendering, further detail may be requested. Final details, adjustments, and formatting willbe developed in collaboration with the project team once an artist is selected.

LETTER OF INTENT (250-1000 words): Here artists have the opportunity to convey their visionfor the project, as well as their process and their practice. This is a perfect space toarticulate how you see your art fitting in with the cultural and physical landscape ofAntigonish. Narrative components or text based art are also welcome. We are intentionallysetting these parameters extremely broad so as to not exclude potential projects. Thesetext documents may include graphics and should be in one PDF or .docx files. Other formatsof delivery can be considered with advanced notice (recorded audio, etc.) Other formats ofdelivery can be considered with advanced notice (recorded audio, video, etc.).

PORTFOLIO: Include an artist portfolio with supplementary files of related and/or previouswork (5-10 works max). Portfolio should be a document (Word or PDF) with photosembedded and context included.

CV OR RESUME: Provide a CV or resume of relevant artistic experience (training, awards,residencies, exhibitions, projects, etc.), and include an artist bio along with links toappropriate website/online presence (Instagram, etc.).

Please note: that any use of generative AI in composing your conceptual image or portfoliowill NOT be accepted.

ACA recognizes that we exist in a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasinglyprevalent. We also recognize the challenges generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs)present in regard to critical and original thought, and the detrimental impacts to both people andthe environment.

As an organization that prioritizes fair wages for artists, ACA will never use AI for workthat we could pay a real life artist to do (creating marketing materials, generating images,etc.).
ACA will never use AI to adjudicate artists’ submissions, or intentionally feed artists’ workto AI.
Due to concerns about copyright, and a desire to support original work, ACA will notentertain submissions that are created with or feature AI. AI may not be used in anystage of the creative process, including research or concept designs. Artists may notsubmit AI-generated text, graphics, images or animation.

For more information on AI use in the arts, we recommend the following resources:

Compenstation

If your design is selected for digital reproduction, you will receive an artist fee of $4,000for providing the work in a finished digital format. Artist fees will be paid in twoinstallments, 1) upon official selection and 2) upon completion of print-ready files.

If your design is selected to be painted in situ, the artist fee will range between $5000 -$7,000, depending upon the final surface area of the mural. Artist fees will be paid in twoinstallments, 1) upon official selection and 2) upon completion and installation of the finalartwork.

The fee in both cases includes all travel and communication with program staff.

Printing and installation will be the responsibility of the Town and ACA.

Timeline

Application Posted: September 1, 2026
Applications Due: October 1, 2026
Jury Selection - Round One: October 15, 2026
Round Two - Artists' Sketches Due (if required): October 31, 206
Final Artists Chosen: November 2026
Final Design Due: January 5, 2027
Installation of Digital Reproductions: Spring 2027 (Exact date TBD)

For further details, please view: pdf Call for Submissions (1.60 MB)

Questions

Any applicants who have questions or require assistance with the technology can contact Melissa Kuipers, Arts Coordinator for ACA at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..