Artist in Residence program

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Call to Artists for Expressions of Interest

The City of Guelph invites artists and art collectives (collaborations between two or more artists) to submit Expressions of Interest for the 2025 Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program.

AiR is an incubator for artistic creation, inspiration and community connections. This program invites artists (including literary, media, performance, visual, etc.) to consider how various members of the community might witness, contribute to, engage with, and/or participate in their art. The residency prioritizes projects that creatively and accessibly animate public spaces while engaging with the Guelph community in new and inclusive ways.

One AiR project will be awarded in 2025. Artists practicing in all mediums and modes of expression are encouraged to apply. Artists are encouraged to create new work, to advance work-in-process, or to re-imagine past work through the residency. They must engage the community through their work and include an end-of-project event during Guelph Culture Days. View eligibility requirements.

There are two stages in the AiR selection process: (1) Call for Expressions of Interest; and (2) Request for Proposals from short-listed candidates. View the full application requirements and evaluation criteria.

Note: this is not a live-in residency. Permits may be issued for temporary use of public spaces for artistic creation and presentation.

Watch the information session for details and tips for Phase 1 applications

Information session slide deck

AiR program goals

Increase opportunities for artists while building the City’s reputation through arts and culture.
Creatively animate public space(s)—indoor or outdoor.
Provide opportunities for artists to engage with the public through creative practices.
Amplify under-represented voices to advance equity, diversity and inclusion in the arts.
Nurture the community’s interest in the arts by broadening their experiences and opportunities to engage.
Cultivate connections between artists, the public and their shared communities.
Share stories that reflect the place currently known as Guelph and the diverse experiences that have lived, do live and/or grow here.

AiR program roles

The City of Guelph will:

recognize the artist(s) as the 2025 City of Guelph Artist-in-Residence;
award a $10,000 (CAD) budget to the selected artist or artist collective;
provide access to municipal facilities and venues (as available);
coordinate permits for public space(s) (as appropriate);
promote project information in print media and online;
provide administrative assistance, web services on guelph.ca, event coordination, graphic design and project promotion;
photo-document the public-facing events hosted through the residency; and
assist with the presentation and celebration at the end of the residency.

The selected artist(s) will:

create at least two opportunities for the public to engage and contribute to their residency (e.g. through research, witnessing, or contributing to process, workshops, facilitated or self-guided community experiences, etc.);
deliver the project within the program’s timeline and budget;
promote the project (e.g. print and social media, web presence, word of mouth, etc.);
provide regular progress updates to culture staff; and
provide feedback on successes and challenges of the residency when it concludes.

AiR eligibility requirements

In 2025, one AiR project will be awarded. This opportunity is open to all artists and art collectives (two or more people working as an artist group or who have chosen to collaborate for this program). The artist(s) may choose to focus on a single medium/discipline, to work in multimedia, or within an interdisciplinary practice, including but not limited to:

literary arts (text-based expressions, spoken word, poetry)
media arts (sound, video, animation, digital)
performance arts (visual, dance, music, theatre)
visual arts (drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media)

This residency must include an end-of-project event (i.e. installation, performance, exhibition, or other community centered experience) that can be shared and celebrated with the public. This event or experience will take place during the Guelph Culture Days Celebration, between September 19 and October 12, 2025. Contributions can include, but are not limited to:

a workshop
a self-guided, public activity
a performance or event
an artist talk or panel
a physical or virtual exhibition

Artists should express their connections to Guelph. Any artist or group of artists age 18 or over, whose primary place of residence is Canada and who are legally entitled to work in Canada may qualify for this opportunity.

Artists and artist collectives are encouraged to express their unique and intersectional identities in the description of their practices. Artists from equity-deserving communities (including Black, Indigenous, racialized, people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQA+, low-income and unhoused individuals) are welcomed to share how their lived experiences inform their art and their residency proposal.

Previous City of Guelph Artists-in-Residence, and current Public Art Advisory Committee members are not eligible to apply. Current City of Guelph employees or past Public Art Advisory Committee members who have or had an influence on the adjudication process are not eligible to apply. Questions about eligibility can be directed to [email protected].

Fundraising activities are not eligible.

AiR compensation

The maximum project budget to be funded by the City of Guelph (managed by the artist) is $10,000 +HST (if applicable). Eligible expenses include costs associated with the creation and implementation of the residency project, including but not limited to:

artist fees (including research, development and administration)
production fees (including materials, studio expenses, any required insurance, venue rental, hospitality, services and equipment)
collaborator fees (including community consultation fees and honorariums)
travel and accommodation costs

Disbursements will be made throughout the project on a mutually agreed schedule. Any expenses to create and implement the residency project in excess of the maximum project budget shall be the sole responsibility of the Artist. Artists may secure additional resources through project-related grants, awards, and prizes to supplement the project budget.

The artist(s) will enter an Artist Agreement with the City of Guelph.

Program timeline

The anticipated program timeline is outlined below:

January 29 at 6 p.m.: Phase one application information session. View the information session.
February 12 at 11:59 p.m.: Phase one application deadline
March 14: Shortlisted candidates notified
March 17: Phase two application 1:1 information sessions (phone or video call)
April 2 at 11:59 p.m.: Phase two submission deadline
April 14: Notice sent to successful candidate(s)
May 1–27: Successful candidate(s) to secure partnerships and finalize dates for their project
May 27: Deadline for artist(s) to provide schedule of dates for anticipated project timeline
July 1–October 12: Approximate residency period
September 19–October 12: Residency programming period
October 22: Approximate residency reflection and wrap-up

All applicants are asked to reserve the phase two information session date in their calendar.

Selection process and criteria

The recommended artist or artist-led groups will be chosen through a two-phase selection process.

The City’s Public Art Advisory Committee will review proposals based on the program goals and selection criteria outlined below.

To request an accommodation for the application process, contact:

Cultural Programs and Events Coordinator
519-822-1260 extension 2629
[email protected]
TTY 519-826-9771

Phase one – Expression of Interest

Applicants should submit materials listed below using the online submission form:

Expression of Interest (500 words or less, maximum file size 2 MB – pdf, doc or docx), including a preliminary project proposal that describes the project concept, desired outcomes, and a vision for how the artist will facilitate community engagement, considering the community’s various ways of experience art (e.g., hearing, touch, sight, etc.).
Artist CV (up to three pages, maximum file size 2 MB – pdf, doc or docx)
Support materials – including a minimum of three and maximum of six examples of past/current artistic work (such as photographs of artworks, short writing samples, links to video or sound files, etc.). Maximum file size 5 MB – pdf, doc, docx, jpg, jpeg or png – text field available for links.

Please include only the items listed above. Additional materials will not be presented to the selection panel.

Submit your Expression of Interest

Stage one evaluation criteria

Qualifications and experience (40%):

The submission shows evidence of the artist’s ability to deliver work of high artistic quality on time and on budget (20%)
The submission demonstrates the artist’s ability to engage with the community (10%)
The submission is from an artist or artist collective with connections to Guelph and public-presentation experience (10%)

Quality of preliminary project proposal (60%):

The preliminary project proposal will deliver work of high artistic quality and produce an outcome or creative process such as, but not limited to, a temporary installation, performance, recording, creative collaboration, exhibition or community experience that can be shared and celebrated with the public (20%)
The preliminary project proposal has a vision for inclusive community involvement (15%)
The preliminary project proposal outlines a project that will creatively animate public space(s) (15%)
The preliminary project proposal is realistic and achievable (10%)

Stage two – Request for Proposals

Following review of eligibility requirements and Expressions of Interest, shortlisted artists will be invited to develop their concept proposals in a second submission. They will also attend a one-on-one information session, allowing the opportunity for culture staff to provide feedback, as well as for both staff and artists to ask clarifying questions about the proposal and ongoing application process. Shortlisted artists will receive a $500 honorarium for their submissions.

Stage two submissions should include a detailed project outline (up to five pages) formatted as a single file (maximum file size 5 MB – pdf, doc or docx) and sent electronically to [email protected]. The submission should:

Summarize project goals and outcomes;
List community outreach opportunities and how they enhance the project proposal;
Identify key project stages and timelines; and
Forecast a budget, including artist fee based on a flexible, part-time residency commitment occurring between July 1 and October 12.

Stage two evaluation criteria

Qualifications and experience (20%):

The artist has the knowledge and skills required to facilitate, coordinate, promote, and deliver the project on time and on budget (5%)
The artist’s professional experience, interests and talents complement the program (5%)
The artist has demonstrated experience and inventiveness in working collaboratively with community members (5%)
The proposal is realistic and achievable (5%)

Quality of proposal (40%):

The proposal has artistic merit (25%)
The proposal is innovative and unique (15%)

Realization of proposal (40%):

The proposed project will creatively animate public space(s) (20%)
The artist’s plans for cultural programming and community engagement are strong and inclusive (10%)
The proposed project demonstrates a connection to the City and/or relevance to the citizens of Guelph with potential for positive impact or social change in the community (10%)

General provisions

Artist agreement

Shortlisted artists will be required to enter an agreement with the City of Guelph at the second phase of the competition and to receive the artist honorarium. The successful Artist-in-Residence will enter into an additional agreement with the City of Guelph. Upon notification of being awarded the project, the artists will have a seven-day period to finalize and sign the agreement.

Conflict of interest

Applicants must disclose any potential conflicts of interest in their submission, including any which may involve City employees, Council members or members of the City’s Public Art Advisory Committee.

Reserved rights

The City of Guelph and the Public Art Advisory Committee are not obliged to accept any of the submissions and reserve the right to not recommend any proposal or finalist and to terminate or re-advertise any project.

For more information

Cultural Program and Event Coordinator
Culture and Recreation, Public Services
City of Guelph
519-822-1260 extension 2629
[email protected]
TTY 519-826-9771