The 2025 Artist in Residence program is an experimental opportunity to develop and site a permanent public art installation as part of the City’s public art program at Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre.

On this page:

  1. About the Artist in Residence and Public Art programs
  2. Information session
  3. 2025 Artist in Residence call for proposals
  4. Public art installation requirements
  5. Eligibility and submission requirements
  6. Selection process
  7. Compensation
  8. Timeline
  9. Resources available to the Artist in Residence
  10. Application

 

About the Artist in Residence and Public Art Programs

The Artist in Residence program celebrates the diversity of artistic practice in Kitchener. For the past 30 years, we have invited artists working in various disciplines and residing in or connected to Waterloo Region to apply to be our next Artist in Residence. With this program, we encourage local artists to develop their practice and interests as they engage with, collaborate with, and enrich their community.

For the 2025 Artist in Residence call, we are combining the residency and its objectives with an opportunity to develop a permanent, site-specific public art installation for the Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre (DPPCC). The artwork will be added to the city’s public art collection.

Public, accessible art makes Kitchener a lively and engaging city. Our public art program is funded separately from the residency program, through a percent-for-art policy that supports the production of artworks specific to civic facilities and spaces. The DPPCC was renovated and expanded in 2020. As a city-owned facility, it is eligible for public artwork through our public art policy.

We invite visual artists based in Waterloo Region to apply for consideration to be the 2025 Artist in Residence. This is a yearlong commitment focusing on research and community engagement resulting in the development, fabrication, and installation of a permanent, site-specific art installation at the DPPCC.

 

Information Session

We will host an information session to answer questions about this opportunity on March 13 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The information session will be hosted at DPPCC, 150 Pioneer Dr., Kitchener, ON, N2P 2C2.

Please send us an email or call 519-783-8302 if you are unable to attend the information session and have any questions about this residency.

 

2025 Artist in Residence call for proposals

This call for proposals is open to visual artists who live or work primarily in Waterloo Region or are able to show a clear, ongoing connection to the region. We will prioritize proposals with a strong potential to impact the users of the community centre. The Artist in Residence program continues to encourage applicants to see the residency as an opportunity to advance their own practice.

This is a one-stage competition open to individual visual artists only. Contributing subcontractors can be hired at production stage; however, they cannot be co-residents.

Preference will be given to artists whose submission demonstrates experience creating and installing temporary or permanent public art. Further preference will be given to artists that can include a meaningful component of citizen participatory engagement in the fabrication or development stage of the proposed art installation at DPPCC.

The first six months of the 2025 residency are expected to be dedicated to researching, developing and finalizing a design concept for the public art installation.  The final six months shall be dedicated to the fabrication and installation of a permanent, site-specific art installation at the DPPCC, following successful consultation with City staff.

Please note that depending on the proposed idea, the centre may not accommodate all fabrication methods. In this case, sourcing outside facilities to create the final artwork would be solely at the artist’s discretion and their responsibility. The hope is that the time spent during the residency will allow the selected artist to observe, interact with, or lead programming that would inform or clarify the final concept or details of the public art installation.

 

Public art installation requirements

Our objectives for the public art program are to support communities, culture and artists, to represent a diverse community, and to improve the quality of life for all residents. Public safety is a priority in the acquisition of artworks for our collection. We prefer artworks that are sustainable, durable, non-corrosive in nature, and require low maintenance, especially if located outdoors.

Our Arts and Culture Advisory Committee also recommends that accessibility be considered in the artwork selection processes, seeking to include rather than exclude as many people as possible.

Land acknowledgement

The City of Kitchener is situated on the traditional territory of the Chonnonton, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee Peoples. We recognize our responsibility to serve as stewards for the land and honour the original caretakers who came before us. Our community is enriched by the enduring knowledge and deep-rooted traditions of the diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit in Kitchener today.

The DPPCC, located in the southeast corner of the city at 150 Pioneer Park Drive, is on the territory of Six Nations on the Haldimand Tract, near the majestic Grand River.

Public art site considerations at DPPCC

Our goal is to collect artwork commissions that are responsive to the spaces in which they are located and to the public uses of those spaces.

We encourage artists interested in submitting to the 2025 Artist in Residence program to visit the DPPCC or attend the information session to learn about its activities and active uses before applying.

The area where the DPPCC is located is forecasted to be the fastest-growing neighbourhood in Kitchener over the next 20 years and is already home to a multicultural population with a high proportion of children, teens, and mature adults.

People who visit and live here value the walkability of nearby trails and the variety of wildlife in the area.  Residents describe the Doon neighbourhood as a great place to live and play.

DPPCC is a neighbourhood hub with amenities that welcomes and serves more than 20,000 residents, with shopping, restaurants and sports fields located nearby. The centre was recently renovated and expanded to continue providing highly valued recreation, social services, and continuing education programs that match community needs. Many outreach and agency supports also make this a hot spot for the community, including a local branch of the Kitchener Public Library located within the building.

One of the key priorities identified prior to the renovation was to accommodate a bigger space for the community to gather with friends and neighbours. As a result, a large program room was added to the facility with an entryway onto a cement patio bordered by a brick wall.

The aim of the final public art installation is to animate the outdoor patio with the wall.

Technical review

Prior to the fabrication of the proposed public art installation, the selected 2025 Artist in Residence will have to demonstrate to our review staff that technical requirements can be accomplished in the final production, fabrication and installation of the artwork within the scope of the public art budget. City staff will support the Artist in Residence during this process, but if the artist cannot meet these requirements to the satisfaction of technical reviewers, we will not proceed with a commission.

Technical requirements reviewed would include:

  • durability of artwork
  • feasibility of installation
  • appropriateness of the scale of the artwork to the space it will occupy
  • appropriateness to the production and installation timelines
  • suitability and sustainability of material and maintenance requirements
  • safety and accessibility for users of DPPCC

At our discretion and if deemed necessary, the artist must provide detailed design drawings of the artwork sealed by a professional engineer licensed to practice in Canada, prior to fabrication. This may include detailed design and engineering for all anchoring or other installation requirements.

 

Eligibility and submission requirements

We’re committed to creating and supporting an equity-based platform that includes diverse creative perspectives. We welcome and highly encourage applications from individuals with intersectional identities from groups seeking equity, diversity and inclusion. This includes artists from many diverse backgrounds and origins, but we specifically encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and racialized individuals, 2SLGBTQIA+ community members and people with disabilities.

The 2025 residency is open to visual artists who live or work primarily in Waterloo Region, or can show a clear, ongoing connection to the region. We will prioritize proposals with a strong potential to impact the users of the community centre.

Artists that are currently under contract to produce another public art project for the City of Kitchener are ineligible until the current contract is completed. In exceptional cases, we may waive this condition for an artist.

The 2025 Artist in Residence call for submissions is open to individual visual artists only.

Please see the evaluation criteria section below for additional eligibility criteria.

 

Proposal package

Interested artists must submit a proposal package that includes the following:

  1. Resume, short personal description or summary of relevant credentials (maximum three pages).
  2. Letter of interest (maximum 1,000 words) highlighting your qualifications, relevant experience, how the residency would further support or advance your artistic development, and a description of your intended approach to this residency, including a preliminary design or idea of the public art installation. The idea does not have to be fully developed. You may give examples of how past approaches may support the approach to this residency and artwork installation. Please note that this summary may be used as a narrative for administrative and public use.
  3. Minimum of 5 and maximum of 10 high-resolution image files (jpg, pdf, video) that illustrate past public art projects and/or community participatory art-making activities or results. Please include a corresponding image list with title, media, size, location (if applicable) and year of creation for each work pictured. A caption for each image may also be included if desired. If possible, please submit a PowerPoint or PDF file to detail individual images.
  4. Contact information for two persons of reference who could offer feedback on your artistic practice.
  5. Be prepared to enter into a legal agreement with the City of Kitchener and, if applicable, provide an HST registration number.

If you have any questions or require any accessible accommodations, please contact our Program Administrator, Karoline Varin, at 519-783-8302 or by email. 

 

Selection process

After applications close, a selection committee recruited and facilitated by City staff will choose the 2025 Artist in Residence. The committee’s recommendation will proceed to our Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC) for support before being presented to City Council for final approval.

Once approved, we will prepare an agreement with the artist.

We reserve the right to end the competition at any stage. In such a case, we will notify the artist who has submitted a proposal as necessary.

 

Selection committee

A selection committee ensures a fair process through balanced participation and discussion of all eligible submissions. The committee’s responsibility is to assess submissions and select based on artistic merit, project practicality and other identified criteria.

Staff will assemble the jury to reflect resident demographics and to include the following participants:

  • one member as recommended by ACAC
  • one visual artist from the region
  • one member representing DPPCC
  • one member representing Doon Pioneer Park Community Association (DPPCA)
  • the ward councillor or designate 

 

Evaluation criteria

Selection committee members will independently evaluate the submissions received from artists against the criteria outlined below using a three-colour rating system (green for yes, yellow for maybe, red for no) and other rating inputs (including juror commentaries). The highest-rated submissions will then be discussed in greater detail by the selection committee to reach consensus on a recommended applicant.

The applicant must:

  • be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
  • reside or work in Waterloo Region or have a clear, ongoing connection or affiliation with the arts sector in the region
  • demonstrate commitment to their practice
  • show strength and clarity of their concept and overall proposal.
  • show artistic merit of their proposal
  • show their capability to enable meaningful community engagement to activate a public space
  • show the residency’s impact on their current artistic development
  • show relevance of the proposed residency activities and proposed artwork installation to facility priorities and local culture
  • show their capacity to collaborate with other professionals to realize an outcome
  • show qualifications and ability to produce high-quality artworks
  • show capacity to successfully complete and install an artwork

The selection committee may find that none of the submissions fulfill the project criteria. In this case, we may re-open the selection process.

 

Compensation

The commission fee available to the selected artist does not include costs related to selection committee participation or meetings, residency marketing or possible artwork unveiling and interpretation.

Artist in Residence Compensation

  • $10,000 honorarium for time spent in residency received in two installments
  • $2,500 supply budget to facilitate community engagement activities

Public art commission

 The total commission budget available for the final on-site public art installation is $30,000.

 This amount must cover:

  • artists’ production fees, including design, engineering or production subcontractors
  • material, fabrication, transportation and installation
  • studio and storage costs
  • legal fees
  • documentation (photography, spec sheet and maintenance schedule prep, etc.)
  • artist or team travel expenses and meeting time

The installation will be implemented with support from our staff. Contracting and completion of the installation must be done by an approved contractor.

Timeline

This is the proposed project timeline. Please note that the timeline is subject to change.

  • February 18: call for submissions launch date
  • March 13: information session
  • April 1: applications close
  • Week of April 22: jury meeting
  • May 20: presentation to ACAC
  • June 2: presentation to council
  • July: residency starts
  • July – Dec 2025: residency takes place
  • Jan – June 2026: artwork fabrication and installation

 

Resources available to the artist

The Artist in Residence will have access to advice and expertise from ACAC during monthly committee meetings.

They will also receive guidance, practical input, and help from city staff on developing feasible and implementable community activities and ways to realize project objectives:

  • The resident artist will have a budget of up to $2,500 during their residency for supplies related to any community activity and/or collaborator fees during the first six months of the residency.
  • Help from city staff in promoting any activities or events.
  • Coordination of writing, editing, design, and printing of promotional materials directly related to the residency project (event invitation cards or posters, brochures, business cards, etc.).
  • In-kind access to a pre-designated workspace at the 44 Gaukel Creative Workspace.  Please note: this space is a shared workspace which may not accommodate all artwork fabrication methods due to safety, storage, or space limitations.
  • Insurance coverage during the residency and during the fabrication and installation of the artwork.
  • Exploration of opportunities for any aspect of the Artist in Residence's project to coordinate with City of Kitchener festivals and events, including DPPCC’s activities.
  • Help connecting with potential collaborators to support project goals.
  • Support with the logistics of installing the artwork.
  • Support in meeting accessibility needs of the artist, as needed.

 

Application

Applications are due at 5 p.m. on April 1, 2025. We will not consider incomplete or late submissions.

You can apply:

If you have any questions, please send us an email or call 519-783-8302

Online

To apply online, please complete our application form.

Please review the submission form before beginning your application to familiarize yourself with the requirements. You can save the application and come back to it later.

Apply online

By delivery or mail

To apply by delivery or mail, please submit two (2) unbound copies of your package (page size 8 ½” x 11”) before the final deadline to:

2025 Artist in Residence
c/o Economic Development, 6th floor, City Hall
200 King Street West
Kitchener, ON
Canada
N2G 4G7

Attention: Karoline Varin, Arts and Creative Industries Program Administrator

 We are not responsible for damage to, or loss of, support materials.