Kitchener's arts and creative industries programs include many opportunities to apply for projects and opportunities that are designed to share or elevate artists' practices.
On this page:
Current calls for proposals
Explore the City's open calls for arts-related programs and projects. We regularly have calls for submissions or expressions of interest for the City's annual art programs, public art competitions and other opportunities.
Subscribe to this page to be notified when we add new calls for proposals.
Cowan Recreation Complex public art sculpture competition
We invite artists or artist teams to submit an expression of interest for an exciting public art opportunity to create exterior sculptures for the new Cowan Recreation Complex. Sculptures should be imaginative, engaging, and visually striking, that invite public interaction, and are inspired by the theme of sport. Applications are open until 5 p.m. on Monday, December 15, 2025.
Annual programs
We accept submission each year for our ongoing art programs, including:
Subscribe to this page to be notified when these programs open to new applicants.
Projects in progress
The following projects are the result of previous selection processes. Click the links below for updates on the work currently underway.
| Artist in Residence at Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre |
|
Artist and professor Tara Cooper is the City of Kitchener's 2025 Artist in Residence. Her residency is an experimental opportunity to develop and site a permanent public art installation at Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre. Inspired by the idea and symbolism of a potluck and the folktale “Stone Soup,” which emphasizes the power of cooperation and generosity, Tara will host a series of hands-on activities at Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre. Visit our Artist in Residence page to learn more about her work and the opportunities to join a workshop. |
| 44 Gaukel Mentorship Matchup program |
|
This experimental and evolving program pairs emerging or early career artists (mentees) with established professional artists (mentors) to address a variety of project-specific goals and gaps in the regional arts scene. The program is hosted and funded by 44 Gaukel Creative Workspace, our downtown Kitchener facility that hosts artist entrepreneurs, arts organization tenants and community groups. |
| Public artwork for the Cowan Recreation Complex |
|
A tile artwork by Indigenous artist Jackie Traverse was selected for inclusion in our new recreation facility under construction, following a competition process that was launched in August 2024. Titled Gidinawendimin - an Anishinaabe word meaning “we are all related” - the mosaic will span approximately 95 square metres and be made up of more than 200,000 vitreous glass tiles. It features four women interwoven with flowing lines of water and celebrates the deep cultural and spiritual relationship between women and water, honouring themes of kinship, resilience and connection. Traverse, a member of Lake St. Martin First Nation, is known for her bold visual storytelling and work that uplifts Indigenous identity and matriarchal strength. She is represented by Highness Global Inc., which champions a roster of artists - including a dedicated division of Indigenous artists - and works in close collaboration to bring their visions to life through large-scale and impactful public artworks. |
| Public artwork for Mill Courtland Community Centre |
| In April 2025, Council endorsed the jury selection of Swoop by Michelle Purchase and Agnes Niewiadomski as a new public artwork included in the renovation and expansion project currently underway at Mill Courtland Community Centre, following a three-stage open call competition.
Swoop will create a murmur of swallows above the community centre lobby area, reflecting a sense of motion and communal flow, with each bird woven out of locally sourced willow branches. Swallows and willows are symbolic of stability, resilience, protection and renewal. The artists will host a series of workshops in late 2025 and early 2026 for community members to contribute hand-woven swallows to the installation. Subscribe to the Kitchener Arts e-newsletter for details about participating in the making of Swoop. |
| Street banner artwork |
| Downtown Kitchener has a distinctive energy that makes it unique, special and instantly recognizable. We are working with local artists selected through an open call for proposals to reflect this energy in artwork for vinyl banners on streetlights throughout downtown Kitchener. |