Clarington calling all artists for Toyota-commissioned public artwork

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Published March 23, 2022 at 10:58 am

The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington (VAC) is calling on local artists to submit applications for Toyota Motor Corporation’s commission of public art at their Eastern Canada Parts Distribution Centre in Bowmanville.

The 350,000 square-foot facility is built on a 30-acre parcel of land located near the corner of Baseline Road and Lambs Road in Bowmanville. The distribution centre, which opened December 8, 2020, provides direct access to major transportation routes that better serve Toyota and Lexus dealerships from Manitoba to Newfoundland.

The thematic prompt for the public artwork is Open the frontiers of tomorrow through the energy of people and technology and the piece should embody Toyota’s core principles of respect for people and the environment.

The new facility connects to a 600-metre multi-use recreational trail that links the building to the community’s existing Soper Creek Trail system — including a 400-metre path providing access to Clarington’s Waterfront Trail.

A maximum budget of $65,000 will be granted to complete the artwork, which includes artist fees and materials required for the creation and permanent installation of the work. The artist, or group of artists chosen, will be responsible for all stages of the artwork production, from its conception to its delivery to the Toyota site. The VAC will liaise and assist with the installation on-site according to the directions provided by the artist(s).

Payments to the selected artist(s) will be distributed according to the following schedule:

  • At the signing of the agreement: payment of 20 per cent or $13,000
  • On a date agreed between all parties demonstrating the progress of the artwork: 30 per cent or $19,500
  • On final delivery and installation of the artwork at Toyota: the remaining total, $32,500

Sculptures of Durham

Practicing Ontario-based artists are invited to respond to this Open Call by submitting a single PDF document including:

  • CV (for each team member, if applicable)
  • Expression of Interest letter: brief artist statement outlining interest in the project, showing relevant experience, ability, and general artistic approach
  • A proposed project for the Toyota site (concept, scale, material)
  • Sample projects – should indicate appropriate scale and complexity, relevance to the project
  • Images: Maximum ten with captions including title, materials, dimensions, location, and commissioning body (if applicable)

The artist(s) must reside or operate in Ontario and must be able meet the installation date of no later than October 31, 2022.

The artwork created for this project will be owned by Toyota Canada, with Toyota and VAC announcing the final selection in May.

Applicants should deliver submissions via email to the VAC at Dionne Powlenzuk, ([email protected]) with the subject line “Public Art Committee” before the end of the day on March 31. Late submissions will not be accepted.