Calls for Proposals: 2026-27 Exhibitions at Karsh-Masson Gallery and City Hall Art Gallery

Karsh-Masson Gallery and City Hall Art Gallery are located on the main level at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West. Both galleries are open daily from 9 am to 5 pm and are wheelchair accessible. Admission is free. Hours of operation are subject to change due to facility operations. The Public Art Program cannot guarantee exhibitions will be extended in the case of a facility closure.

Exhibitions at Karsh-Masson Gallery and City Hall Art Gallery feature the work of professional artists working in all media and include solo, group and curated exhibitions, exhibitions from the diplomatic sector, and circulating exhibitions from other institutions. Both galleries present a combined total of approximately eight exhibitions annually, each of which lasts approximately eleven weeks. Annual programming consists of artist talks and tours, and an exhibition featuring the City of Ottawa Art Collection. An exhibition related to the Karsh Award is presented every two years at Karsh-Masson Gallery and the next one will occur in 2026.

Although City Hall has 24/7 security, gallery staff are not onsite daily therefore exhibitions must be self-sufficient and cannot require regular maintenance.

A public gallery is a forum for the exploration of diverse ideas. The City of Ottawa exhibits artwork in all media that are of interest and importance to the community, that foster a sense of who we are, and that reflect current artistic practices. These exhibitions are presented in the public domain allowing for an appreciation, understanding and interpretation of our past and present through gallery programming.

• This call for proposals is open to professional artists and curators working in all media. A professional artist is someone who has specialized training in his/her/their artistic field (not necessarily in academic institutions), is recognized by his/her/their peers as such, is committed to his/her/their artistic activity, and has a history of public presentation.
• Local, national and international applicants are eligible. Successful applicants will be responsible for all costs related to shipping artwork to and from the gallery, travel and accommodation.
• City of Ottawa employees or elected representatives are not eligible to apply, in compliance with the City of Ottawa Employee Code of Conduct and all applicable laws and regulations.

The City of Ottawa supports cultural activity that is inclusive of Ottawa’s equity-seeking communities, including people from diverse ancestries, abilities, ages, countries of origin, cultures, genders, incomes, languages, races and sexual identities. Applications from members of the Anishinabe Algonquin Host Nation, First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists or their representatives are welcome and encouraged. The City of Ottawa recognizes both official languages as having the same rights, status and privileges.

Restrictions

• Only one proposal per applicant will be considered. The first application received by the Public Art Program will be the one that is considered.
• Artworks that require electricity must be approved by an accredited certification or evaluation agency prior to being installed at Karsh-Masson Gallery and City Hall Art Gallery. See below for more information.

Artworks with Electric Components

• Artworks that require electricity must be approved by an accredited certification or evaluation agency prior to being installed at Karsh-Masson Gallery and City Hall Art Gallery. The object(s) must have a Recognized - Certification Marking or label indicating that the product has been independently assessed for safety. A list of recognized certification marks and labels(link is external) is available.
• For more information, visit the Electrical Safety Authority(link is external) or call 1-877-ESA-SAFE (372-7233).
• Applicants must provide documentation that their artwork(s) meets ESA standards (i.e. certification mark) in their proposal. All costs associated with meeting the certification requirements are the sole responsibility of the artist.
• The Public Art Program offers basic technical support but not specific technological expertise. Artists applying to exhibit digital technology must demonstrate experience working with this technology or retain technical support for troubleshooting throughout the duration of the installation and the exhibition.
• Exhibitions that require specialized equipment not owned by the Public Art Program must be provided by the applicant, as well as an instruction guide for all equipment.

• Exhibiting artists will be paid an exhibition fee in accordance with either the 2026 CARFAC-RAAV Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule, Section 1 or the 2027 CARFAC-RAAV Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule, Section 1 (Exhibition and Screening Royalty Schedule, Institutional Category I). Curators will receive a professional fee.
• The exhibition fee and the curatorial fee include all professional services related to the preparation, installation, consultation, writing tasks, and production of artwork(s) associated with the exhibition.
• Each exhibition is allotted one presentation fee for an optional talk or tour in accordance with the 2026 or the 2027 CARFAC-RAAV Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule, Section 4 (C.2.0 – Presentation and Consultation fees, Flat rate per half day, under 4 hours).
• Fees must be in Canadian dollars payable to a Canadian bank account.
• Artworks are insured provided that installation recommendations by staff are followed.
• The City of Ottawa Public Art Program does not cover expenses related to travel, accommodation, per diems and the transportation of artwork(s).
• Complex installations of any kind requiring special equipment, regular monitoring or specific support beyond the City of Ottawa Public Art Program’s budget are the sole responsibility of the artist.

Eligible applications are assessed according to:

• Artistic merit
• Cohesiveness of the artwork examples and the written proposal statement
• Appropriateness and suitability of the artwork for installation in a public setting
• Technical and physical feasibility
• Priority is given to applicants who live, or have lived, within a 150 km radius of Ottawa or who have a local connection, such as participating in the local arts community

Peer Assessment Committee

• The peer assessment process is based on industry standards that artists and arts professionals who are active within their cultural community are the most qualified individuals to assess, adjudicate and make recommendations on the work of other artists
• The composition of the peer assessment committee aims to balance representation of artistic specialization, practice, style, and philosophy, as well as fair representation of official languages, gender, geographic areas and culture-specific communities
• Committee members are chosen based on their knowledge and experience, fair and objective opinions, ability to articulate ideas, and ability to work in a team environment
• Committee members change with every competition
• Committee members are selected by City of Ottawa employees after the competition closes and must declare conflicts of interest prior to their participation. If you are interested in participating as a peer assessment committee member, please email publicartprogram@ottawa.ca.

Read through the Call for proposals completely before beginning your online application and make sure you have all the required information ready.

• A complete application must include the support materials listed below
• Support materials may be written in English or French
• Files must be saved in a format compatible with Windows 10
• To format a PDF document, utilize “Save as” or “Export” from a Word or similar text-based document

Supporting Materials

All items are mandatory. Items 2, 3 and 4 must be saved as one PDF.

1. Proposal synopsis (80 words maximum)

• Summarize the proposal statement. The peer assessment committee will refer to the synopsis as a quick reference during deliberations.

2. Proposal statement (two pages or 1,000 words maximum)

• Describe the proposed exhibition’s content and theme, and how you will situate your artwork within the gallery space. A clear understanding of both spaces is necessary for the committee to visualize your exhibition (see gallery floor plans for reference).
• Two-person and group exhibitions must clearly outline a cohesive theme and rationale.
• Applications will be considered for both galleries. Requests to exhibit at either gallery must be explained in the proposal statement, however not all requests are granted.
• Outline any technical or electronic specifications of the exhibition.

3. Artistic résumé (three pages or 1,500 words maximum per artist)

• If multiple artists are involved, include each artist’s résumé.

4. Image/media list (two pages maximum)

• List the following information about each image/media file included in your application: artist’s name, artwork title, date, medium, dimensions, and duration of artwork (if applicable). This list may also include information or additional descriptions of individual artworks.

5. Digital image files and time-based media files

• Upload ten digital image files or ten minutes total of time-based media content (or a combination of both for a total of 10 units) that support the proposal statement and follow the guidelines listed below.

• At least half of the image/media files submitted must be artwork that will be included in your final exhibition should your application be successful

• Curated, two-person and group exhibitions: send ten files maximum

• Applicants who wish to include a combination of digital images and media files: send ten files maximum with no more than ten minutes of content total. For each minute of video/audio content, remove one digital image (i.e. send 6 JPG images and one video file that is 4 minutes long, or send 6 JPGs and 2 video files that are 2 minutes long each).

• Strict adherence to the naming convention outlined below is necessary for images to be uploaded into our database and successfully viewed during the peer assessment committee meeting. Failure to adhere to this format may render your file unusable.

Image files must be:

• JPG format and no larger than 1 MB each
• Named with the corresponding Image list number, title, date, medium, and dimensions, each separated by an underscore
• Do not leave a space before or after the underscore
• File names must not exceed 150 characters
• Failure to adhere to this format may render your file unusable

Format for naming image files

01_Artwork Title_year_medium_dimensions.jpg

Examples:

01_The Mountain_2023_graphite, acrylic and metal_96 x 106 inches.jpg

02_Untitled 3 detail_2022_chromogenic print on paper_206 x 122 cm.jpg

03_Installation at Karsh-Masson Gallery, variable dimensions_2024_mixed media_0 x 0 cm.jpg

Time-based media files must be:

• Shared using a web link to each video or audio file. If the web link does not work, the content will not be viewed.
• Cued to the excerpt you want presented to the committee or provide detailed cue instructions in the appropriate field of the online application form.

Support materials that require specialized software, plug-ins, extensions, or other executables that need to be downloaded or installed will not be reviewed. Applicants are responsible for testing support materials to ensure readability.

Send all support materials electronically using the online application form.

Ensure your content is ready for inputting as the form does not save your information if you leave or refresh the page.

We are available to help you prepare your application in the following ways:

• Discuss the eligibility of your application, requirements of the opportunity and answer any questions about the application and evaluation process
• Question and answer period (details at top of page)

Applications must be received by 11:59 pm (Eastern Daylight Time) on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

The Public Art Program will send you a confirmation email when your application has been received and processed. If you do not receive an email from the Public Art Program two weeks after your submission, please contact us for confirmation.

All applicants will be notified of the results by email by August 2025.

Results are final. Due to the volume of applications received for this competition, artistic feedback will not be provided. If your application is not successful, you are encouraged to try again!

The artist shall retain the copyright of the artworks. Moral rights also remain with the artist.

The City of Ottawa will seek copyright permission to reproduce images of the artwork for non-commercial purposes.

Personal information in your application is collected under the authority of the City Council approved Public Art Policy. Personal information will only be used for evaluating your application and administering the City of Ottawa Public Art Program. City of Ottawa employees and peer assessment committee members are required to treat both the content of applications and the deliberations of the committee as confidential. Committee members turn in their copies of materials for shredding and delete their computer files at the end of the peer assessment committee meeting.

Your personal information is secured and protected in accordance with privacy legislation, including the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).