Request for Qualifications: Town of Canmore Call for Art

Call for Submissions: Main Street Modular Welcoming Entrance 
Budget: $10,000.00

The Town of Canmore is seeking artists to create a public art based on Stories of this Place: Welcoming, Gathering, Inclusion. This request for qualifications is a two-stage process. In the first stage, artists are invited to explore ideas related to Stories of this Place: Welcoming, Gathering, Inclusion. Shortlisted artists will be invited to submit detailed proposals that celebrate these themes while showcasing the region’s diversity, local history, natural beauty, and cultural vibrancy. Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is the first stage of this project. Once a shortlist of artists is selected, those artists will be invited to prepare and submit a proposal that includes a concept statement, draft artwork/design approach, and two references. 

Deadline to Apply: Friday, January 15, 2027 at 11:59 pm (MST)

The Town of Canmore invites artists to submit qualifications for the design and creation of a semi-permanent Main Street Modular Welcoming Entrance. The goal of the project is to celebrate Stories of this Place: Welcoming, Gathering, Inclusion through a sculptural and/or functional public artwork that enhances Canmore’s sense of place, belonging, and reputation as a connected community of arts, culture, and sustainability. Click here to view the full call for artists: Procurement Opportunities: Town of Canmore

This project budget is up to $10,000 CAD. The call is open to professional artists and artist teams based in Treaty 7 Territory or with strong ties to the Bow Valley, including Indigenous artists and those with contemporary or historical connections to the region. Proposals for the Semi-Permanent Modular Main Street Welcoming Entrance should be sculptural, functional, or a combination of both, and will be located at the entrance to Main Street along Marra's Way and 8th Street. The artwork must be situated within the designated street boundaries, with installations located on both sides of 8th Street. Artwork can be newly constructed or installation-ready and may include plantings, solar lighting, messages of welcome, etc.

The RFQ is the first stage of a two-stage process, with shortlisted artists invited to submit detailed proposals for the final commission.  

There will be an Information Session: Wednesday, November 25, 2026 from 5 to 7 pm at Civic Centre Classroom, recording will be available. Contact artsculture@canmore.ca to RSVP.