Deadline: Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 11:59 pm (Eastern Daylight Time)
Online application form: Please have your content ready for inputting as the form does not save your information if you leave or refresh the page.
Ottawa is built on un-ceded Anishinabe Algonquin territory. The peoples of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation have lived on this territory for millennia. Their culture and presence have nurtured and continue to nurture this land. The City of Ottawa honours the peoples and land of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation. The City of Ottawa honours all First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and their valuable past and present contributions to this land.
About Direct Purchase
The City of Ottawa Public Art Program invites professional artists, and their representatives, to offer existing artworks for purchase. Applications are reviewed by a peer assessment committee and artworks recommended for purchase become part of the City of Ottawa Art Collection. Artworks from this diverse collection are presented in over 170 public sites across Ottawa. Direct Purchase is a competitive program for participants to offer artwork for purchase to the City of Ottawa.
Before submitting your application, please review the Eligibility section below.
Program objectives
- To support eligible emerging, mid-career and established professional visual artists
- To purchase existing artworks to be added into the City of Ottawa Art Collection
- To support activities that address the priorities identified in the Renewed Action Plan for Arts, Heritage and Culture in Ottawa (2013 - 2018)[1.62 MB], including prioritizing applications from individuals with lived experience and identity as a member of Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women and other equity-deserving groups and artists not currently in the City of Ottawa Art Collection.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Professional artists, or
- Representatives of professional artists, such as a gallery or an estate who is applying on behalf of professional artist(s).
Professional artists must have completed specialized training in their artistic field or be recognized by their peers as a professional artist.
Participants must either be the author of the artwork or must represent the author of the artwork.
Artists must live, or have lived, within a 150 km radius of Ottawa or the artwork must have a local connection (please indicate this in the Artist Statement or Artistic Résumé).
Artists must be committed to their artistic practice.
Artists must have created a body of work outside of basic training.
Artists who identify as Anishinabe Algonquin.
The City of Ottawa supports cultural activity that is inclusive of Ottawa's equity-deserving communities, including people from diverse ancestries, abilities, ages, countries of origin, cultures, genders, incomes, languages, races and sexual identities. The City of Ottawa recognizes the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation as Ottawa’s Indigenous Host Nation. The City of Ottawa is committed to supporting cultural activities that respond to the Calls to Action put forward in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report. Applications from members of the Anishinabe Algonquin Host Nation, First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists and curators are welcome and encouraged. The City of Ottawa recognizes both official languages as having the same rights, status and privileges.
Who is not eligible?
- Students who have not yet completed arts training.
- Individuals who are not authors nor representatives of professional artists.
- Artists who do not live, nor have not lived, within a 150 km radius of Ottawa.
- City of Ottawa employees or elected representatives in compliance with the City of Ottawa Employee Code of Conduct and all applicable laws and regulations.
Restrictions
- Applicants, not including galleries, may only submit one application at a time within this opportunity.
- Meeting all eligibility requirements does not guarantee purchase of artwork.
Assessment criteria
Applications are assessed by a Peer Assessment Committee according to:
- Artistic merit
- Regional importance
- Innovation
- Conservation and maintenance requirements
- Suitability of the artwork for installation in an office and/or public setting
Who is on the Peer Assessment Committee?
- The composition of the 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
- Peer assessment 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
- Members of the Peer Assessment Committee change for every opportunity
- Members of the Peer Assessment Committee are selected after the competition closes and must declare conflicts of interest prior to participation
Application process
Read through the Call to Artists completely before beginning your online application and make sure you have all the required information ready.
- A complete application must include support material listed below, up to five images or five minutes of time-based media or a combination thereof
- Support material 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
Support materials
Items 1, 2, and 3 are mandatory and are to be saved as one PDF
- Artist statement (maximum 500 words)
- Artistic résumé (maximum 1500 words)
- Image/Media list – is a required component. It is a direct reference to the artwork image or media files you are including in your application. The image/media list is an opportunity to add information or additional descriptions of individual artworks. Use this list to indicate series, edition, or other significant details in point form
Digital image files and time-based media files
Upload five digital image files or five minutes total of time-based media content (or a combination of both for a total of 5 units) that follow the guidelines listed below.
Image files must be:
- JPG format and no larger than 1 MB each
- Named with the corresponding Image/Media list number, title, date, medium, dimensions and price, 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_$price.jpg
Examples:
- 01_The Mountain_2023_graphite, acrylic and metal_96 x 106 inches_$1500.jpg
- 02_Untitled 3 detail_2022_chromogenic print on paper_206 x 122 cm_$0.jpg
- 03_Installation at Karsh-Masson Gallery variable dimensions_2022_mixed media_ 0x0cm_$0.jpg
If not submitting video/media files, five images per application are required. When artworks are not available for sale, applicants may include reference images of artworks that have previously sold or are not for sale, detail images of artworks, images with alternate points of view (i.e., for sculptures), or images of artwork from a similar series that have previously sold. Reference images of artworks not for sale/alternate views should be listed with a price of $0.
Application form
Application assistance
We are available to help you prepare your application in the following ways:
- Discuss eligibility of your application, requirements of the opportunity and answer any questions about the application and evaluation process
- Virtual information meeting (details at top of page)
- The meeting will be aimed at first-time applicants however all are welcome to attend
- Download the Zoom app or participate in the meeting using a web browser
Deadline and notification
Applications must be received by 11:59 pm (Eastern Daylight Time) on Wednesday April 10, 2024. 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 within two weeks after your submission, please contact us for confirmation.
All participants will be notified by email of the results of the first stage of the 2024 Direct Purchase by August 2024.
Results are final. Due to the volume of applications received, artistic feedback will not be provided.
If your application is not successful, you are encouraged to try again!
The peer assessment committee is comprised of new members for each competition. If your artwork was not recommended for purchase understand that your submission may have been supported but the Direct Purchase’s limited budget cannot fund all applicants, regardless of their merit.
Copyright and moral rights
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.
Confidentiality of information
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 meeting.
Contact us
Erica Chi
Erica.chi@ottawa.ca
613-806-8798
Sarah Patterson
sarahm.patterson@ottawa.ca
613-806-9586
For general information about the City of Ottawa Public Art Program or technical issues contact publicartprogram@ottawa.ca.
Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. If you are unable to view documents or require alternative file formats, please complete an Accessible Documents Request Form.
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