Call for Submissions

Each community centre is located within a distinct Oakville neighbourhood, and artists are encouraged to create or adapt work that meaningfully connects with the specific area they choose. Proposals should reflect the theme of connecting communities, offering thoughtful visual interpretations of local identity, shared spaces, and the spirit of belonging. 

Submitted artworks should also be vibrant, positive, and community focused, drawing inspiration from arts, culture, and nature.

Artists may submit new work or adapt existing artwork. The Town will be responsible for the fabrication and installation of the vinyl media. Artwork must be photo-based and provided as high-resolution digital files suitable for large format printing. 

Proposals will be assessed based on artistic merit, relevance of the proposed artwork to the selected facility, and demonstrated capacity to complete the project.

For more information email: public.art@oakville.ca

This call is open to professional Canadian artists of any experience level (emerging, mid-career and established) living in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Areas. Artists who demonstrate connections to Oakville will be given priority.

Artists who participated in previous Connextions projects are ineligible for the 2026 program. Artists must be 18 years of age and older.

Proposals will be assessed based on artistic merit, relevance to the themes and the artist’s capacity to complete the project. 

The commissioned artists will receive $800 (including HST) Canadian Dollars* for each artwork selected. Fabrication and installation costs are covered separately by the Town. 

Payment will be issued once the final digital files are submitted at the required resolution and an agreement is signed permitting reproduction and use up to three times by the Town.

*This fee includes proposal preparation, coordination, consultations, other expertise as required (such as digital design file preparations), preparation of any information and/or documentation, attendance at meetings, travel, artwork delivery and related materials.

• Submission deadline: March 15, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EST
• Artists selected: March 2026
• Final designs due: early April 2026
• Printing and installation: late April 2026
• Contact Festival: May 2026
• Culture Days Festival: September 18 to October 5, 2026

The timeline is subject to change. Murals may remain installed for up to five years.

Designs can be either site-specific or suitable for any of the locations. There is no guarantee artists will be assigned a requested site. The Town reserves the right to assign locations at its discretion. Project locations may be subject to change. 

Glen Abbey Community Centre, 1415 Third Line

• Three interior aquatics windows and one window in the fitness corridor facing aquatics 
  • Aquatics windows left to right: left window 28.25 inches high by 58.5 inches wide; centre window 28.125 inches high by 59.625 inches wide; right window 28.25 inches high by 58.5 inches wide
  • Fourth window in the fitness corridor facing aquatics: 54 inches high by 49.625 inches wide

Iroquois Ridge Community Centre, 1051 Glenashton Drive

• Six exterior windows above front entrance
  • Two windows measuring 31.5 inches wide by 35.75 inches high and four windows measuring 39 inches wide by 35.75 inches high

Oakville Trafalgar Community Centre, 325 Reynolds Street

• Two exterior windows at front entrance measuring 77 inches high by 41.5 inches wide and 77 inches high by 49 inches wide

Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre, 2302 Bridge Road

• Three exterior windows around main entrance doors
  • Top window 135.5 inches wide by 26 inches high with two side window panels each measuring 96 inches high by 25 inches wide

River Oaks Community Centre, 2400 Sixth Line

• Two interior windows at side entrance, facing corridors
  • First window measures 65.5 inches high by 34 inches wide; second window measures 65.25 inches high by 34 inches wide

Sir John Colborne Recreation Centre for Seniors, 1565 Old Lakeshore Road West

• Three exterior windows beside front entrance measuring 58.9 inches high by 20.9 inches wide

Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, 2070 Neyagawa Boulevard

• Two exterior windows facing parking lot, each measuring 120.5 inches high by 48 inches wide

Trafalgar Park Community Centre, 133 Rebecca Street

• One interior gymnasium window facing foyer, measuring 122 inches high by 44 inches wide

Artists should consider the following when creating their submissions: 

• Artists may create work specifically for this call or may reformat existing work.
• Artwork must deter graffiti (i.e. avoid large areas of solid colour and/or blank spaces and use a rich colour palette, minimizing light colours).
• Full colour, two-dimensional designs only.
• No advertising, logos, phrases or business branding. 
• Content must be suitable for all audiences (no nudity, hate speech, religious imagery, or violence).
• High resolution digital files for print production (minimum 300 dpi JPEG/TIFF, Adobe Illustrator files, .EPS files, or vector formats such as .SVG or .PNG)

Selected artists may be asked to adjust layouts slightly to accommodate window sizes and framing. Final layouts will be approved by the artist before production.

Digital files of the selected artwork will be provided to a Town-hired contractor to print and install. Window sizes vary throughout the town. If your design is selected by the jury for implementation, you may be required to reformat your proposal to fit its intended window and allow for any unique features. Town staff will coordinate with the printer-installer to ensure this is accomplished in a way that preserves the integrity of the artwork.

By making a submission to this call, the artist guarantees that designs and artwork submitted are their own original creations and do not infringe upon the copyright of any other individual or group. 

Submissions will be reviewed by an independent committee of arts professionals, community representatives, and Town of Oakville staff. Selections will be based on the merits of the artwork, project fit, and technical feasibility. Selected artists will then enter into a contract with the Town of Oakville. 

The Town of Oakville is the administrative lead for this project and, at its sole discretion, reserves the following rights to: 

• Request clarification or additional information.
• Determine the suitability of the submission and capability of the artist(s).
• Select the artist(s) that it deems most appropriate.
• Choose to not recommend any proposals or re-issue the call.
• Issue public announcements regarding the competition.

Information sessions: Wednesday, February 25, 

• Noon, online at noon
• 7 p.m., in person at QEPCCC

Applications to be included in Town of Oakville promotion are due Sunday, March 29, 2026. Requests received after this deadline will be supported first-come, first-served basis, as space allows.

Applications will be reviewed and selected based on the submission, feasibility and connection to the Culture Days mandate. 

All programs must meet the following criteria:

• Provided at no cost to participants or the Town of Oakville.
• Be a culture-based activity.

Requests received after the March 29 deadline will be supported first-come, first-served as space allows. Priority will be given to Oakville-based artists and community groups. 

If you/your group* is interested in offering a 2026 performance, be advised that all programs must meet the following criteria:

• Provided at no cost to participants or the Town of Oakville.
• Be a cultural activity.

*Oakville based artists and groups will be given priority.

Conditions in order to present a Cultural Days performance at the OCPA:

• The show should be no longer than 1.5 hours.
• There will be 1.5 hours of technical assistance provided before the show.
• There is a maximum of 60 performers.
• The onstage activity should be as simple as possible.
• No sets will be erected but furniture props can be used.
• House lights will be available.
• No flying.
• House sound will be available with simple microphones.
• Backline will not be provided.
• The scheduled group must be set up and finished onstage 30 minutes before curtain for each show.
• It is mandatory that a representative/volunteer from the performing group be at the front doors of the OCPA lobby, to represent the group and answer questions from the audience, 2 hours before performance time until 15 minutes into the show and again for 30 minutes following the performance.
• Any activity presented at the OCPA will be a ticketed activity through the OCPA Box Office even though there is no charge to the public.

An application form must be submitted to participate in this event. 

Applications will be reviewed and selected based on the submission, feasibility and connection to the Culture Days mandate. Requests received after the March 29 deadline will be supported first-come, first-served as space allows. 

Priority will be given to Oakville-based artists and community groups. 

Groups/artists who performed on the Main Stage for Culture Days 2025 at the OCPA are ineligible to reapply this year. 

A jury will review all OCPA requests and select two groups maximum.

Artists must be:

• 18 years of age or older to apply
• Based in Halton and reside in Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills, or Burlington
• Available to offer programming during the weekends of September 19-20, 26-27, and October 3-4, 2026

In order to be considered, projects should:

• Offer a community-based arts or cultural activity in each municipality (Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills and Burlington).
• Be clearly linked to Culture Days, emphasizing unity and collaboration within the community.
• Be engaging, participatory and inclusive.
• Provide a platform for self-expression, while focusing on themes of home and belonging.
• Be designed as drop-in style to support large group participation.
• Be free to attend and take place indoors.

Examples of eligible projects include interactive workshops, collaborative art initiatives, and participatory performances such as music and dance.

Permanent public art projects/installations are not eligible through this project.

Submissions must include:

• A detailed project proposal
• Budget breakdown
• Artist biography
• Samples of previous work
• Curriculum vitae
• Signed artist declaration

A selection panel of local artists, arts professionals, and community representatives will review submissions. The selected artist will collaborate with municipal staff to coordinate project logistics in each community.