Call for Artists

The Town of Halton Hills invites local artists to submit their work for various exhibitions and proposals for public art projects throughout the year. This page provides details on each calls submission guidelines, eligibility criteria, and deadlines, encouraging artists to participate and showcase their talents in the community.

Artist Next Door

Submit an online application for the Artist Next Door Call

Artist Next Door is a Town of Halton Hills ‘Artist in Residence’ program to support the creation of new community-engaged artwork by local artists in any artistic discipline. The aim of this program is to increase arts and culture opportunities for artists and the public in Halton Hills. Projects funded through this program will foster community connection and engage residents as active participants through the creation or presentation of the artwork.

In addition to their intrinsic merits, the arts have the capacity to build and strengthen community relationships, improve health and wellbeing, allow for creative placemaking and enjoyment, and create opportunities for public engagement and learning. Applicants are encouraged to explore how their own creative practices can amplify, reflect and challenge the perspectives of Halton Hills residents.

In 2025, 2 residencies of up to $3500 (plus HST where applicable) may be awarded. 80% of project funding will be released upon approval, and 20% upon receipt of all final reporting. Projects will include at least 8 hours of engagement with the public, scheduled across a timeframe of at least 6 weeks.

Proposed Artist in Residence projects should include multiple opportunities for the public to engage with the artist throughout the project and at least one public facing event that will occur during Culture Days, September 19 – October 12, 2025 (such as a workshop, artist talk, exhibition, or performance). For more information about Culture Days in Halton Hills visit haltonhills.ca/culturedays.

Project Schedule

Eligibility

Applicants must be:

• Artists, including artist teams, collectives, or arts/culture groups.

• Active with an artistic and/or culturally engaging practice.

• Able to demonstrate a publicly presented body of work, dating back at least one year.

• A resident, or operate an arts/cultural practice/organization/business within the Town of Halton Hills.

• Elected officials and employees of the Town of Halton Hills are not eligible to apply

Submission Guidelines

• Submit a completed application form online, with supporting media files.

• Only one application per artist/artist collective/arts and culture organization will be accepted.

• Incomplete applications or applications received after the deadline will not be adjudicated.

Budget

View and/or download the The Artist Next Door - Sample Template.

Reporting Submission Requirements:

To be submitted to culture@haltonhills.ca before December 5, 2025, to receive final 20% of funding and be eligible for The Artist Next Door funding in future years.

Social Media

• Documentation of your project should be shared on a public facing social media account (i.e., a Facebook Page or public Instagram account), and engage the community.

• If it is not already built into your project proposal, please share elements of your process (project creation) and the finished artwork on a digital platform (website, social media).

• You should indicate in at least one post that your project has been funded, wholly or in part, by the Town of Halton Hills “The Artist Next Door” program; if sharing content from your project on a website or in print, please include the Artist Next Door logo.

• Please use the hashtag #hhIsCulture and, where applicable, #hhCultureDays in your social media posts about your funded project and tag the Town of Halton Hills account.

• Upon the completion of your project, please send us the number of social media posts made on each platform (Facebook, Instagram, etc.), your account handles and any engagement metrics you have (view count on videos, numbers of likes, shares, impressions per post), and any relevant hashtags.

Additional Requirements

• Quality photographs of your project and process (5 maximum).

• Short paragraph on your experience with the project and any resulting impacts to your artwork, creative practice, or organization (500 words maximum).

• Number of artists who participated in your project.

• Number of community members who participated in your project.

Selection Criteria

Representatives of the Public Art Advisory Board will jury applications, supported by Town staff. Proposals will be evaluated on a 25-point scale, using the following criteria:

Art for the Birds

Submit an online application for the Art for the Birds Artist Call

We invite artists from Halton Hills to submit their work for the second bi-annual Art for the Birds, a community exhibition celebrating the rich diversity of birdlife in our region. This year’s show coincides with Round 2 of voting for the Town of Halton Hills' official bird and will spotlight the 3 finalists — Eastern Screech Owl, Great Blue Heron, Northern Cardinal, as voted by the community.

While we especially encourage artwork that features these three species, submissions depicting any local or migratory birds of Halton Hills are welcome. Whether inspired by backyard songbirds or elusive seasonal visitors, we invite you to explore the importance of birds to our community through your art.

This exhibition is presented in collaboration with Bird Friendly Halton Hills, a community-led initiative working to protect and celebrate local bird populations. Learn more at haltonhillsnature.com/birds.

Exhibition Details

Featuring the Finalists in the Halton Hills Town Bird Vote

Eligibility:

This call is open to artists residing or working in Halton Hills or belonging to local artist organizations, and artists from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

Artists may submit up to 2 pieces of original work created in the past 24 months. All media are eligible, to a maximum of 48 inches in any dimension. Artwork must be ready for hanging, including suitable wiring.

Submission Guidelines:

1. Open to all media: painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and more.

2. Artists may submit up to two pieces for consideration.

3. Please include a brief artist statement describing how your work connects to local or migratory birds of Halton Hills.

4. Submit images in JPG format (max 10MB), labelled with your name and the title of the work.

PLUS! Live Performances Celebrating the Eastern Screech Owl,
Great Blue Heron, and Northern Cardinal

As part of this year’s celebration, we’re also organizing a live variety show to accompany the visual art exhibition. This event will feature music, poetry, spoken word, storytelling, and slideshow presentations, all inspired by the three leading bird species— Eastern Screech Owl, Great Blue Heron, Northern Cardinal —from the Town Bird Vote.

If you’re a performer, writer, or presenter interested in contributing a piece that celebrates one of these species, we’d love to hear from you.

Please send a short description of your idea or performance to: birdfriendlyhaltonhills@gmail.com

Official Plan Consultation

View the details of this Call now!

Professional Canadian artists are invited to facilitate a creative engagement session that captures public input on the community’s future vision. The selected artist will design and lead an interactive workshop, then produce a final artistic piece—any medium is welcome—that reflects the ideas and feedback gathered.

The total compensation is $3,000 CAD, inclusive of all preparation, facilitation, materials, travel, and presentation

Anticipated Project Schedule

*The above schedule is subject to change

Eligibility:

This Request for Proposals (RFP) is open to professional Canadian artists. Artists must be able to travel to Halton Hills to run the session. The Town is looking for proposals from a variety of different disciplines, including, but not limited to, visual art, dance, media arts, music, craft, poetry and storytelling.

Submission Requirements:

Please read all components of the RFP prior to completing your submission. A complete submission package includes the following documentation in a single PDF document:

1. Artist declaration

2. Artist statement (1 page maximum): a written description of the artists’ proposal which should include information on workshop design, recording/capturing of public input, conveyance of public vision through final artistic product.

3. Links to artist website and/or social media.

4. Artist’s CV and up to 3 images or examples of past work created, ideally through community engagement or group facilitation.

Square Foot Show & Sale

Send your submissions to the Helson Gallery Curator now!

The Helson Gallery in cooperation with Palette and Pencil Plus Guild of Credit Valley Artisans invites artists residing, working, or that belong to a local arts organization in the Town of Halton Hills to submit 1-8 examples of creative work in 2-dimension for the Square Foot Show and Sale.

Exhibition Details

Eligibility:

This call is open to artists residing or working in Halton Hills or belonging to local artist organizations. Artwork must be on canvas or wood panel measuring 12 x 12 inches or framed under glass measuring 13"x13" to be accepted. Work is required to be ready for hanging – including wiring. Open to any medium, including acrylic, oil, photography, watercolour, etc.

The artist has the freedom to decide how to treat the edges of the canvas. They can choose to paint the edges in a solid color or extend the painting over the edges. The choice of frame colour is also up to the artist.

Submission Guidelines:

Please email Helson Gallery Curator, Kara Bruce kbruce@haltonhills.ca a maximum of eight examples of your work in jpg form, please include details: artist name, title of artwork, and medium no later than June 19.

Art Sales:

Please Note: In line with standard Square Foot Exhibitions, all the artworks will be offered for sale at the same price of $200 ($226 including HST). Amount paid to artist after commission and HST taken is $160. Please state in your submission if you are HST registered.

The Town of Halton Hills will facilitate all sales of art made through the exhibition and arrange payment for the Artist(s) in an agency capacity.  Artist(s) must include HST in the list price of artworks. Once a piece of art is sold a 20% commission is charged based on the artist revenue. Artists with registered HST numbers will be charged HST on the 20% commission.

Plein Air Painting Challenge

Pre-Register today!

Join us on Saturday June 7 for the Plein Air painting challenge taking place in Glen Williams in celebration of their 200th anniversary. Artists are invited to paint in and around the core hamlet area, and the public is welcome to view the artists at work. Artists who participate will also be given an opportunity to exhibit their pieces in Glen Williams this November. This event is in partnership with the Glen Williams Community Association and Credit Valley Artisans.

Event Details

Please Pre-Register and have your $15.00 cash entry fee ready for the day of the event.

Schedule for the Day

Awards: Judy Daley to Judge