Art for the Moment 2027: Lethbridge Seeks Local Digital and Public Art Projects Up to C$8,000

A 2027 open call for temporary artworks in the City of Lethbridge

The City of Lethbridge Public Art Program, administered by the Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge (AAC), is inviting proposals for the 2027 Art for the Moment programme. Artists may propose temporary installations, performances and other public-facing creative interventions to take place in Lethbridge, Alberta, between January and September 2027. Applications close on 30 October 2026 at 4:30pm MST, as stated in the organiser's formal PDF.

The initiative seeks to activate neighbourhoods and public spaces, collaborate with community organisations, support experimentation and widen opportunities for practitioners new to public art. Rather than awarding a prize for an already-finished image or video, it commissions artistic activity that people in Lethbridge can encounter directly. Up to six projects may be supported, subject to the budgets and needs of selected proposals.

Digital, sound and media art are explicitly accepted alongside other practices

The official call lists media arts, sound and digital practice as eligible, along with sculpture, installation, performance, visual art and socially engaged approaches. A digital artist might propose a site-responsive projection, a small-scale participatory audio experience, a temporary interactive installation or another work that uses technology meaningfully in a public context.

These examples are possible artistic directions, not separate guaranteed digital-art funding categories. Proposals must explain where and how the public will experience the work and what happens when the intervention ends. An artwork that exists only as an online portfolio item without a physical or public-facing Lethbridge activation would not satisfy the programme's stated location and public-engagement requirements.

Who is eligible? Strong priority for southern Alberta connections

The opportunity welcomes individuals and teams across disciplines, particularly artists connected to southern Alberta. The call also says that applicants elsewhere in Alberta or neighbouring regions will be considered. It encourages emerging and underrepresented artists as well as collaborations. This should not be described as a call limited strictly to Lethbridge residents, since the official document explicitly permits a broader regional applicant base.

Every proposed public event, installation or activation must, however, take place within the municipal boundaries of the City of Lethbridge. An applicant based in a neighbouring community must be able to develop the project on site. Artists from much farther away should not presume that the call is an unrestricted global residency with a relocation allowance: the organisers emphasise regional connection and local delivery.

Budget per project: maximum C$8,000 inclusive of GST

Each applicant can request up to C$8,000 per commissioned project, including applicable GST. This total covers the artist fee plus materials, fabrication, equipment rental, transportation, permits, insurance, installation, removal and contingency. It is not an unrestricted C$8,000 award in addition to a separately financed production: the maximum already includes the costs of creating and delivering the proposed public intervention.

Artists may propose a connected series of as many as three installations, performances or public activities under one cohesive proposal. Those linked activities must all fall within the January–September 2027 programme window and stay inside the same overall C$8,000 ceiling. The selected number of commissions may be fewer than six, depending on the proposals and funding requirements.

At least 30% of the project request must be allocated to artist fees

The published budget rules require a clearly identified artist fee worth at least 30 percent of the requested commission amount. For instance, a proposal requesting the full C$8,000 should reserve a minimum of C$2,400 for the artist's own creative labour. This covers planning, development, administration, engagement, preparation, installation and de-installation; fabrication materials and rentals should appear separately.

Where a curator is involved, their fee must not exceed 25 percent of the overall project budget. Both artist and curator payments need to be recognised in a feasible itemised plan. The 30 percent threshold is a minimum proportion rather than a separate additional payment by the City, and applicants are free to propose a different overall project amount below the cap.

Payment comes in three stages, not all at the beginning

The published schedule specifies 50 percent of the grant upon signing the agreement, 30 percent after the public activation is completed and the final 20 percent after submission of the final report and appropriate clean-up or removal. An artist therefore cannot assume the entire requested project budget will be available before fabrication begins.

The organisers plan to provide further support for professional documentation, accessibility and community engagement, signs, modest logistics and a public wrap-up. A documentation plan must be included, but photography paid for by the programme need not be inserted in the artist's own budget. For media art involving specialist display hardware, however, necessary device rentals should be reflected realistically.

Find an appropriate site and explain how audiences will encounter the work

Proposals may align with established festivals, markets, neighbourhood celebrations and other public programmes, but independent projects are welcome. Applicants can bring a confirmed community partner, find one themselves or ask the AAC for introductions to organisations that have expressed interest. The artist and partner remain responsible for agreeing their actual roles and commitments.

An artist planning an interactive or audiovisual installation should identify the intended site, power needs, accessibility, weather exposure, security, duration and public-use considerations. The programme offers minor logistical support, but permits, insurance where required, safe operations and a credible de-installation plan are the selected artist's responsibility. A proposal should not assume that the city provides projectors or technical operators for every commission.

One PDF of no more than 10 MB must contain ten required elements

Applications must be presented as a single PDF not larger than 10 MB. The required elements include a project description; proposed site or event; detailed budget; development and exhibition timeline; technical and site requirements; documentation plan; clean-up and removal plan; a brief statement on community relevance; CVs and up to five images or links to earlier relevant work; and applicant contact details.

The requested information is designed to let a committee assess both artistic imagination and real feasibility. For example, a digital art proposal should not stop at a concept render while omitting electrical safety and ongoing management. Applicants can use clear drawings, short descriptions and precise cost assumptions, but should follow the original PDF's categories rather than invent additional submission forms or separate attachments.

Selection considers innovation, safety, environmental responsibility and community value

A selection committee made up of arts professionals, community representatives and City staff reviews the proposals. Its criteria cover artistic merit, public visibility and experience, site suitability, feasible budgets and safety, community relevance, accessible participation and respect for cultural protocols. Environmental responsibility also matters, including the later reuse, recycling or safe removal of materials.

These criteria are particularly relevant to technology-led projects. Artists should explain what changes when visitors interact with the work and how they will keep the installation safe and operational, not simply show the most technically sophisticated possible design. The organisers do not publish fixed numerical weights for these criteria, so an editorial article cannot claim that one issue automatically carries a majority of points.

Submit by 30 October at 4:30pm MST via email

The formal call says complete proposals must arrive electronically at publicart@artslethbridge.org with the subject line 'Art for the Moment - Artist Proposal' by 4:30pm (MST) on 30 October 2026. Only digital applications in PDF form are accepted. Because the deadline includes an exact local time designation, applicants should not interpret it as 4:30pm in their own time zone or assume that a day-only directory listing provides an extension.

The official four-page call is https://publicartlethbridge.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Call-for-Artist-Proposals-Art-for-the-Moment.pdf . Programme background and official public-art contact are available through https://www.lethbridge.ca/arts-culture-events/public-art/ . Questions can be sent to publicart@artslethbridge.org or asked by telephone at +1 403-320-0555. The schedule expects selections in November 2026, project planning in December–January and public activity during January–September 2027.