The City of Oshawa has opened applications for an Indigenous language and culture public art project at Ed Broadbent Waterfront Park along with a separate call for temporary exhibitions at Art and Culture in the Hall, according to a municipal announcement reported October 28. Indigenous creative writers, poets, artists, Knowledge Holders or storytellers connected to the Williams Treaties First Nations are invited to submit Expressions of Interest by November 5 for a text-based artwork to be installed near the Garden of Human Rights in the park that opened in June 2023. A Public Art Jury of Indigenous community members from the seven signatory nations, which include the Mississaugas of Scugog Island, Hiawatha, Curve Lake, Alderville and the Chippewas of Georgina Island, Rama and Beausoleil, will review Stage 1 submissions and shortlist candidates for Stage 2.
Shortlisted writers will receive a fee of $750 for their participation in the second stage while the selected writer will be paid $12,000 to develop the permanent installation, a January 2026 report to the city’s Economic and Development Services Committee stated. The project, which received approval for up to $90,000 from the Arts and Culture Reserve, supports the City of Oshawa’s reconciliation framework by spotlighting Indigenous voices in a contemplative public space adjacent to Lakeview Park. Ed Broadbent Waterfront Park features an amphitheatre, seating areas and pathways designed to encourage community gathering along the waterfront.
Separately, the City of Oshawa is inviting local organizations, collectives, post-secondary programs in the creative and cultural industries or Indigenous organizations to propose temporary exhibitions for display at Art and Culture in the Hall outside the council chambers at City Hall. Proposals may cover art exhibitions, heritage exhibitions, cultural exhibitions or community storytelling and up to four will be chosen for the period from February 2027 to August 2027, the city said. Submissions for this call must be received by noon on November 13 with details available through the municipal artist calls portal.
A selection committee that may include representatives from the city’s Cultural Leadership Council, Public Art Task Force and city staff will assess the exhibition proposals, the City of Oshawa said. Art and Culture in the Hall operates as a rotating municipal program that highlights artistic talent, local history and cultural organizations throughout the year. Current exhibitions at the space, drawn from an earlier call, feature works by Samantha Kelly, Margaret Rodgers, Leila Farsi, Charlotte Hill and Lionel Furs through February 1, 2027.
These calls continue Oshawa’s ongoing efforts to expand public art and cultural programming under its Public Art Policy approved in 2015 and Master Plan adopted in 2018, according to the city’s culture department. The initiatives build on previous 2026 projects including collaborative banners for outreach events and student-created installations along the Oshawa Creek Bike Path. The Public Art Task Force, which includes representatives from the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Durham College and the Oshawa Art Association, provides advice on such priorities.
The Indigenous writer call requires applicants to be at least 18 years old and connected to one of the specified Williams Treaties First Nations communities, a City of Oshawa overview noted. Organizers anticipate the selected text-based work will enhance the park’s meditative atmosphere while offering opportunities for public reflection on Indigenous history and presence in the region since time immemorial. Applications and full requirements for both calls can be accessed via the city’s dedicated artist opportunities page.
