Call for xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Artists

ORGANIZATION: Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery

DEADLINE: Jun. 12, 2026

WEBSITE: https://belkin.ubc.ca/call-for-musqueam-artists/

CALL FOR ARTISTS:
The Belkin is seeking to commission an emerging or experienced Musqueam artist to design a temporary banner to be installed on the gallery’s exterior. The Belkin is located at a prominent location on the north end of campus that is a historical look-out point to the Coast Salish seas, and faces Main Mall, a major thoroughfare of campus in the Arts and Culture precinct. A selected artist will be invited to submit a two-dimensional design to be printed as a large-scale banner that thoughtfully engages the exterior of the gallery and its location on the ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. They will be supported in the creation of the new banner artwork by both Belkin staff and an established artist from the Musqueam community.

HOW TO APPLY:
Submission Requirements:
3-5 images of previous artworks for consideration (email size cannot exceed 25MB); artist statement or biography describing your artistic approach, process and background (maximum 250 words); and materials sent as a single compressed .zip file to tatiana.mellema@ubc.ca by Friday, June 12, 2026. If you have any questions about your submission or would prefer to submit your written materials orally, please contact the Curator of Outdoor Art, Tatiana Mellema.

Information Session:
An information session about the call will be led by the Belkin’s Director/Curator, Tania Willard, and Curator of Outdoor Art, Tatiana Mellema on Wednesday, May 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Musqueam Community Centre; drinks and food will be provided. There will be an opportunity to sign up for additional application support following this session.

Selection Process:
Proposals will be evaluated by a diverse panel of representatives from Musqueam, artists and arts professionals with experience in public art. The selection panel will select one artist based on the following criteria: Strength and creativity of previous work; suitability of practice in connection to the exhibition site; and capacity to work with gallery staff on the completion of a new work.

FEES/COMPENSATION:
Selected Artists will:
Receive an artist fee of $5,000 for design development and final delivery of a print-ready artwork (as a digital file); have all installation and production costs covered by the Belkin; and be asked to provide final high-resolution image production files in JPG or TIF format (scalable to the exact dimensions of the banner site). The selected artist will be provided with support by Belkin staff throughout project development and installation to ensure that the final image file meets technical specifications.

For questions, contact Tatiana Mellema, Curator of Outdoor Art, tatiana.mellema@ubc.ca.