Call for Expressions of Interest: Indigenous Art Installation at Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo is seeking an Indigenous artist to create a signature art installation to be prominently featured in the academic building of the Zoo’s new Community Conservation Centre scheduled to officially open in early 2027.

The art piece will be installed in the gathering space of the Academic Building (The Learning Centre). The space, named The Hive, will be a place for conversation, community building and quiet reflection. The Hive will also feature an interpretive panel created in partnership with an Anishnaabe knowledge keeper.

Project Requirements

The successful artwork must:

• Create a lasting acknowledgment of Indigenous People on the land the Zoo is located—both historical and contemporary—and honour Indigenous ways of knowing.
• Embody the Zoo’s “Guardians of Wild” brand and mission to “connect people, animals, traditional knowledge and conservation science to fight extinction.”
• Reflect the inter-connectivity of all life—animals, land, water and people, with a focus on Canadian Species at Risk.

The space where the installation will be located will be used during both the daytime and evenings, so the art piece must be visually appealing at different times of day/night.

Eligibility

• Artists must be eligible to work in Canada.
• The artist should be from a community connected to the lands where the Zoo is located—specifically Anishnaabe, Haudenosaunee or Wendat communities.

Submission Requirements

Expressions of Interest must include:

• Artist résumé or curriculum vitae.
• Written Statement: A written reflection on your conceptual direction, and how Indigenous values, teachings, or protocols might shape the work.
• Sketches, drawings, precedent images, or models that illustrate the artist’s approach and experience.
• Notes on Fabrication and Installation Needs: Materials being considered, collaborators you may work with, or specific site integration requirements.
• Two professional references.
• Demonstrated experience with projects of a similar nature.
• Previous work that is reflective of Indigenous knowledge systems and aligned with the vision for the project.
• Submissions must not exceed 25 pages in total.

Proposals should be submitted digitally to Jennifer Franks, Director of Indigenous Relations, at jfranks@torontozoo.ca

Click “Learn More” for full submission guidelines.