Art Shows

The chosen artwork will be installed on the Orillia Opera House's front lobby doors, facing West St. N. The image below shows the glass window panes that will be used:

 

The call is open to all artists. Preference may be given to artists who live or work in Orillia, Chippewas of Rama First Nation, or the Townships of Oro-Medonte, Severn, or Ramara.

Submission Round 1 — Concept Proposal

Submit either Option A or Option B:

• Option A: Concept + Portfolio
  • A concept for the door wrap design (sketch, draft, digital mock-up, or concept rendering)
  • Should show intended composition, colour palette, imagery, and overall artistic vision
  • Examples of previous work demonstrating your style, experience, and ability to execute the concept

• Option B: Portfolio + Written Statement
  • A portfolio of previous work
  • A written concept statement describing:
    • Your proposed vision
    • Sources of inspiration
    • How the concept responds to the project theme
    • How it would translate into the final door wrap design

Submission Round 2 — Final Digital Design

Once selected, the artist will submit a digital file of their completed design.

• Round 1 (Concept Proposal) due: Thursday, July 23rd, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST
• Selections announced: week of July 27th, 2026 
• Round 2 (final design): Friday, August 14th, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST

Content Guidelines:

• Artwork must be original to the artist(s)
• No copyrighted material owned by others (unless explicit permission is obtained)
• No AI-generated imagery, in whole or in part
• Subject matter is open to the artist's interpretation, provided it is suitable for public display
• Must incorporate the artist's signature

Submission Requirements:

• Name of Artist(s)
• Contact information: address, phone number and email
• Brief bio of participating artist(s)
• Artist(s) statement related to the piece and its interpretation of the theme
• Description of artwork
• The proposed design

File Requirements:

• Must be a digital file
• Vector files preferred: AI, EPS, or PDF
• High-resolution raster files also accepted: TIFF or JPG (minimum 300 DPI at full banner scale)
• CMYK colour format required

Mandatory Dimensions:

• 2 front entrance doors (facing West Street), each pane is 80" H × 17.75" W

Optional:

• 1 transom window above the doors, 24.5" H × 61" W

Artists may incorporate the transom into their design for added dramatic effect, but it is not required.

Submissions will be reviewed and selected by a panel of community partners in the creative sector based on artistic merit, originality, and demonstrated ability to create engaging public artwork.

To have your proposal reviewed by our selection panel, please complete the submission form by Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST.To submit your proposal, complete the submission form.

Only those whose work has been selected will receive notification once a final decision has been made. The Orillia Opera House reserves the right not to award the commission.

For further information, please contact:

Allie Bradford
Culture Coordinator
City of Orillia
abradford@orillia.ca
705-325-4530

For general inquiries:

Box Office
Orillia Opera House
boxoffice@orillia.ca
705-326-8011

• Selected artists will be required to enter into a Public Art Agreement and sign a waiver of liability agreement with the City of Orillia.
• Selected artwork will be digitally reproduced and applied to front doors using a high-quality vinyl wrap.
• City staff or a contracted installer will manage the production and installation of the vinyl wraps. The City of Orillia is not liable for any loss or damage to the original artwork or digital files.
• Artwork may be resized, cropped, or adjusted slightly (including minor colour corrections) to ensure optimal reproduction and installation. Any significant modifications will be made in consultation with the artist.
• The Orillia Opera House reserves the right to remove or replace any wrap at any time.
• The artist whose work is selected will receive a $1000 honorarium in recognition of their contribution. This fee covers artist time, design, and reproduction rights for the duration of the installation.
• There are no application or exhibition fees for participating artists.
• Artwork will be exhibited on the traffic cabinets for a period of approximately two to five years, or until the wrap is removed due to wear, damage, or other operational needs.
• Selected designs may be archived by the City of Orillia and/or reprinted for future use in other civic projects, such as street banners, promotional materials, public signage, or digital campaigns. Any reuse will only occur with the artist’s permission. Artists will retain full copyright of their work and will be credited appropriately in all instances.
• The City of Orillia does not provide insurance for original artworks or digital files. Artists are encouraged to retain copies and will be required to sign a waiver acknowledging this.
• All submitted artwork must be the original creation of the applicant. Submissions must not incorporate copyrighted material owned by others without permission and must not be generated wholly or in part by artificial intelligence (AI) image-generation tools.
• By submitting to this call, applicants confirm that the work is their own original creation and that they hold full rights to the submitted design.
• The City reserves the right to request supporting materials (such as sketches, process work, or layered/source files) to verify authorship if required.
• By submitting to this call, artists grant the City of Orillia a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, display, and promote the selected artwork for the purposes of the traffic cabinet wrap program, related marketing, documentation, and future promotional materials.
• The license includes the right to reproduce the artwork in print and digital formats for non-commercial municipal purposes.
• Artists may reproduce and display their work for personal, promotional, or commercial purposes (e.g., prints, portfolios, websites), provided it is not represented as an official City-issued product without permission.
• This project is limited to the locations identified in this Call to Artists. The selection of an artist for this project does not grant any exclusive rights, future commissions, or preference in future public art opportunities at this site or any other City facility. The City reserves the right to undertake future public art projects at this site, including on other windows, doors, or building features, through separate selection processes or direct commissions at its sole discretion.