Transform the Trail: Call for Temporary Public Art Commission

Call for Expression of Interest: January 6, 2026 Public Information Session for Applicants (Online via Zoom): January 15, 2026, 6pm-7:30pm EST Click to Register: Application Deadline: February 6, 2026 at 5:00pmProject Exhibition Period: mid-December, 2026 – late-February, 2027 Temporary Public Art Commission at The Bentway:

The Bentway Conservancy is pleased to announce a Call for Expressions of Interest for the return of its Transform the Trail program, which seeks an artistic collaborator to respond to both the Bentway site and our relationships to the winter season.

This program supports a new, temporary commission that animates The Bentway's iconic figure-eight ice-skating trail and its surrounding footprint beneath the Gardiner Expressway. The goals of the commission are to encourage artistic experimentation in the public realm, celebrate the unique creative potential of a Toronto winter, enhance the ice-skating experience at The Bentway, and foster meaningful connections during the coldest months of the year.

The Bentway invites artists, designers, and collectives to submit an expression of interest for a temporary public art project to be exhibited at the Bentway skate trail from December 2026 – February 2027.

Transform the Trail 2027: Throughout the year, The Bentway strives to support civic life and social connection in public space, and believes winter is a season to be embraced and not just endured. From December through February, the Bentway's skate trail becomes a beloved cold-weather destination featuring a dynamic natural ice-skating rink that has quickly become one of the city's most unique distinctive urban amenities. Weaving through the Bentway's iconic columns, the skate trail is known for outdoor recreation and innovation, inviting diverse audiences to meet under the Gardiner and experience a traditional Canadian winter pastime in a new light each year. The Bentway's Transform the Trail program is seeking an artistic collaborator to help foster new and positive relationships with both the Bentway site and Toronto's winter season. Selected artists and designers must embrace and collaborate with winter conditions; to educate, innovate, and create meaningful invitations for public engagement during the coldest months of the year; to build with sustainability in mind; and to inspire Torontonians—regardless of the weather. This site-specific intervention will become a signature element of the Bentway's 2026–2027 winter season, reinforcing the site as a place where art, recreation, and community meet. The Transform the Trail program is built on the following primary objectives for artists to closely consider and respond to: Art and Recreation Explore new techniques for merging culture and recreation to broaden prospective audiences and augment familiar winter experiences, especially the skating experience. Day to Night Experiences Embrace colour and light to enhance the trail and surrounding landscape equally by day and by night. Uniquely UrbanDevelop strategies that respond to the Bentway's architectural features and collaborate the unique qualities of an urban winter landscape. Collaborate with Climate Address the climate variability in winter and the natural materials within the winter landscape to find creative ways to apply and engage with them. Flexible and Sustainable Design Adaptive and conducive to realities of the ice skating operations and incorporating a sustainable approach to design and execution. About the Site Built in 2018, the Bentway Skate Trail is a 220m figure-eight natural ice skating rink that weaves around the iconic concrete columns of the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto. The skate trail will be the primary area for exhibition, however, applicants should consider the site as a whole. Due to the site-specific nature of The Bentway and the operations, maintenance, and technical requirements of the skate trail, the selected artist should be prepared to work collaboratively with the Bentway production and facilities teams to further develop and refine proposed projects with contextual considerations and site parameters in mind. Our Approach The Bentway re-imagines how we build, experience, and value public space. Operating beneath Toronto's Gardiner Expressway, The Bentway is a unique civic space and creative platform for public art, city-building, and cultural exchange. We collaborate with artists and communities to make meaningful public experiences that reflect the issues of our time. When submitting a proposal, please consider the Bentway's programming approach:

• Active participants: Programming that engages neighbours, communities, and the general public as active, primary participants in city-building.
• With creative voices: Artists and creatives in dialogue with, and about, the city.
• Co-creation: Co-creation with broader communities, championing diverse voices, perspectives and expertise.
• As a catalyst: Work that lives a larger life beyond a single site, season, or city.

About the Program Launched in 2021, the Bentway's annual Transform the Trail program seeks an artistic collaborator to build on new and existing relationships with the Bentway site, our surroundings, and the winter season. Artists and designers are encouraged to fully embrace the seasonal climate as a means to share, inform, connect communities, and to spark public joy in all weather. These site-specific interventions become a fixture of a Bentway winter, further animating the site's spirit and identity as a public space where art and outdoor recreation converge and energize our city. The Bentway is grateful to have presented impactful projects at our skate trail over the years, including Maureen Gruben's Moving with Joy (2021), which brought together seven large-scale, richly coloured sculptural sleds displaying video footage and photographs of daily life from Maureen's home in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Western Arctic. The 2022 program supported Toronto-based artist, Shellie Zhang.Beacons consisted of five vibrant sculptures that light up the Gardiner's concrete columns. The project is inspired by Zhang's conversations with newcomers as well as her own experience arriving in Canada in the winter, and how efforts of collectives and friendly strangers helped brighten the otherwise cold and gloomy winter months. In 2023, Canadian artistic duo Yi Zhou and Carlos Portillo and their project,The Gateway (2023), offered a colourful procession of woven arches stretched across The Bentway's Skate Trail, bringing the northern lights into the city. Inspired by the natural phenomenon of the aurora borealis and the role of weaving in their cultures, their textile-based project accentuated the monumental architecture of the Gardiner with vibrant colours inspired by the winter skies. Who Can Apply Applications are open to Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA)-based artists, designers or collectives seeking an opportunity to work in the public realm and create a new outdoor experience within this dynamic public space. Applicants must demonstrate an ongoing creative practice and have a history of public presentation. We encourage applications from artists, designers, and collectives at varying stages of their career.

The Bentway is committed to fostering a positive and supportive environment that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion. We invite applications from Indigenous and racialized people, people with disabilities, and people from 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Budget The artist will be paid a fee of $18,000 CAD for the design and consultation on the project. The Bentway will provide a production allocation in the range of $70, $80,000.00 CAD. This production allocation is inclusive of all materials, fabrication, shipping, equipment, site preparation, engineering, maintenance, installation, and deinstallation of the artwork, and contingency. The production allocation will be managed by The Bentway staff in consultation with the selected artist. The Bentway will provide supplemental funding for marketing and promotions, as well as curatorial and production support throughout process. Selection Process This public art commission will be awarded following a two-stage review process.

Stage 1: Expressions of Interest

The initial round of applications will be reviewed by the Bentway Selection Committee and evaluated in accordance with the criteria detailed below. Up to three (3) shortlisted applicants will be invited to participate in Stage 2 and prepare design proposals for further consideration.

Stage 2: Design Proposals

Shortlisted applicants will meet with the Bentway team for an information and onboarding session, either in person or remotely, and will be given a fulsome brief for preparing the design proposal, high-level budget, in accordance with the allocation noted above, and project schedule.

Each shortlisted artist will be paid an honorarium of $500.00.

Following the submission deadline, complete design proposals will be evaluated by The Bentway Selection Committee, and staff will provide additional feedback on the technical and logistical feasibility of the proposed artwork.

Following deliberations and the final decision, the selected creative will be contacted by end of March 2026.

Evaluation Criteria

• Demonstrated experience and ability to execute temporary and site-responsive work in public space.
• Ability to respond to the Bentway's stated project objectives and align with programming principles, production approach, and allocated budget
• Ability to engage with the scale and unique, seasonal conditions of the site to offer an impactful design and storytelling experience in the public realm.
• Ability to engage broad audiences and shape a thoughtful viewer experience encountering the site on foot, or on skates
• Ability to respond practically to, and work creatively with, the realities of skate trail operations, and a busy public space that welcomes thousands of skaters each season.

How to Apply: Expressions of Interest Please attend the public information session via Zoom or review the recording to support the development of your application. Register here: A complete Stage 1 application package includes the following components:

1. CV - PDF format, no more than three (3) pages maximum 2. Expression of Interest - a maximum of two (2) written pages in response to the following questions:

• Please explain your interest in the commission and the stated project objectives.
• Please explain your interest in creating public artwork for the winter season and how the climate and Bentway site will inform your approach.
• Provide a brief perspective on your artistic practice and how this opportunity will benefit you at this stage in your career?

3. Work Samples - detailed information on 2-3 relevant projects, in development or completed. Please include the following information for each project included:

• project title, location, project overview, role on team, team members (if applicable) budget and duration (max 1 page).

4. A Letter of Reference - from a previous commissioning body. Please do not include proposal information or sketches of a proposed concept. These will not be accepted at this stage.

Application Deadline: February 6, 2026 at 5:00pm

PLEASE NOTE:

• All submissions are considered confidential.
• The submission of this application does not guarantee selection.
• The successful shortlist applicants will be notified by mid-February 2026 (no follow-up calls please)
• Should you require further clarification, have any questions, or require accessibility accommodations please email ,

Transform the Trail Key Dates:

• Call for Expressions of Interest released: January 6, 2026
• Public Information Session for Prospective Applicants: Thursday, January 15, 2026, 6pm EST
• Application deadline: February 6, 2026 at 5:00pm EST
• Shortlisted artists notified and creative brief distributed: February 18, 2026
• Deadline for design proposals: March 10, 2026
• Selected Artist notified: end of March, 2026
• Project development: April-November 2026
• Public presentation: mid-December, 2026 through February 2027