Artists’ Call for Proposals

Project Name: Indigenizing the Council Chambers

Deadline: August 8th, 2025 | 4:00 p.m. NDT

Project Overview

This project, initiated by First Light, is building on the shared work of the Joint Coordinating Committee on Indigenous Rights (JCCIR)—a formal partnership between both organizations established to advance the City’s 2020 Declaration in Support of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

First Light is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from Indigenous artists or artist teams for a site-specific commissioned artwork for First Light to gift to the City of St. John’s and to be installed in Council Chambers at St. John’s City Hall. EOIs are welcome from Indigenous artists in Newfoundland and Labrador who have a connection to an Indigenous community, including those within urban Indigenous communities.

This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to advance truth and reconciliation at the municipal level. It aims to enhance the visibility of Indigenous Peoples in civic spaces and reflect the deep and enduring relationships Indigenous communities have with this land. The work is grounded in the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

The selected artist or artist team will create and install a culturally grounded work that centres Indigenous worldviews, affirms Indigenous rights and sovereignty, and strengthens Indigenous representation within a space of municipal governance.

More information

Please read all information prior to submitting your Expression of Interest.