The City of Brampton (“the City”) invites professional artists, creatives, and artist-led teams (“the Artist”), to share their interest in designing a new mural for the window facade of the Brampton Fire and Emergency Services Headquarters and Training Centre. This opportunity is open to artists living and working in Ontario, with an interest in engaging artists who have an established connection to Brampton and/or the Treaty Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Huron, and Wendat.
The City of Brampton (“the City”) will be commissioning a new mural to be printed on vinyl and installed on the window facade of the Brampton Fire & Emergency Services Headquarters and Training Centre. Artists, creatives, and/or art collectives are invited to respond to this call by submitting their expressions of interest and qualifications.
The City is looking for a dynamic mural that celebrates and honours the history of Brampton Fire. The mural must be designed according to specifications provided by a print vendor and installed in Fall 2025 at the designated site. Creative interpretations of the theme are encouraged. The design should be colourful, vibrant, rich in storytelling elements, and draw attention to the building helping to establish its identity. The artwork must be contained within the identified canvas area but does not need to fill the entire window area. The borders of the mural may be organic. In addition to enhancing the window facade of the Brampton Fire and Emergency Services Headquarters and Training Centre, the mural will also help reduce direct sunlight entering the building.
Artists interested in this opportunity should have extensive mural experience and be skilled in creating and formatting digital illustration files for large-scale printing. The selected artist will work closely with the city's public art team and an identified print vendor. The City of Brampton will cover all costs for printing and installation of the completed mural.
About the City of Brampton
Brampton is Canada's ninth-largest city, moving from a small population of 500 in 1853 to 656,480 in 2021. It is the fastest growing of Canada's largest 25 cities, and Brampton's growth represents 90.2% of the net population growth within the Region of Peel (between 2016 and 2021). We are a diverse community with 250 cultures speaking 171 languages.
A Brief History of Brampton Fire and Emergency Services
Brampton Fire and Emergency Services provides fire protection, technical rescue services, hazardous materials response, and first responder emergency medical assistance to the City of Brampton in the Peel Region of Ontario, Canada.
If the introduction of a fire pump can be considered the foundation of modern firefighting as we know it today, then 1853 would be the year the village of Brampton established its fire department. The department was made up of residents in the village who assisted when a fire occurred, knowing that in a fire in one home could quickly spread to their neighbours with devastating results.
It was not until 1882 that James Golding, ironically the owner of a bakery that had a fire incident, became Brampton's first recorded fire chief. His responsibilities included reporting to Council the names and occupations of his firemen, maintaining equipment, managing the fighting of fires, and advising Council on the measures necessary to keep the brigade intact.
Lastly, one of the most significant points in the department's history occurred on January 1, 1974, when provincial legislation was enacted to form the City of Brampton, and the creation of regional government in Ontario. This resulted in the merging of the former Town of Brampton with large areas of Chinguacousy Township and Toronto Gore Township, and the subsequent amalgamation of the Brampton and the Chinguacousy Fire Departments. All the stations and equipment within the new boundaries became the property of the new city. Subsequently, Matthew (Matt) Gowland of Brampton was appointed Chief of the amalgamated department. The Deputy Chief's position was awarded to Chinguacousy Chief Jim Brunne. The new department was personned by 105 full-time firefighters and 45 volunteers ready to protect the population of 100,000 residents.
Budget
The total artist fee for the mural project is $12,000 CAD, inclusive of HST. This is the maximum available budget to cover all costs associated with design concept development, revision process, and formatting digital illustration according to print vendor specifications.
Design and Submission Guidelines
Expressions of Interest are due on or before
2:00 pm ET on June 20, 2025.
Artists and/or Artist Teams must package their submissions as a single PDF document with a maximum file size of 50 MB. The PDF document must be titled with the name of the artist and project.
Please use the following nomenclature:
Artist Name_BFESHQ Artist Call
Submissions must include the following to be eligible for consideration:
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Artistic Statement - Outline your artistic experience, approach, and interest in the project.
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Curriculum Vitae (CV) - A detailed list of professional arts experiences and previous public art commissions, as well as any additional information relevant to this Artist Call. If applying as an artistic team or collective, please include a CV for each member and identify their role in the project.
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Artistic Support Material - A maximum of ten (10) images to act as visual support material for your submission. Each image should be titled and numbered.
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Support Material List - A written list that corresponds to the Artistic Support Material. Each image should be numbered with the following details noted: Title, date completed, location, dimensions, materials, project budget, commissioning body (if applicable), and a brief description of the work (maximum 50 words).
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References - Provide names and contact information (current email and phone number) for three (3) references, preferably in relation to recent murals and/or public art projects. Please identify their role and connection to the project. Reference letters are not required.
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Submission Form - Include a completed submission form, sharing contact information and any identified connections to the City of Brampton and/or the Treaty Territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Huron, and Wendat.
Public Art Location
The mural will be installed on the northwest corner of the Brampton Fire and Emergency Services Headquarters and Training Centre. The building is located in a busy area that is home to many City service buildings, including Brampton Animal Services and the Williams Parkway Operations Centre. Please see a location image and mural canvas dimensions included in Appendix A.
Application Process
This is a one-stage public art competition.
An Art Selection Committee facilitated by staff will review all submissions to identify a shortlist of up to five (5) artists. The shortlist will then be reviewed by representatives from Brampton Fire and Emergency Services, who will present their recommendation. The review and assessment will be based on artistic excellence and demonstrated or perceived ability to create and execute an innovative, engaging public artwork that is complementary to the community context and meets the criteria as outlined in this Artist Call.
The Art Selection Committee will be comprised of a diverse range of professionals and community members, including art experts such as artists, curators, and critics, technical experts such as urban designers and engineers, and community representatives sharing insights into preferences and interests.
The selected Artist/Artist Team will be notified in writing and invited to develop a design proposal.
A detailed Terms of Reference document will be provided to guide the selected Artist in the preparation of their mural concept. The time identified for the mural concept development is approximately six weeks, incorporating two rounds of revisions (if deemed necessary).
The Successful Artist will work with the City to develop technical plans for printing and installation.
The City of Brampton retains the right not to choose a Successful Artist.
A PDF version is available with additional details and information.
