Call for Applications: On Site Mural Mentorship

Interested in learning how to take your artwork to the streets? 

Whether painting a mural outside of local business or on an electric box in your neighbourhood, public art is a great way to have your artwork make an impact on neighbourhoods and communities.

This September Nia Centre will be working in collaboration with the Oakwood Vaughan BIA and muralist and public artist Dan Bergeron to paint the concrete blocks at the intersection of Oakwood and Vaughan (right outside of our space at 524 Oakwood).

As part of the mural making process, Dan will be mentoring two emerging artists, teaching skills and offering insight on public art, and taking a project from concept to reality. Selected artists will assist Dan on site, and participate in 4 mentorship sessions, where they will learn more about the public art landscape in Toronto, learn how to produce strong public art proposals, develop digital renderings, and gain hands on mural-making skills. Artists will receive an honorarium of $250 upon completion of the mural and mentorship sessions.

ELIGIBILITY

This mentorship is open to mentees within the Creative Connect program, or emerging artists who:

• Are between the ages of 18-29 years old
• Have an interest in learning more about public art
• Have an interest in gaining hands on mural-making experience
• Are able to commit to all sessions
• Live within the GTA, and are able to commute to the Oakwood-Vaughan community
• Preference will be given to emerging artists who are part of the African Diaspora.

MENTORSHIP DATES

Sessions will run from 5:30 – 7pm on Zoom or in-studio.

About Dan Bergeron

Dan Bergeron is a visual artist whose work examines, re-imagines and exists in the public landscape. Dan’s projects are sometimes commissioned and sometimes uncommissioned; sometimes temporary and sometimes permanent. They take multiple forms: large-scale figurative portraits adhered to architectural elements, functional sculptures, murals, billboard interventions and mixed media paintings installed in public spaces. This variety reflects Dan’s interest in using a range of public materials and infrastructures to engage in a conversation about the history, current uses and social meaning of our public spaces. While the majority of Dan’s work is exhibited publicly, he also maintains a studio practice that forms the basis of his public art and gallery exhibitions. Website | Instagram | Interview with Untruth.com