Artists Open Call – PRETTY VACANT: Reclaiming vacant space with vibrant, resistant, radically local art.

Organized by: Parkdale Residents Association
This is a community-first, non-commercial exhibition. Artist Fee of $700 will be paid, inclusive of materials, equipment and incidentals. 

Deadline to Apply: July 13
Notification Date: July 31
Exhibition Dates: Sept 17 to Oct 4
Location: Storefront windows along Queen St. W. (Dufferin to Roncesvalles), Toronto

Parkdale Residents Association invites proposals from visual and media artists to re-imagine and transform vacant storefronts into gallery spaces, through site-specific installations, interventions, or in-situ creations that respond to the shifting landscape of Parkdale. Apply to: info@parkdale.to, Subject line: Open Call

What stories remain in the windows of once-busy spaces? Can art hold space in communities under pressure? Can joy be reclaimed in the face of loss? How do we create beauty in the overlooked corners of the city?

Works may explore themes such as:

• Transition, gentrification, urban transformation or displacement
• Community memory and resistance, care, and neighborhood solidarity
• Urban ecology under pressure and nature’s response to a world in flux
• Local histories, folklore, rumours, legends, and collective memory

We strongly encourage submissions from: professional artists at all stages of practice — from emerging to established, collectives, and community members. We welcome both new and existing works.

We will provide:

• Artist fee (reflective of CARFAC standards)
• A storefront window space for your work (dimensions vary)
• Basic installation support
• Promotion via local media, social channels, and public listings
• Opportunities for artist talks, workshops, and walking tours

To apply, please submit:

• A short proposal (300–500 words) outlining your idea and its connection to the theme, 3–5 images or sketches of your work or concept, and previous related work.
• Artist bio (100–150 words).
• A brief description (up to 100 words) of your connection to Parkdale or the surrounding area.

Works must be suitable for public-facing windows to a general audience of all ages (viewed from the sidewalk day and night, no interior access for viewing). Interactive or time-based elements (video loops, projections, etc.) welcome.

We require that artists be available to install and take down their work. Limited installation assistance will be provided. If an artist is not local, a designated representative must be available to support installation and takedown. Artist fee is inclusive of artists materials, equipment and incidentals.

Pretty Vacant gratefully acknowledges the support of the Toronto Arts Council and the City of Toronto.