Engaging Artists in Community Program


Harvest Moon Parade
 Minoru Stories Postcard
 Great Blue Heron

The Engaging Artists in Community Program supports artists with socially-oriented art practices who wish to work collaboratively within communities in Richmond. This program targets culturally-diverse and multi-generational audiences and aims to foster cross-cultural exchange, inclusive community building and education on issues and topics of relevance to communities.

Community-based artworks can express a shared goal or theme and provoke dialogue on ideas related to cultural identity, social history or the environment. Artist projects can leave a physical or social legacy for the community and may include, but is not limited to public performances, sculptures, participatory art installations, hands-on art activities, workshops, exhibitions, digital media based artwork and other socially engaged art forms. Projects commissioned from this program provide community participants with a greater sense of self, identity, community and place through art-making experiences.

Community Partners

Interested Community Partners can apply to engage an artist or artist team for a community-based project to work in collaboration with their community members and/or partner organizations. If successful in their application, City staff will work with them to define the artist opportunity and lead an artist selection process.

  • Richmond Public Art will provide $10,000 for each commissioned project budget. Community Partners have the option to contribute additional funds.
  • Project duration can be a minimum of six months to maximum of 12 months.
  • This program will not commission community murals. Visit the Community Mural Program page for more information.

Eligibility

  • Community Partners must be based in Richmond or provide services to Richmond residents.
  • Community Partners must be able to allocate one staff member to be the main point of contact for the project.

Community Partner Application

Artists

Interested artists must apply to the annual open Call to Artists for this opportunity (typically issued in the summer and posted to the Call to Artists page). Artists are invited to subscribe to the Arts and Culture eBlast to receive up-to-date information on artist calls, programs, events, workshops, grant deadlines and more.

2023 Engaging Artists in Community Program

This year’s Engaging Artists in Community projects are in partnership with East Richmond Community Association, W.D. Ferris Elementary School, Sharing Farm and Terra Nova Nature School. Visit the project website links below for more information.

Creative Community Resilience Project

By J Peachy | W.D. Ferris Elementary School

“Creative Community Resilience Project" is an arts-based response to the question, “How can an elementary school help prepare the larger community for emergencies?” Through a variety of hands-on art activities including storytelling, puppetry arts, wood crafting, needle felting and Indigenous storytelling through music and song, the project will engage approximately 60 Ferris Elementary School students from grades 5 and 6. The artist-led workshops will be guided by the questions: “How can we build personal and community resiliency?” “Where in nature and the life spirit of all living beings are there examples of resiliency and responses to threats?” “How can we draw on this knowledge and apply it to climate change adaptation strategies?” A celebratory community gathering is scheduled for June 1, 2023 to share the project learnings and outcomes with the larger community and public. This project is presented in partnership with Richmond's Emergency Programs.

Visit the artist project blog for more information on upcoming events.

Garden Time

By Aaron Friend Lettner | Sharing Farm & Terra Nova Nature School
“Garden Time" is a community engaged artist project working in partnership with the Sharing Farm and Terra Nova Nature School. The project will focus on a variety of plant and agricultural crop species and their ability to teach vital lessons about how climate and weather patterns are changing and affecting local ecology. Through free and accessible photo-based art activities, workshops and events, young learners, community members and the general public will learn, observe and engage in dialogue on these vital issues.

Visit the artist project blog for more information on upcoming events.

Weaving Lives Together

By Mariana Frochtengarten | East Richmond Community Association at Tait Riverfront Park
“Weaving Lives Together” will invite new and long-time residents to share and express individual stories through a variety of art activities including weaving, photography, paper tie-dye, jelly plate prints, storytelling, painting and printmaking. The creative expressions will be used by the artist to create digital collages to produce vinyl art wraps. This project will foster social connection and community building among new and long-time residents in the Tait Neighbourhood through activities that share cultural diversity and unique lived experiences. Mariana Frochtengarten is a Vancouver-based textile artist, expressive arts therapist and art teacher with more than 20 years of experience facilitating fabric-based community projects as well as mixed-media and textile art classes for children, youth and adults in a variety of settings.

Visit the artist project blog for more information on upcoming events.

Previous Engaging Artists in Community Projects

Join the Arts, Culture and Heritage Artist Directory to be updated on future artist calls, workshops, events and professional development opportunities.

Contact publicart@richmond.ca for further questions.