The City of Lethbridge Public Art Program, in partnership with Lethbridge Transit, is excited to announce a new Call for Artists. Rolling Views: Art Bus Lethbridge is a temporary public art project that will bring two city buses to life with vinyl wraps designed by local artists. The wrapped buses will circulate on regular transit routes throughout Lethbridge for approximately one year, beginning in Spring 2026.
Interested artists are invited to apply by November 17, 2025 at 11:59 pm (MT).
Expressions of Interest must include the applicant’s qualifications, a letter of interest and supporting images of past work, however, designs are not required at this stage. See full call for details. Artists are encouraged to attend an online info session on October 16 at 6:30 pm meet the project manager and ask questions. Register here: https://forms.gle/YX9cg6ikZpy3MpTF9
PROJECT OVERVIEW
This initiative aims to bring a new type of public art experience to people and neighbourhoods across the city by creating unexpected moments of joy and visual interest that foster connection between places and people, contributing to a shared sense of civic pride. Across Alberta, Canada and around the world, Art Bus programs provide professional opportunities for local artists to work at a large scale, in a public setting, and showcase their art practice while animating urban and suburban landscapes through bold, engaging visual art. We look forward to working with local artists on this opportunity to celebrate active transportation and reflect the vibrancy, creativity, and diversity of Lethbridge and its communities.
The selected artist or artist team will create new, original artwork for the exterior of each bus and showcase a small selection of portfolio images of existing work and a brief bio/artist statement on printed signage panels inside the bus. Working closely with project staff to ensure a successful translation from artwork to enlarged vinyl print, artists will prepare final artwork files in collaboration with the design consultant (Allied Arts Council) and fabricator (Pattison Outdoor).
ELIGIBILITY
This opportunity is open to artists or artist teams/collectives at all stages of their career who are residing in or have a meaningful connection to Lethbridge and region (defined as Treaty 7 territory west of Medicine Hat and south of Brooks/High River to the BC and US borders).
SUBMISSION DETAILS
Artists are asked to submit an Expression of Interest as a single combined PDF, including:
- A letter of interest (1-2 pages, max 2,000 words) describing the applicant’s interest in and fit for
the project, including an outline of the proposed artistic and technical approaches - A current CV or outline of artistic experience, with bios for team members if applicable.
- Contact information (email, mailing address, phone number).
- 5-10 images of past works, labelled with title, date, size, medium, and optional captions.
All materials should be saved as a single combined PDF and emailed to KT Wilde at publicart@artslethbridge.org. Please include “Yourname_Art Bus Pilot EOI” in both the filename and the email subject line. An online info session will be held on October 16, 2026. Registrants will receive a Zoom link ahead of the session.
PROJECT TIMELINE
See full call for detailed timeline, including progress meetings and draft deadlines below.
Call (Oct – Nov)
- Call to Artists Opens October 6, 2025
- Online Info Session October 16, 2025 > view recording
- Application Deadline November 17, 2025
- Artists Notified by December 12, 2025
Design December – February
Layout March
Fabrication and Installation April
Display May 2026-May 2027
BUDGET
An initial design fee of $500 will be paid to each selected artist/team upon submission of the design concept. Upon approval of the design by project staff, an additional $4,500 CAD (plus GST if applicable) will be paid in installments according to remaining deliverables to be outlined in a contract.
CONTACT
For questions or assistance including tips and accommodations, please contact:
KT Wilde, Public Art Coordinator,
Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge
publicart@artslethbridge.org
403-320-0555.