THUNDER BAY – The City of Thunder Bay is inviting proposals for two public art projects to commemorate the city's 50th anniversary in 2020. The projects are designed to celebrate the amalgamation of Fort William and Port Arthur, as well as the townships of Neebing and McIntyre, in 1970.
The first, a 50th Anniversary Art Bus, is bound to grab plenty of attention. The city previously wrapped one of its busses in an art concept by Satellite Studio Artist Collective in 2015, and says it was a successful project. Now, it is inviting artists or artist teams to submit designs for another bus wrap, based on the theme "One City. Fifty Years."
The city's guidelines say it's looking for proposals that "showcase the history of Thunder Bay through people, success stories, culture, heritage and diversity."
The successful design will be displayed on a city bus beginning in February. Proposals are due by Jan. 15.
The second public art project is one that will be familiar to many - but with a 50th anniversary twist. The city is inviting proposals from artists for snow sculptures for the eighth annual SnowDay, which takes place over Family Day weekend at Marina Park.
Artists can centre their sculptures around one of two themes: the 50th anniversary or the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games, which will be hosted in Thunder Bay in February 2020.
Artists will have three days to carve the sculptures, from Feb. 12-15. The city offers an honourarium of $400-500 for teams carving larger sculptures, as well as meal tickets. Proposals are due by Jan. 8.
To learn more about the calls for proposals, visit the city's website..
