“Celebrating the strength, activism and hope of diverse queer communities in Canada”
In summer 2026, the new 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument, Thunderhead, will be inaugurated in a prominent location in downtown Ottawa. In collaboration with the LGBT Purge Fund, the organization mandated with creating the monument, Canadian Heritage is seeking artworks by Canadian visual artists, photographers, graphic designers, and illustrators that celebrate the strength, activism and hope of diverse queer communities in Canada. Reproductions of these artworks will be displayed in an outdoor exhibition in the Eastern Recreational Pathway Tunnel leading to the monument (under the Portage Bridge and Wellington Street) for a period of up to eighteen months (exact timelines TBC).
Each artist whose artwork is selected will receive a fee of $2,500 for the exhibition of a reproduction of their artwork.
Artworks will be selected by subject matter experts from the fields of arts and design. They will base their decisions on: Creativity in responding to the theme (30%), Artistic quality of the composition (25%), Vibrancy and legibility of the image (25%), Overall effect on the viewer (20%).
Interested artists must write to monuments@pch.gc.ca with the subject line "Info Package – Eastern Tunnel 2026" to obtain the full application information package. All proposals must be submitted by Friday, April 17, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. (EDT). Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered.