ARTonBOXES returns!
Local and Greater Toronto Area artists are invited to reimagine Vaughan’s traffic signal boxes
The City of Vaughan is inviting emerging and established artists from Vaughan and around the Greater Toronto Area to help transform everyday infrastructure into public art through the ARTonBOXES program.
This year’s call for submissions challenges artists to bring creativity to Vaughan’s streetscapes by turning traffic signal boxes into vibrant works of art inspired by the theme urbanWILDERNESS, which explores the transformational vision for greening cities.
Artists will interpret a vibrant, modern metropolis where natural and built environments are harmoniously integrated, where concrete and steel meet urban green infrastructure, including existing or imagined parks, trails, wetlands, wildlife habitats, forest canopies and green spaces.
Artist submissions, which are due by Sunday, March 22, must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Artists should currently reside in Vaughan or the Greater Toronto Area.
- Artists must be at least 18 years of age.
- City of Vaughan employees are not eligible to apply.
- Artwork must be original and can be created in any medium – designs will be digitally translated for the vinyl wraps.
- Artists may submit only one proposal.
The Artist Call for Submissions Package provides artists with art design criteria, templates and curatorial direction to guide the concept and execution of their imagery to ensure it is appropriate for all viewers, respecting that traffic signal boxes are in the public realm. From the submissions, 10 original designs will be selected for inclusion in the program.
Submissions must be received in full by the deadline to be considered and must include:
- original art design file
- design concept board
- artist statement
- artist biography
Submitted art designs will be evaluated on the strength of their originality to conceptualize the urbanWILDERNESS theme through creative expression. Artwork will be evaluated by a curatorial assessment panel against the following criteria:
- Artistic merit – artwork exhibits a high calibre of originality, creative concept and technical execution.
- Contribution to urban character – artwork animates streetscape locations with positive visual impact.
- Applicability – artwork translates successfully to the traffic signal box format with a suitably scaled design.
Artists whose designs are selected for the program will receive a cash award and their work will become inventoried as temporary public art assets in the Civic Art Collection of the Vaughan City-Wide Public Art Program for all to enjoy.
For eligibility, guidelines and online submission details, head to visitvaughan.ca/ARTonBOXES.
QUOTE
“From music and theatre to visual arts, Vaughan’s cultural landscape is vibrant and diverse – and the City is committed to showcasing the creativity that defines us as a community. The ARTonBOXES program contributes to our city’s urban character by beautifying public spaces in our neighbourhoods and high-traffic intersections in all five wards across Vaughan. I invite all artists to share their talents by submitting a piece for the new urbanWILDERNESS series. Thank you to the City’s Economic Development team for championing artists from Vaughan and across the Greater Toronto Area. I look forward to seeing this new series come to life!”
- Mayor Steven Del Duca
QUICK FACTS
- The urbanWILDERNESS call for artist submissions is now accepting applications until March 22, 2026.
Original art designs selected for the ARTonBOXES program will be added as temporary public art assets in the Civic Art Collection of the Vaughan City-Wide Public Art Program.
- In 2025, the City unveiled the ART of HEALING traffic signal box art wrap series, centred around healing and inner peace.
- The call for artist submissions builds on the successful program pilot and adoption of the 10-year ARTonBOXES Program Implementation Strategy, which aims to transform more than 100 traffic signal boxes city-wide between 2025 and 2034.
LEARN MORE
- City of Vaughan's website
City of Vaughan's Economic Development department’s website
