STEPS Public Art

06/08/2026

In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, come celebrate with Lindsey Lickers, Mushkiiki Nibi Kwe, Raiden (Adrien Levesque), and STEPS Public Art for our first in-person events of the season!

From Weeds We Grow is a community art initiative that aims to examine and strengthen the Rexdale community’s bond with nature and the environment.

🌿 In-Person To***co Teaching and Medicine Bag Making Workshop:
📆 Saturday, June 20, 2026
⏰ 1 - 4 PM ET
📍Rowntree Mills Park

🎨 In-Person Chalk Mural Event:
📆 Sunday, June 21, 2026
⏰ 1 - 4 PM ET
📍Rowntree Mills Park

Participants will be invited to engage in storytelling, teachings, and hands-on activities while gaining a better understanding of the significance of to***co bundles and offerings within Indigenous practices, and creating a shared work that reflects their voices.

From Weeds We Grow 2026 is funded in part and supported by Toronto Arts Council, funded by the City of Toronto, the Government of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada, the Ontario Arts Council - Conseil des arts de l'Ontario, the Government of Ontario, the Bulmash-Siegel Foundation, RBC and the Rexdale Community Hub.

📷 Selina McCallum

👉👉 Register now to secure a spot: https://stepspublicart.org/events//?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=opps

05/14/2026

The deadline for this survey has been extended to May 17, 2026. Share your input with us on this upcoming artwork!

📢 Ward 13 has partnered with STEPS to bring a new mural to Central Neighbourhood House!

🎨 This project responds directly to community interest in creative activations in Cabbagetown, near the Ontario Street & Gerrard Street intersection. Based on your feedback, the mural location has been moved to Central Neighbourhood House, offering a larger canvas for a more impactful, vibrant, and engaging public artwork.

Two external walls of Central Neighbourhood House have been identified as potential canvases for the mural. ✨ Which one would you prefer to see transformed? ✨

📝 Take our quick 1–2 minute survey to share your input on location and artwork theme https://forms.gle/aHAfJdCJ89YkaHC9A!

🚨 Extended Deadline: May 17, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET

📷 Image by Selina McCallum

05/14/2026

We are feeling inspired after attending the 2026 Evergreen Conference last week 🌿

We explored how public spaces can help build stronger, more inclusive, and more resilient communities.

Some of our favourite highlights included:

✨ Walking through Chinatown with Arlene Chan, learning about the layered history of immigration along with the advocacy of her mother, Jean Lumb, whose efforts helped protect Toronto’s Chinatown.

✨ An incredibly poetic keynote by Ian Williams on the importance and meaning of public spaces.

✨ Hearing about the impact of “Whose Neighbourhood Is It Anyway?” and the powerful personal story that inspired an important bike safety campaign.

✨ Learning about a Tour de France-inspired, hour-long dance performance presented throughout the streets of Port Credit!

We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many thoughtful, passionate, and inspiring people throughout the week 💚Were you in attendance as well? Let us know your biggest takeaways!

05/04/2026

📢 Call for Artists! 📢

We’ve partnered with Metrolinx and Ontario Transit Group (OTG) to commission artworks for four (4) Ontario Line construction sites in downtown Toronto!

🎨 Selected artists will create a unique artwork to be placed on construction hoarding for one of the four (4) pilot sites. Preference will be given to artists with a direct connection to the community where the artwork will be installed.

✨ The commissioned artworks are expected to be on display as early as November 2026 and will remain on site until the hoarding is removed.

🚨 Apply by: June 15, 2026, at 11:59 PM EDT

Full details and submission requirements (available in English and French) can be found here: https://stepspublicart.org/project/call-for-artist-metrolinx-and-ontario-transit-group//?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=opps

⏳ Don’t miss your chance to be part of this exciting opportunity!

04/30/2026

Art is for everyone 💙

Sam Mitjavile (Cultural Planning Manager at STEPS) recently presented our Accessible Art and Placemaking Toolkit to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies in the US!

The focus of the presentation was on making public art more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for all communities.

From tactile elements to multi-sensory experiences, accessible art helps more people connect, experience, and feel seen in public spaces ✨

Want to learn how accessible art can shape better communities? Have a look at our toolkit: https://stepspublicart.org/project/accessible-art//?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thoughtleadership.

🎨 Amanda Lederle
📸 STEPS Public Art

04/23/2026

📢 Ward 13 has partnered with STEPS to bring a new mural to Central Neighbourhood House!

🎨 This project responds directly to community interest in creative activations in Cabbagetown, near the Ontario Street & Gerrard Street intersection. Based on your feedback, the mural location has been moved to Central Neighbourhood House, offering a larger canvas for a more impactful, vibrant, and engaging public artwork.

Two external walls of Central Neighbourhood House have been identified as potential canvases for the mural. ✨ Which one would you prefer to see transformed? ✨

📝 Take our quick 1–2 minute survey to share your input on location and artwork theme https://forms.gle/aHAfJdCJ89YkaHC9A!

🚨 Extended Deadline: May 17, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET

📷 Image by Selina McCallum

04/16/2026

What if public art and culture were part of everyday life in your community? 🌱

The Township of Wilmot 2025–2035 Arts and Culture Master Plan is now live 🎉 Have a look at their website:https://www.wilmot.ca/media/5lpdcbvi/2025-arts-and-culture-master-plan-final.pdf

This plan, created by STEPS, is all about building a community where creativity thrives, culture is accessible to everyone, and people feel connected, included, and inspired ✨

From celebrating diversity to supporting local artists, this plan helps shape the future of The Township of Wilmot over the next 10 years. We’re proud to be part of this journey 💚

💡 STEPS services provides customized approaches and cultural planning to suit your timelines, budgets, and community needs. Reach out and book a free discovery call with us today, 🔗 in bio!

04/13/2026

📣 STEPS Public Art, the Cabbagetown Business Improvement Area (BIA) and the City of Toronto’s BIA Office invite professional Canadian artists and artist teams with connections to Toronto to submit qualifications for the first stage of a two-stage public art competition!

📍This opportunity is for the creation of a new public artwork (or series of artworks) to be installed in Toronto’s Cabbagetown (at Amelia Street and Parliament Street).

🎨 The work(s) of art should incorporate the character, history, environment, and culture of the neighbourhood!

🚨 Submit by May 24, 2026, at 11:59 PM EDT

Full details and submission requirements available via the link https://stepspublicart.org/project/cabbagetown-bia-public-art/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=opps! Apply now!

03/31/2026

🌈 Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility

Together, we celebrate transgender people, their stories, and recognize the importance of visibility in building more inclusive communities ✨

Public spaces play an important role in helping people feel seen, safe, and welcome. Through q***r placemaking, art and design can help create spaces where LGBTQIA2S+ communities can express identity, share culture, and build connections.

🎨 Curtia Wright
📸 Shot by Selina

To learn more, read our Fieldnotes article and explore the power of q***r placemaking https://stepspublicart.org/fieldnotes-q***r-placemaking/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thoughtleadership

03/27/2026

The deadline for our survey is coming up! Share your thoughts and ideas by March 31st, 2026!

Opportunity Overview: Ward 13 has engaged STEPS to support the animation of the corner of Gerrard St and Ontario St in Cabbagetown. The project will include the installation of a digitally designed mural that will be installed on vinyl and affixed on the facade of 237 Gerrard St East. We need your h...