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2026 Street Banners - Call to Youth Artists

Deadline: 11:59pm Pacific Time, September 28, 2025
*Online Submission Form below*

2026 Street Banners - Call to Youth Artists (PDF)

About the Program

The City of Nanaimo is seeking art from youth (ages 19 years and under) for its 2026 Street Banners.  

This program offers artists an opportunity to submit proposals for original banner artwork that will be hung in Nanaimo’s downtown area. Banners will be put on display in spring 2026, in the Arts District downtown, along Bowen Road, Third Street and other major routes, creating a vibrant visual presence. 

The selected youth artist will receive an honorarium of $2,500 for their banner design. Fabrication and installation costs are covered by the City and are not included in this fee.

An artist/ designer from the City’s Urban Design Roster will be made available to serve as a mentor to the youth artist in the final development of their design, should this be deemed necessary and/or helpful to the selected youth artist. 

A drop-in information session will be held at the Bowen Complex (500 Bowen Rd.) in Room 5 (lower level) on Tuesday, September 9, 2025 from 4:30 - 6 PM. This is an opportunity to meet the Culture team, ask questions, and brainstorm ideas with guidance.

Should you experience challenges or barriers in this application process or require additional support, we encourage you to reach out to:
cultureandevents@nanaimo.ca (250-755-4483).

Past Street Banners

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to youth artists under the age of 19 at all levels of experience, currently living in British Columbia.

THEME: Through Our Eyes - Youth Perspectives

What does the world look like through your eyes? The 2026 banner theme invites young artists to share your unique perspectives, experiences, ideas, and hopes for the future. Youth are change-makers. Through Our Eyes is all about how you see your city, your community, and your place within it. Whether your art is bold or quiet, playful or powerful, it’s a chance to tell your story in your own way.

What inspires you? What challenges you? What are your hopes for the future of your community? Submissions to the 2026 Street Banner program under this theme might include playful and creative envisioning of the future, a merging of visual art and advocacy (What is most important to youth in today’s world?), symbols of growth and creativity, and what it means to belong. It could be a mix of personal storytelling, creative expression, or powerful messages through art.

Your creativity has the power to transform city streets into a vibrant expression of youth identity, imagination, insight, and show that youth voices matter. Let your creativity speak. Let your voice be seen.

What to Include:

The applicant is responsible for offering a design that illustrates their own interpretation of the banner theme. The City of Nanaimo will be responsible for the fabrication and installation of the banners.

Note: Requirements for this opportunity have been adapted for youth. Some requirements (such as a written statement and biography) will be evaluated with the age of applicant in mind.

Your submission will include:

  1. A completed application form;
  2. A written statement about your proposed design/ art (one page). This should support how your art supports the banner theme;
  3. A biography (up to 300 words, tell us about you);
  4. A colour rendering of your design. The banners are printed using digital files. Original drawings/ paintings/ sketches may be submitted. Computer-generated images will be rendered from your design idea. This may be done by the youth artist using the format outlined in design specifications below, or this will be completed following selection with the help of an artist from the City’s Urban Design Roster who will serve as a mentor in this process. For submissions, we accept digital images in JPG, PDF or TIFF format. For production, we will produce vector files in a scalable vector format (usually PDF or EPS).

    Important Note: Your art should include a left design and a right design as banners include a right and left banner. You can propose up to three (3) different banner designs (each of which include a right and left side). Only one banner design will be selected.

Street Banners Design

How to Submit Your Proposal:

Submissions must be received no later than 11:59pm, Pacific Time, September 28, 2025. There are two ways to submit your design:

  1. Submit your application and required documents ONLINE using the form (see below); or
  2. Drop off your application and required documents IN-PERSON to the Culture & Events Dropbox, located at the Bowen Complex (500 Bowen Rd, Nanaimo). The Dropbox is located on the lower level of the building near the tennis courts (Pine Street entrance). Hand-delivered applications must include one (1) original hardcopy of documents. A USB stick may be provided in addition to hard-copy. The application must be enclosed and sealed in an envelope/ package clearly marked:
Your Name
Street Banner Program 2026
City of Nanaimo

Culture and Events

Bowen Complex Drop-Box Location

Terms and Conditions

Once submitted, the application is subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The City advises applicants that submissions may be subject to the provisions of FOIPPA and the Community Charter.

Personal information provided in the submission will be collected pursuant to FOIPPA and the Community Charter. Personal information will not be released except in accordance with the FOIPPA. Questions about the collection of your personal information may be referred to the Legislative Services Department at (250) 755-4405, or via email at foi@nanaimo.ca.

Questions

Thank you for your interest! Applicants will only be contacted if their art is chosen. Questions regarding the Street Banner Program may be directed to Culture & Events at cultureandevents@nanaimo.ca ATTN: Street Banner

Program, or 250-755-4483.

Note: A drop-in information session will be held at the Bowen Complex (500 Bowen Rd.) in Room 5 (lower level) on Tuesday, September 9, 2025 from 4:30 - 6 PM. This is an opportunity to meet the Culture team, ask questions, and brainstorm ideas with guidance.

More Details/ Application Form

Find more details in addition to a copy of the application form in this PDF: 2026 Street Banners - Call to Youth

Online Application Form

Submit your application online using the form below.

If applicant is under the age of 18, please provide name of parent or guardian.

If applicant is under the age of 18, please provide parent/guardian email address.

If applicant is under the age of 18, please provide phone parent/guardian phone number.

Note: Requirements for this opportunity have been adapted for youth. Some requirements (such as a written statement and biography) will be evaluated with the age of applicant in mind.

Your submission will include:

  1. A completed application form;

  2. A written statement about your proposed design/ art (one page). This should support how your art supports the banner theme;

  3. A biography (up to 300 words, tell us about you);

  4. A colour rendering of your design. The banners are printed using digital files. Original drawings/ paintings/ sketches may be submitted. Computer-generated images will be rendered from your design idea. This may be done by the youth artist using the format outlined in design specifications below, or this will be completed following selection with the help of an artist from the City’s Urban Design Roster who will serve as a mentor in this process.

    For submissions, we accept digital images in JPG, PDF or TIFF format. For production, we will produce vector files in a scalable vector format (usually PDF or EPS).

    Important Note:

    Your art should include a left design and a right design as banners include a right and left banner. You can propose up to three (3) different banner designs (each of which include a right and left side). Only one banner design will be selected.

Please note, the maximum file size for any individual file is 100 MB.

Statement

This field is required

PDF - A written statement about the proposed design, and how it supports the banner theme (one page)

Biography

This field is required

PDF - A brief biography (up to 300 words)

A colour rendering of art/ design

This field is required

This may be an original sketch, painting or computer-generated image of the design idea, following the format outlined in the design specifications. We will accept digital images files in JPG, PDF or TIFF format, under 10 MB each. You may propose up to three (3) different banner designs as one single submission. NOTE: Final images must be supplied as a vector design file (.ai, .eps) or as a full size print file in JPG TIFF or PDF at 300 dpi. You can click Add another to upload multiple documents.

Add another
Collection and use of your personal information

Information collected on this form is done so under the general authority of the Community Charter and Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) and is protected in accordance with FOIPPA. Personal information will only be used by authorized staff to fulfill the purpose for which it was originally collected, or for a use consistent with that purpose. Questions about the collection of your personal information may be referred to the Legislative Services Department at 250-755-4405, or via email at foi@nanaimo.ca. Please also see our Privacy Policy.

Last updated: June 30, 2025

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Collection and use of your personal information

Information collected on this form is done so under the general authority of the Community Charter and Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) and is protected in accordance with FOIPPA. Personal information will only be used by authorized staff to fulfill the purpose for which it was originally collected, or for a use consistent with that purpose. Questions about the collection of your personal information may be referred to the Legislative Services Department at 250-755-4405, or via email at foi@nanaimo.ca. Please also see our Privacy Policy.