1. Symposium Location- The City of Saint John. For more information on Saint John, Canada’s oldest incorporated city, and on each of the community sponsors of Sculpture Saint John, please visit www.sculpturesaintjohn.com.

2. Symposium Dates- August 6th, 2020 to September 19th,2020. The selected artists will be expected to arrive at least 2 days before Sculpture Saint John begins and remain on site until conclusion of the closing ceremonies.

3. Organizer and Community Sponsors: Sculpture Saint John is the name chosen for the 2018 international sculpture symposium, and it is a registered business name of New Brunswick International Sculpture Symposium Inc., a not-for-profit company and the organizer of Sculpture Saint John. Reference to “Sculpture Saint John” or “symposium” is deemed to mean New Brunswick International Sculpture Symposium Inc. Completed sculptures will be permanently installed in communities throughout the southern region of New Brunswick.

4. Goals of Symposium

  • to educate the public (including students) in, and increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of, the art of stone sculpting through the creation of stone sculptures in public places by nationally and internationally renowned stone sculptors and through related public events;
  • to educate and train New Brunswick art students and artisans, and to enable them to gain experience in the art of stone sculpting, by providing them with the opportunity to work and interact with internationally renowned stone sculptors;
  • to educate the public through the development of its aesthetic tastes by exhibition of stone sculptures in public places in New Brunswick, and to enhance and beautify parks, green spaces and other public spaces in participating New Brunswick communities and places; and
  • to attract visitors from within and outside New Brunswick to symposium sites in New Brunswick, by offering the public (including students) the opportunity to observe the creation of stone sculptures.

To this end, Sculpture Saint John will be inviting 8 international, national and/or regional artists to participate in a six-week stone sculpture symposium that will result in the creation of 8 large granite sculptures which will then be permanently installed in public spaces in southwest New Brunswick.

5. What Sculpture Saint John Provides to The Selected Artists: Sculpture Saint John will provide the selected artists with:

  1. transportation to and from Saint John (YSJ) or other agreed airport, based on one economy-class round-trip ticket supplied by Sculpture Saint John. Sculpture Saint John will use reasonable efforts to secure sponsorships for the cost of flights for artists to Saint John, New Brunswick.
  2. meals during Sculpture Saint John;
  3. accommodation during Sculpture Saint John (private rooms close to work site, with shared bath facilities, laundry facilities and common areas);
  4. local transportation (to/from airport and organized Symposium events);
  5. $6000 Cdn. honorarium, payable in 2 equal installments, at the opening and closing ceremonies of Sculpture Saint John;
  6. up to six artist interns/students, to be cooperatively shared between the artists and to learn from the artists; and
  7. a suitable work site, necessary utility services, materials and certain tools, including:
    • compressed air;
    • water;
    • electrical supply (110V 60 Hz);
    • air hoses and electrical cords;
    • hard hats, dust masks, safety goggles and ear protection;
    • large power tools (angle grinders, air drills, etc.);
    • diamond blades, diamond cups, drill bits, splitting tools;
    • heavy equipment for lifting;
    • canopies to shelter the artists’ work areas from sun and rain; and
    • secure storage space for artists’ tools.

6. Symposium Stone: Sculpture Saint John will provide granite blocks. Most are medium-grained granite ranging in colour from light pink to dark red. Refer to www.sculpturesaintjohn.com for pictures of the stone. Since New Brunswick currently has no actively operating granite quarries, the granite will be taken from old grout piles. Some of these pieces will be squared, but the majority will be irregularly shaped. Accordingly, it may be difficult to provide pieces that conform exactly to the artist’s desired dimensions. Oversized pieces may be provided, which will then require trimming by the artist. Artists should be prepared to adapt their conceptualized proposals, to take advantage of the sizes and shapes of stones available. Generally, pieces longer than 3 meters will be too large to move. The maximum weight of any individual stone that can be selected is 10 tonnes. Sculpture Saint John will make best efforts to provide a variety of stones but cannot guarantee that any particular sizes, shapes, colours or dimensions will be available.

7. Site/Safety Regulations and Equipment: Artists and all other personnel and interns working at the site must: (i) recognize that access to the Sculpture Saint John work site will be controlled and managed, and artists must support Sculpture Saint John’s safety and security measures; and (ii) comply with all work site, health and safety laws and regulations, all municipal and WorkSafeNB requirements and any other safety or security measures considered prudent by Sculpture Saint John. All health and safety equipment provided or used by artists, including personal gear, must be CSA approved. If any selected artist requires customized safety equipment, the artist must provide such equipment at his/her expense. The selected artists must also supply their own personal tools such as hand chisels (mallets can be provided by Sculpture Saint John), pneumatic hammers, durable work clothes, work gloves and steel-toed boots.

8. Symposium Not Liable; Artist Medical/Liability Insurance: While Sculpture Saint John will provide reasonable site control and security, it is not responsible or liable at any time or for any reason (and whether occurring during Sculpture Saint John, during any travel or otherwise) for: (i) personal injuries to artists; (ii) damage to or loss or theft of artists’ property; or (iii) any damage or injury caused by artists. No later than June 1, 2020 each selected artist must provide a certificate of insurance confirming personal medical insurance covering themselves and any persons accompanying them while in Canada or the USA throughout the duration of Sculpture Saint John, and during travel to and from Sculpture Saint John. While Sculpture Saint John may agree, at its expense, to obtain limited third party liability insurance coverage relating to Sculpture Saint John activities, the selected artists should also obtain their own liability and property insurance. Selected artists who have difficulty obtaining the required medical insurance should contact Sculpture Saint John as soon as possible after notification of their selection.

9. Immigration, Visa and Work Permit Requirements: Depending on their nationality, artists may require visas and/or work permits to enter Canada. Sculpture Saint John will assist artists in these circumstances, but artists are solely responsible for obtaining all necessary travel documents (including valid passports, visas and/or work permits) to enter Canada and to remain for the duration of Sculpture Saint John.

10. Ownership of Sculptures and Images: All sculptures created during Sculpture Saint John, and all excess materials created from the stone used, will be the property of Sculpture Saint John and the applicable community sponsors referred to in section 3 above. Sculpture Saint John will produce a catalogue and other promotional material (including pictures, films, interviews and other records and media) of the Sculpture Saint John symposium, all of which remains the property of Sculpture Saint John. The selected artists authorize and consent to the use by Sculpture Saint John and the applicable community sponsors of images of the artists and their works in perpetuity for all purposes of documenting and promoting Sculpture Saint John and the applicable community sponsors, and any future symposia held by New Brunswick International Sculpture Symposium Inc. Plaques will be installed with all finished works that describe the artists as creators of the works, and the selected artists will retain moral rights in their works.

11. Artists’ Sculptures and Participation in Symposium Events: Each selected artist is responsible for creating a finished large-scale stone sculpture for one of the community sponsors referred to in section 3 above. Each of the community sponsors will be provided with all of the selected artists’ applications, and a process will be followed to reasonably “match” each selected artist with a community sponsor. Through meetings, discussions and correspondence with the chosen sponsor, the selected artist will take into consideration the nature and history of the community sponsor and the intended location of the finished work, choosing a level of scale and detail appropriate to a six-week work period. Artists must complete their works by no later than the day preceding the date of Sculpture Saint John’s closing ceremonies and, regardless of when works are completed, must remain on site throughout the duration of Sculpture Saint John. Artists are also expected to reasonably participate in community events in support of Sculpture Saint John and in the opening and closing ceremonies.

12. Artist Selection Process: The board of directors of Sculpture Saint John (or a committee thereof) will review all eligible applications and create a shortlist of between 15 and 30 qualified applicants (dependent on the number and quality of eligible applications). From this shortlist, a Selection Jury will meet to make final recommendations to the Sculpture Saint John board of the selected artists on behalf of Sculpture Saint John. The Selection Jury will consist of professional artists, architects, fine art academics and/or art dealers. The board of directors of Sculpture Saint John retains final authority to determine the selected artists. The decision of the Sculpture Saint John board regarding the selection of artists will be final, and binding on all applicants.

13. Non-Compliance by Artist: Sculpture Saint John reserves the right to disqualify any artist from participation in Sculpture Saint John, to terminate food and accommodation privileges of such artist and any accompanying person, and to withhold, or require repayment to Sculpture Saint John of, part or all of the honorarium in any circumstance where such artist fails to comply with the terms of this Artist Application – 2020.

14. Two Ways to Submit Artist Applications: Artists may submit their Artist Applications, and all required documents and materials, in one of two ways:

  • online by following the links and instructions at www.sculpturesaintjohn.com; or
  • by mailing, couriering or delivering the complete Artist Application, and required documents and materials, to the delivery address in section 16 below.

Online: Each Artist who submits his/her Application online acknowledges and agrees with Sculpture Saint John that by providing his/her name in the Application, such name is deemed to be the Artist’s signature and acceptance of the terms of this Artist Application – 2020. Applications submitted online must have been successfully and completely uploaded in accordance with Sculpture Saint John instructions by no later than 5:00 pm (Atlantic Time) on October 10th, 2019.
Mail/Delivery: Applications sent by mail or courier, or otherwise delivered to Sculpture Saint John, must have been received by Sculpture Saint John by no later than 5:00 pm (Atlantic Time) on October 10th, 2019.

15. Timeline for the Application Process: The deadline for receipt by Sculpture Saint John of this Artist Application, and all required supporting documents and materials, is 5:00 pm (Atlantic Time) on October 10th, 2019. All submitted written materials must be in English or French. Important dates are:

October 10th, 2019 (5:00 pm Atlantic Time) Deadline for receipt by Sculpture Saint John of Artist Applications
November 15th, 2019 Artist jury selection process begins
December 15th, 2019 Public notification of the artists selected to participate in Sculpture Saint John

Notification to unsuccessful applicants of the selected artists will be by means of posting on Sculpture Saint John’s website at www.sculpturesaintjohn.com.

16. Application Delivery Address and Contact Information: Artist Applications, and all required supporting documents and materials, that are not being submitted online must be sent to:

Sculpture Saint John – New Brunswick International Sculpture Symposium Inc.
PO Box 20090
1 Market Square
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
E2L 5B3
Telephone: 1 (506) 643-8358

The Sculpture Saint John website is: www.sculpturesaintjohn.com. Enquiries and questions about Sculpture Saint John should be directed to:

Diana Alexander
Symposium Executive Director
Sculpture Saint John
Tel.: 1 (506) 643-8358
E-Mail: diana.alexander@sculpturesaintjohn.com