Sandra Dobbin Memorial Garden: Two-Stage Call for Public Artworks
Stage 1 Submission Deadline: Tuesday, Oct 14, 2025
Budget: $65,000 plus HST if applicable
Please note: in order to streamline communication and ensure fair access to equal information about this opportunity, the Frequently Asked Questions section at the bottom of this document will be updated weekly with additional information as questions from the community come in throughout the process.
Public Art Opportunity Overview:
The Project Team is inviting applications from professional artists, artist-led multidisciplinary teams, and creative makers working in diverse artistic mediums to create two permanent sculptural works for the Sandra Dobbin Memorial Garden: an Entrance Gate and a Portal. The garden opening is planned for summer 2026.
About Sandra Dobbin
Sandra Dobbin (1965–2024) was a beloved mother, partner, and friend. Sandra was a proud Colombian and a proud Canadian, known throughout the community for her magnetic presence and her warm and generous nature. Sandra was most at home hiking trails in Newfoundland and around the world, or in her beautiful garden. Her family is creating the Sandra Dobbin Memorial Garden to celebrate Sandra's life and to create a sanctuary in nature where all visitors can find solace—a space for contemplation, meditation, and connecting with loved ones, both present and departed.
About the Garden
The Sandra Dobbin Memorial Garden will be a heavily shaded sunken garden tucked among the trees, with lush ground cover and gravel walkways. This healing and resonant space will evoke feelings of connection and spirituality, serving as a contemplative sanctuary where visitors can meditate and reflect. The garden will feature a variety of structural elements, including floating circular wooden meditation platforms, an elevated boardwalk, retaining benches, and a covered pergola structure that stylistically reflects the Dobbin house in Beachy Cove, offering visitors a sheltered place to sit depending on the weather. The garden is designed as a secluded refuge immersed in nature, offering respite and fostering community connection through cultural programming, grief work, and quiet contemplation.
A rendering of the planned garden, by Mills & Wright Landscape Architecture.
This whimsical, rustic environment embraces a mystical quality—a mysterious space of comfort and wonder that emerges organically from the landscape, where plants will grow over and around the artworks, integrating them fully into the natural setting.
The Artworks
The two site-specific artworks will become integral parts of the Garden’s landscape. They will be durably constructed to accommodate the growth of surrounding plant life and to evolve harmoniously with the landscape over time as living elements within this dynamic ecosystem. The Sandra Dobbin Memorial Garden will be a multi-sensory space, and the commissioned artworks should consider the physical setting and the visitor’s experience in their concept to create works that provoke a range of emotional and contemplative responses.
This is a two-stage selection process. In the first stage, applicants will indicate their interest in submitting a proposal for either one or both artworks. The two commissioned artworks could be in dialogue with one another—either visually, materially, or conceptually—contributing to the garden's role as both a memorial space and a vital community resource for renewal and remembrance. Applications are invited from artists working across all mediums who can respond thoughtfully to the natural setting, the memorial's purpose, and the vision of creating a space that honours Sandra's memory while serving the broader St. John's community.
The Project Team is seeking artists and/or teams interested in creating one or both of the following:
The Garden Gate will serve as the primary entrance, setting the tone for the garden experience. Installed within a craggy stone archway that blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape architecture, this piece will establish the threshold between the outside world and the sanctuary within. We’re seeking an artist to create a door for the gateway made of durable materials that incorporates a starfish motif, as a nod to the starfish pendant that was a favourite talisman of Sandra’s. The archway itself will be designed by Mills and Wright, responding to the artist’s gate design.
The Portal will be the centrepiece of the garden—a portal or passageway that visitors can walk through together. Over time, this work will be enveloped by the surrounding flora, becoming part of the natural landscape. This element is inspired by traditional Chinese Moongates, which signify the cyclical nature of life, connection to nature, and renewal. The archway will provide a focal point within the garden, creating another transition and threshold that frames the visitor's experience of the space.
Budget
The maximum budget for artist fees, materials, and installation for both artworks is $65,000, ($15,000 for the Garden Gate and $50,000 for the Portal) plus HST if applicable.
*For further information about building budgets for public art projects, please refer to CARFAC’s Public Art Fees recommendations.
Eligibility and Criteria
This opportunity is open to professional artists, artist-led multidisciplinary teams, and creative makers working in diverse artistic mediums at all career stages.
Indigenous artists, artists from racialized communities, and artists from other equity-seeking groups are welcome and encouraged to apply. If you wish to self-identify, please do so in your expression of interest.
Other Considerations:
Works must be suitable for extended outdoor exposure.
Artists may submit for either or both sites.
Collaborative submissions are welcome.
Selection Process
This is a two-stage selection process.
The artworks for this project will be selected through a competitive two-stage open call process, guided by Business & Arts NL. A selection committee including artists/art professionals, community members and project representatives will review all eligible Stage 1 applications based on the following criteria:
Creativity and strength of support images
Relevance of experience
Expression of interest and connection between their practice and the project
The selection committee will recommend between 3-5 artists to be shortlisted for Stage 2.
Shortlisted artists will receive a $500 fee to develop a comprehensive artwork proposal for one or both artworks, which will be assessed on their ability to demonstrate innovative conceptual thinking, technical feasibility for creating durable work, and alignment with the overall environment and project goals.
Estimated Timeline:
Stage 1 EOI Launched Sept 16
Online Information session Sept 25
Stage 1: Expressions of Interest due: Oct 14
Shortlist selection: Oct 27
Stage 2: Final Proposals due: Dec 5
Final selection: Dec 15
Installation: Late spring/early summer 2026
Submission Requirements
Stage 1 Expression of Interest – Submission Requirements
All applications must be submitted through this online form. The following application materials must be combined into a single PDF and uploaded to the online application form. PDFs must not exceed 10MB in total size.
Project and Applicant Information form: Please complete the online application form found here.
Expression of Interest (1 page or 500–750 words max), a statement outlining your interest in this project, your experience in and approach to creating murals and artwork for the public realm. Please do not include proposals at this stage.
Portfolio/Images of recent relevant work (max 10 images) that include artwork title, date, media and dimensions. If you wish to include a video, please provide links to Vimeo or YouTube, along with a timestamp.
CV – Artist resume (three pages maximum). For teams, submit a CV for each artist team member (maximum of 3 pages per member), or a combined CV if the team has an extensive history of working together.
Professional References (optional) You may wish to provide a letter of reference from a professional acquaintance who can speak to your artistic practice and suitability for this project.
Anonymous Survey Information (required) This form is to be completed by the Artist/Artist Team as part of your submission. Once completed, please screenshot the confirmation page and upload it to your submission form. The personal information collected on this form is anonymous and confidential. Your survey answers are not linked to your application in any way.
This is a two-stage competition. At this time, we are not requesting artwork proposals. Applicants will be reviewed based on the merit of their past work, professional qualifications, and experience.
Submissions are due by Oct 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm NST, and shortlisted artists will be notified by the week of Oct 27.
Stage 2 Project Proposal – Submission Requirements
The shortlisted artists/artist teams will be invited to develop an artwork proposal that includes a design concept, a detailed budget, and a basic work plan/timeline based on a project brief that will be provided to help shortlisted artists prepare their submissions. Each shortlisted artist/team will receive a $500 honorarium for this stage once their proposal has been submitted. The selection committee will review the proposals and recommend an artist/artist team to be awarded the project.
Questions? Please Contact: