Design competitions

Call for proposals – Artworks that celebrate the strength, activism and hope of queer communities

In summer 2026, the new 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument, Thunderhead, will be inaugurated in a prominent location in downtown Ottawa. In collaboration with the LGBT Purge Fund, the organization mandated with creating the monument, Canadian Heritage is seeking artworks by Canadian visual artists, photographers, graphic designers, and illustrators that celebrate the strength, activism and hope of diverse queer communities in Canada.

Reproductions of these artworks will be displayed in an outdoor exhibition in the Eastern Recreational Pathway Tunnel leading to the Monument (under the Portage Bridge and Wellington Street) for a period of up to 18 months (exact timelines TBC).

Canadian Heritage is inviting all Canadian visual artists, photographers, graphic designers, and illustrators to submit up to two images for consideration. Artworks will be selected by subject matter experts from the fields of arts and design.

Application information can be obtained by writing to monuments@pch.gc.ca.

Questions should be submitted via email to monuments@pch.gc.ca as early as possible. Questions received after Friday, April 3rd, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. (EDT) may not be answered.

All proposals must be submitted via email with by Friday, April 17th, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. (EDT). Submissions received after the deadline of will not be considered.