Artists in the Library

• Project contributors form with brief bios for all contributors
• Recent work examples in audio, visual, or printed form
• Written support material in PDF format, up to six pages, including press clippings, writing samples, and letters of recommendation
• Budget table and supplementary budget PDF with a detailed breakdown of artist fees and other expenses
• If applying as a professional artist pursuing graduate studies, a letter from the graduate program director confirming the project is not related to the program of studies

Who is eligible?

• Professional artists
• Not-for-profit arts organizations
• Artist collectives operating on a not-for-profit basis
• Individual applicants who are Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents, applicants pending Permanent Resident Status, or Protected Persons

Who is not eligible

• Professional artists pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies for work related to their academic program of study
• Commercial businesses and for-profit organizations
• Schools that are part of Ontario's public or private education system
• Educational and religious institutions unless there is a clear separation in both programming and budget between regular activities and arts activities
• Applicants who try to apply as an individual and as part of an organization or collective in the same competition, or for the same project in different grant programs

Eligible expenses

• Professional artist fees
• Materials
• Equipment rental
• Other project expenses
• Small equipment purchases that are essential to the project

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Permanent exhibitions and installations
• One-off workshops or small-scale events
• Capital projects or expenses, renovations, or repairs
• Activities taking place outside the City of Toronto, including research, touring, travel, and accommodations
• Ongoing operating costs such as permanent staff salaries and general administration

Eligible geographic areas

• Etobicoke York
• North York
• Toronto & East York, excluding downtown locations south of St. Clair, east of Jane and west of Don Valley
• Scarborough

• Artistic merit of the proposed project
• Suitability for a public library setting and alignment with TPL Programming Policy
• Quality of experience for participants and branch customers, and benefits to the local community
• Ability of the applicant to carry out the proposed project and the project's financial viability
• If multiple well-assessed applications are of equal merit and funds are insufficient, applications from equity priority groups or those that primarily involve or serve artists from those groups are prioritized; projects with local artists or strong local community ties are prioritized in geographically specific Strategic Programs

• Register and submit the application, including the required support material, on TAC Grants Online.
• Submit the application no later than 11:59 pm on the deadline date.
• TAC does not accept applications by any other means of delivery.

• TAC will email applicants when results are available, and notification will be issued within three months of the deadline date.
• Successful applicants receive a Letter of Understanding that must be signed and uploaded to TAC Grants Online before funding can be released.
• Grant recipients will sign an artist agreement with Toronto Public Library and attend an Artists in the Library Program Orientation Session in early 2027.
• Grant recipients must file a final report online through TAC's granting portal.
• Changes to project scale, activities, or timeframe must be reported promptly, and TAC may require full or partial repayment.