Paint It Up!

Paint It Up! is a youth engagement program funded by Public Works and administered by Community and Social Services (CSS). It promotes the use of outdoor murals to:

  • support local arts and culture;
  • enhance the city’s beauty for residents and visitors; and
  • engage youth in positive skill-building experiences.

Annual funding is available through Community Safety and Well-Being, Policy, and Analytics within CSS for local organizations wanting to hire youth to create murals in neighbourhoods experiencing a high rate of tagging and vandalism.

Paint it Up! map of mural locations and pictures

Before you begin

Please review the 2024 Paint It Up! Funding Program Process Guidelines.

If you are interested in viewing the video recording of the 2024 Paint It Up! information session that was held on February 1, please contact Ahmad Luqman at ahmad.luqman@ottawa.ca.

Key program dates*:

  • January 25, 2024:  Funding application opens
  • February 1, 2024:  Information Sessions (virtual)
  • March 2, 2024 (extended to March 8, 2024 by 5pm):  Deadline to submit proposed mural location via Mural application form for approval
  • April 4, 2024:  Deadline to submit funding application
  • May 1, 2024:  Applicants are advised if application is successful
  • May 5 - July 15, 2024:  Deadline to submit final mural designs to muraleottawamural@ottawa.ca for approval and obtain the required permit
  • September 29, 2024:  Deadline to complete and install murals
  • November 9, 2024:  Deadline to submit Activity reports

*Note: Dates are subject to change at the discretion of the City of Ottawa.

Eligibility

Please consult the 2024 Paint It Up! Funding Program Process Guidelines for program eligibility criteria.

Congratulations to the following organizations on their successful application to the 2024 Paint It Up! mural program: 

  • African Caribbean Black Wellness Resource Centre 
  • Centretown Community Health Centre 
  • City View Community Association 
  • First Unitarian Congregation 
  • Operation Come Home 
  • Osgoode Village Community Association 

For youth between the ages of 12 to 25 interested in participating in a mural installation, please reach out to the organizations listed above to learn more about their individual recruiting processes. 

What you need

Location approval

  • Mural application form
    • Before submitting an application for Paint it Up! funding, applicants must apply for location approval through the City’s By-law and Regulatory Services online form on ottawa.ca/mural by March 2, 2024 (extended to March 8, 2024 by 5pm).
  • Property Authorization form, if the location is on private property.

Please note: If the location is on a City of Ottawa facility, staff responsible for the facility will need to provide their consent for the mural location.  By-Law and Regulatory Services will seek this consent on behalf of the applicant.

Paint It Up! Application form

  • Contact Community Safety and Well-Being at cswb/sbec@ottawa.ca to request an application and budget form.

Mandatory documentation

  1. Proof of incorporation and years in existence of primary applicant*
  2. Latest financial statement of primary applicant (unaudited statements will be accepted)
  3. Proof of insurance for the primary applicant*
  4. Letter(s) confirming the participation of partners
  5. Proof of a problem with tagging (should include pictures of tags and their location in relation to the intended mural)
  6. Proof of approval of mural location

*Not required for organizations currently in receipt of City of Ottawa Sustainability Funding

Apply

The application process for the Paint It Up! program closed on April 4, 2024. If you wish to apply to next years' program, email Community Safety and Well-Being at cswb/sbec@ottawa.ca to indicate your interest.

Next steps

All eligible applications will be assessed through an Allocation Committee process. The Allocation Committee members will review all proposals and score them in relation to the evaluation criteria.

All organizations that receive Paint It Up! Grant funding are required to submit the final youth mural design to: muraleottawamural@ottawa.ca between May 5, 2024, and July 15, 2024, to receive design approval and a permit to install the mural.

Contact us

The application process for the Paint It Up! program is now closed. For information about the Paint It Up! program, email Ahmad Luqman at Ahmad.Luqman@ottawa.ca.