Application Deadline: 9 April, 2025
Fellowship Start Date: 21 April, 2025
Contract, Part-time Position, 1 year

The Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG), the National Gallery of Canada (NGC), and the Ottawa Black Art Kollective (OBAK) are pleased to announce an innovative partnership designed to enrich the national arts ecology and support the career growth of emerging Black Canadian curators.

At the heart of this collaboration is the Curatorial Fellowship Program, which offers mentorship, professional development, and hands-on curatorial experience across two institutions. This initiative began in 2021 with a collaboration between the OAG and the OBAK, and will now include the NGC’s national and international mandate. This Fellowship aims to enable the next generation of Black curators working in the National Capital Region to contribute directly to contemporary and historical art discourses to foster meaningful community engagement.

This fellowship marks a significant step forward towards broader representations of diverse art and artists. By providing dedicated support and meaningful development opportunities, it not only nurtures emerging curatorial talent but also helps to shape a more equitable and diverse future for Canada’s art ecosystems.

This opportunity is ideal for an emerging curator who is committed to the advancement of visual arts professionals of Black/African descent and expanding audiences.

About the Program

The Curatorial Fellowship is a one-year, paid, and part-time contract position, designed to support an emerging curator who identifies as being of Black/African descent. The fellowship is divided into two phases:

• Phase 1 Exhibition (21 April – 31 August, 2025): Ottawa Art Gallery
• Phase 2 Curatorial essay and Public Program development (1 September, 2025 – 28 February, 2026): National Gallery of Canada

The selected fellow will work in collaboration with OBAK, and under the guidance of curatorial leads at the institutions in respect to each phase. In Phase 1 at the OAG, they will first develop and launch an exhibition onsite in Gallery Annexe, focusing on artists of their choice, as well as researching the potential inclusion of one complementary loan from the NGC collection. In Phase 2 at the NGC, the candidate will then engage in collection research, and curatorial writing about their OAG exhibition, as well as co-develop a public programming event. Through this program, the candidate will gain comprehensive experience in curatorial practice at both a local and national level.

Fellowship Benefits

• $16,000 stipend ($8,000 per phase, distributed in two installments) for a total of 48 weeks. Note that candidates will work with their Curatorial Lead to distribute these hours to suit the project’s needs as well as their personal ability;

• Mentorship sessions with 1-2 professionals outside the partner institutions (1 opportunity per phase);

• At the OAG, exhibition development and public engagement opportunities
• At the NGC, collection research, curatorial writing, and public engagement opportunities;
• Professional networking and mentorship with leading curators and cross-departmental museum professionals;
• Local institutional visits.

Eligibility Requirements

• Identify as a person of Black/African descent in Canada with lived experience shaped by this identity;
• Show a demonstrated participation in Black/African descent communities, including involvement in arts programming and cultural initiatives;

• Reside in the National Capital Region during the Fellowship (candidates will be required to work both virtually and onsite; regional travel may be required);

• Show a demonstrated interest in curatorial practice, art history, museum studies, visual culture, or related fields;
• Be an emerging professional with some experience in exhibition development, research, writing, community engagement, arts administration, and/or programming;
• Knowledge and appreciation of arts and culture in Canada.

Skills and Competencies

• Post-secondary degree/diploma and/or relevant professional experience (art-related fields are an asset, those in other fields will also be considered pending demonstrated interest in the arts);
• Excellent time management and organizational skills;
• Project management/event planning experience;
• Strong administrative skills with excellent computer proficiency and experience in MSOffice suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.);
• Bilingual in English and French (written and oral) is an asset;
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to convey ideas clearly in writing and through various forms of expression.

Responsibilities

Candidates might not have experience in all the responsibilities listed below, however they will benefit from training and mentorship throughout the contract from the OAG and NGC.

Phase 1: OAG (21 April – 31 August 2025)

• Work with an OAG curatorial lead assigned for onboarding, facilitation, and supervision;
• Develop and execute an exhibition in OAG’s Annexe Gallery, featuring artists of choice with artwork for sale, as well as potentially one borrowed work, not-for-sale, from the NGC’s collection;
• Engage with OAG staff across departments (Curatorial, Collections, Installation, Learning & Engagement, Communications, etc.);
• Conduct studio visits, artist selection, research, and writing;
• Participate in annual portfolio reviews and mentorship sessions;
• Collaborate with NGC on a potential artwork loan;
• Attend institutional visits, mentorship sessions, and networking events;
• Organize a reception for the exhibition;
• Develop strong public communication skills through exhibition tours, speeches, and media interviews.

Phase 2: NGC (September 2025 – February 2026)

• Work with an NGC curatorial lead assigned for onboarding, facilitation, and supervision;
• Collection research, and write a 1,500-word curatorial essay related to the OAG exhibition for potential online publication;
• Work with NGC staff across various departments (Curatorial, Indigenous Ways and Decolonization, Marketing, Communications, Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility, Collections and Loans and more);
• Co-develop and organize a public-facing program at NGC with the Learning and Community Engagement department;
• Participate in local institutional visits, mentorship sessions, and networking opportunities;
• Engage in a reflective debriefing session to share your experience and provide feedback that will help enhance and evolve the position moving forward.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following:

• Cover letter/Letter of Intent (max 1 page) outlining interest in the Fellowship and curatorial aspirations;
• Short proposal detailing a proposed theme for the exhibition (max 1 page);
• CV/Resume detailing relevant experience;
• Two references (contact information only).

Submit applications to jobs@oaggao.ca to the attention of Rebecca Basciano, OAG Chief Curator, by the application deadline of 9 April, 2025. Please be sure to reference the specific job you are interested in applying for in the subject line. If you require any accommodations to submit your application or for the interview process, please indicate this in your email. A committee existing of representatives from the OAG, NGC, and the OBAK will review all submissions. We thank all applicants for their interest and only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Equity and Accessibility

We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, including those with intersectional identities, to apply. We fully support the inclusion of persons with disabilities, and in accordance with the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005  and the Ontario Human Rights Code, we strive to conduct our businesses in a way that is accessible, inclusive and responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities. We are committed to ensuring that employment opportunities are fully accessible to job candidates and employees with disabilities. Should you require accommodation during the staffing process, please do not hesitate to contact Zoe MacNeil (ZMacNeil@oaggao.ca).

About the OAG

Our Impact

OAG tells the story of our community’s evolution through art and helps to create a positive vision for our city’s future. As a cultural anchor in the downtown core, we are a sustainable and innovative institution that promotes equity, anti-racism and accessibility through art. We are a positive economic contributor to the City of Ottawa and hold a world-class collection of art for the people of the region.

Our Vision

We believe that regional artists offer us a unique vision of our society, and although grounded within a specific geography, play an essential role in addressing and helping us to understand the complex, global challenges of our time. Our exhibitions present regional art within a national and international context, and our programs reach patrons and participants from toddlers to seniors. OAG also “holds space” for communities and we strongly believe in interdisciplinary collaborations and partnership.

About the NGC

Founded in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada is among the world’s most respected art institutions. As a national museum, we exist to serve all Canadians, no matter where they live. We do this by sharing our collection, exhibitions and public programming widely. We create dynamic experiences that allow for new ways of seeing ourselves and each other through the visual arts, while centering Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Our mandate is to develop, preserve and present a collection for the learning and enjoyment of all – now and for generations to come.  We are home to more than 90,000 works, including one of the finest collections of Indigenous and Canadian art, major works from the 14^th to the 21^st century and extensive library and archival holdings.

About OBAK

The Ottawa Black Art Kollective (OBAK) is a collaborative group of artists and patrons committed to increasing the visibility and professional development of Black curators and visual artists in the National Capital Region. Our goal is to provide ongoing mentoring, networking, exhibition, and professional development opportunities to our members. Our vision is an artistic and culturally thriving National Capital Region where Black artists and curators can flourish and achieve their full potential.