Closing Date: September 5, 11:00 pm EST
Contract, Part-time position

About the Ottawa Art Gallery

Join our team and play a role in supporting local and regional artists while shaping the future of visual arts and culture in Canada. Help us tell the story of our community’s evolution through art and contribute in creating a positive vision for our city’s future. The Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) is a premiere art gallery and cultural destination in the downtown core. It is a sustainable and innovative institution that is a positive economic contributor for the national capital region and holds a world-class collection of art.

About Galerie Annexe

Galerie Annexe is a commercial gallery, within the Ottawa Art Gallery, that strives to support, display, sell and rent artwork for regional artists. With over 100 artists represented by Galerie Annexe, our team is dedicated to providing support to the professional development of artists while contextualizing emerging and established artists within the larger structure of a municipal gallery. 

About the Ottawa Black Arts Kollective (OBAK)

OBAK is a collaborative group of Black artists and patrons committed to increasing the visibility of visual artists of African descent in the National Capital Region (NCR). Our goal is to provide ongoing mentoring, networking, exhibition and professional development opportunities to our members, through OBAK peer/patron support, as well as, in partnership with other NCR artists, businesses and arts organizations. For more information about OBAK or to discuss partnership opportunities please see ottawablackartists.com.
 

About the Role

The contract Commercial, Community Guest Curator will plan and execute one commercial exhibition, scheduled in 2023, to be presented in Galerie Annexe. Working in partnership with the Ottawa Black Arts Kollective (OBAK), this position was developed with the intention to provide open access, share resources and allow for diverse ideas and expressions. This opportunity is ideal for an emerging curator who is committed to the advancement of Black visual arts professionals and audiences. We are looking for a candidate who is passionate about supporting the OAG’s commitment to situating equity, inclusion and anti-racism as a central tenet and foundational practice.

This opportunity launches an ongoing, yearly contract position, which will allow the OAG to collaborate with diverse community groups in order to provide access and experience to emerging curators.

Responsibilities

This contract offers mentorship opportunities in a professional gallery setting. The candidate will work directly with the following OAG staff: the Commercial Curator to develop and execute the exhibition; gallery technicians to plan for installation; Learning and Engagement staff to provide content for tours and/or related programming; Development staff to identify any sponsorship opportunities; and Communications and Marketing staff to develop a marketing plan.

The candidate will have the opportunity of a mentorship, outside the OAG and OBAK, with their chosen individual or organization.

Due to this, candidates do not require previous experience in all the responsibilities listed below, but would benefit from some experience in the following tasks:

• Develop an exhibition proposal;
• Work with the Commercial Curator to plan and execute the exhibition, from start to finish, in the Galerie Annexe space;
• Manage and track the budget related to the exhibition;
• Identify artists and artwork to be included in the exhibition;
• Manage administrative tasks related to the exhibit;
• Plan exhibition layout;
• Support the installation of the exhibition;
• Write an exhibition description;
• Organize a reception for the exhibition;
• Participate in post-contract debriefing to provide feedback about your experience, in order to better develop the position moving forward.
  
  

Requirements for the Position

Skills and Competencies:

• Experience and interest in engaging with regional Black communities;
• Approachable, diplomatic and friendly demeanor;
• Organized;
• Ability to work independently as well as within a collaborative group setting;
• Strong administrative and communication skills;
• Writing and editing skills;
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize duties as needed within a quick-paced, sales-oriented environment.
  
  

Qualifications:

• Post-secondary degree or equivalent in arts administration, art history, museum studies, business or commerce; and/or holds some demonstrated experience working for a commercial art gallery, as a community curator  and/or as a community leader;
• Knowledge and appreciation for diverse regional arts and cultures;
• Demonstrates a history of engagement with regional Black communities;
• Asset, but not required: bilingual (English/French) (written and oral).
  
  

Curatorial Fee: $6,000.00 (12 weeks, 20hrs/week, $25.00/hr, flexible hours)

Location: Candidates will be required to work both virtually and in person, onsite.

How to apply:

Please send a copy of your cover letter and resume to jobs@oaggao.ca to the attention of Stephanie Germano, Commercial Curator, by the closing date. Please be sure to reference the specific job you are interested in applying for in the subject line. A committee existing of OAG staff and Ottawa Black Arts Kollective (OBAK) members will review all submissions. We thank all applicants for their interest and only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Equity:

The Ottawa Art Gallery extends a commitment to equity in every aspect of the organization and recognizes that structural inequalities create significant barriers to equal opportunity employment. We strongly encourage applications from equity-seeking communities, from individuals who identify as Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Persons with Disabilities, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ and/or persons living at intersectionalities.

Accessibility:

The OAG fully supports the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all of its operations. In accordance with the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code, the OAG strives to conduct its business in a way that is accessible, inclusive and responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities. The OAG is 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 Emma Campbell (ecampbell@oaggao.ca)

COVID-19:

Due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, be assured that all personal protective measures will be taken to conduct job interviews in a safe manner. OAG will work with individual selected candidates to ascertain the safest and most effective way to conduct each interview, including options such as in-person using distancing and masks or via Zoom.