Rama, Development Officer, Ottawa Art Gallery
Endless Becomings: Explorations in Contemporary Art features work by the two most recent cohorts of the University of Ottawa’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program. This collaboration has, for over fourteen years, fostered meaningful connections between emerging artists, curators and the local arts community.
Rama interviews this exhibition’s OAG Curatorial Interns, Elisa Jiménez Robles and Shems Benmosbah.
After passing the curatorial intern torch over a year ago, I caught up with Elisa and Shems, curators of the Exhibition Endless Becomings: Explorations in Contemporary Art, at the end of their curatorial internship to ask them how this opportunity has made them reimagine their path towards a creative career. Check out our interview below to inspire your curatorial path!
1. Hi Shems and Elisa! I want to congratulate you both on Endless Becomings! Working with eleven artists is a curatorial and administrative feat, so kudos to you. I want to know if there was anything about the curatorial process or working with the various OAG departments that you didn’t realize you would love before coming on as interns?
Elisa: Thank you! It’s been hard work, but very rewarding. I initially thought that managing so many artists would be the hardest part, but it was lovely to work with people from so many different backgrounds who were always open to exploring new possibilities for artistic expression.
Shems: Thank you! It was quite challenging, but more than worth it! At first, I was wary of how time-consuming and honestly, boring, some of the administrative tasks would be. In the end, I deeply enjoyed many of those tasks!
2. As two people who had the opportunity to do the OAG curatorial internship in 2024-2025 through the MA Contemporary Art Theory program at the University of Ottawa and now works at Galleries, I’m curious to hear how the internship experience is evolving. How do you feel this internship is shaping your curatorial work?
Elisa: It has definitely laid the groundwork for my curatorial career. Taking on this experience, for the first time in a leading position, has allowed me to prove to myself, and to others, that I can thrive in a profession I longed for, but that I was also a little bit scared of. I received a lot of validation and recognition for my work and ideas here, which gives me the confidence to keep striving for similar projects, or even bigger ones!
Shems: This experience has taught me so many things about what it means to be a curator. I am someone who thrives on ever-changing environments and curatorial work fits that description perfectly! I wore many hats during the internship as I worked with different departments like installation, marketing, and education. It gave me a true sense of curatorial collaboration!
3. In what ways do you see this experience contributing to your longer-term creative career goals in the arts?
Elisa: This experience opened many doors for me here in Ottawa, so even though I’m returning to my home in Mexico, I know I can come back to new opportunities. I see myself moving between both places, strengthening my connections in each, and perhaps developing projects that link both communities.
Shems: It helped me to get to know the Ottawa art scene better! I also feel more confident in my curatorial abilities, especially after taking on such a big project! I can see myself working on similar projects in the future.
4. Now that you’ve completed the curatorial internship, do you have any advice about curating that you think any emerging curator or artist should know about the process?
Elisa: Be confident in your creative choices but stay open to different perspectives. Polish your organization and time management skills so you’re always on top of everything. Finally, communicate assertively with everyone involved in bringing your vision to life, not just with the artists, but with the whole team that makes it possible.
Shems: Trust your decisions but be open to constructive criticism. Invest in a good planner so you never miss any deadlines. Be clear when you communicate, ideas must be developed. And please make time for your own person, let yourself reflect on the creative process.
The Ottawa Art Gallery would like to recognize RBC Foundation’s support of OAG’s Connect: Artist Mentorship Program and also acknowledge the support of the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
Open from 10 AM to 6 PM Tuesday and Sunday and from 10 AM to 9 PM Wednesday to Saturday. Closed on Mondays. Admission is always FREE. | Support the Bill Staubi Acquisition Fund.
