Call for Applications: Curatorial Fellowship Program 2025
Deadline: 9 April, 2025
Submission Fee: Free
Eligibility:
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.
About the fellowship: 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.
