Call for Applications: Indigenous Curator in Residence
McIntosh Gallery, Western University, seeks applications from emerging and established curators for a one-year Indigenous Curator in Residence (ICiR) position.
The ICiR will be a one-year appointment situated at McIntosh Gallery. The position is expected to commence in September 2022, leading to an exhibition to take place in the Fall of 2023 or Winter of 2024. Proposals that include off-site research and remote components will be welcomed. A member of First Nations, Métis, or Inuit peoples, the ICiR will foreground contemporary Indigenous artistic practices through an exhibition, an accompanying publication, and related public programs. The gallery will also welcome advice on potential purchases towards the development of the permanent collection.
The Indigenous Curator in Residence will have access to the McIntosh Gallery Permanent Collection, the support of the Curator, Preparator, and Gallery staff. The successful applicant will also have access to the Centre for Sustainable Curating in the Department of Visual Arts, as well as Western University’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives. There is an option to develop and teach a one-semester course in the Museum and Curatorial Studies program, should the successful applicant be interested and have a demonstrated track record of post-secondary instruction. This sessional teaching contract would be funded separately. The successful applicant will commit to a 12-month period in residence, pursuing research leading to the mounting of an exhibition at McIntosh Gallery, inclusive of all related textual material: labels, didactics, scholarly publication. The Gallery will provide a separate budget to produce an exhibition catalogue. The successful applicant would be required to hold regular office hours each week throughout the academic year and commit to a period of time (to be negotiated) spent on campus.
The aim of the Indigenous Curator in Residence position is to foster connective bonds and improve access to, and awareness of, contemporary Indigenous artistic research and practices, with and among diverse Indigenous peoples. The position aims to create a program of community engagement and promote an inclusive relationship in partnership with Indigenous communities.
Local Context:
Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Neutral (Chonnonton) peoples, on lands connected to several Treaties including Treaty 6 London Township, Treaty 7 Sombra Township, Treaty 21 Longwoods and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This place continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples who are recognized as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors to society. Western is committed to increasing Indigenous voices and presence across all levels of work, study, and research.
A university-based public art gallery since 1942, McIntosh Gallery collaborates with artists, curators, and academics to develop innovative strategies to interpret and disseminate visual culture. McIntosh Gallery is a centre for the presentation, interpretation and dissemination of advanced practices and research in the fields of art history and contemporary visual art through exhibitions, educational programs, special events and its collection. The gallery is committed to serving the students, faculty, and staff of Western University and the broader community of the City of London as a teaching and research resource.
Amount: $50,000
Duration: 12 months, with terms of residency on campus to be negotiated
Submission requirements:
Curriculum Vitae including contact information
Curatorial statement
Exhibition proposal
Proposed Community Engagement Activities
Contact information for 2 references (only the referees for shortlisted candidates will be contacted)
Two pieces of curatorial writing
E-mail submission packages to Catherine Elliot Shaw at celliots@uwo.ca
Application Deadline: Friday, April 15, 2022
