Call to Curators: Âjagemô Exhibition Space Proposals 2025-2027

Canada Council for the Arts

View of the exhibition Madweyàshkà / Like a Wave by curator Olivia Kristoff for the Âjagemô Exhibition Space in 2024. Photo: Brandon Clarida Image Services.

Invitation to curate exhibitions for the 2025–2027 programming cycle for the Canada Council Âjagemô Exhibition Space, Ottawa

Submission Deadline: August 13, 2024 at 5 p.m.
Review the guidelines and complete the online form on the Art Bank website

The Canada Council Art Bank is seeking exhibition proposals from emerging and established curators for exhibitions for the 2025–2027 programming cycle of the Âjagemô Exhibition Space in Ottawa. The first exhibition is scheduled from June 2025 to May 2026 and the second from June 2026 and May 2027.

The Art Bank is interested in proposals that explore the breadth of the collection (which is now more than 50 years old), specifically considering artworks that haven’t been shown in Âjagemô since its inception.

As the starting point of their curatorial reflection, curators are invited to consider unresearched aspects of the collection and explore new themes that haven’t been included in Âjagemô.

Curators are invited to bring fresh perspectives on the notion of engagement in public spaces, and to think of unexpected ways that art can be interpreted in public spaces while advancing public knowledge of the collection through their research.

In alignment with the Canada Council’s 2021–26 strategic plan, Art, now more than ever, priority will be given to proposals received by emerging and established curators who self-identify as Indigenous, Black, racialized, Deaf, having a disability, being from official language minority communities, youth, 2SLGBTQI+, gender diverse and women, including curators at the intersections of these identities.

Project Requirements

• The exhibition proposal should provide various levels of entry into the material and various layers of content and meaning.
• The exhibition should engage the audience through a call to action, an exchange or an interaction of some kind; this could include audiences leaving a physical mark or imprint, participating through social media or some other means.
• Content must be appropriate for all ages, since Âjagemô is in a public space.
• The exhibition should be aligned with the Canada Council brand attributes of ‘open, vibrant and connected’ and the values set out in its strategic plan, Art, now more than ever.
• All programming and didactic materials must be in French and English (the Council will provide writing, editing, translation, design and installation services). Depending on the nature of the project, the Council is open to opportunities to include Indigenous languages.

Guided tour of Madweyàshkà / Like a Wave, with curator of Olivia Kristoff. Artworks by (from left to right): Edward Poitras, David Neel and Carl Beam. Photo: Brandon Clarida Image Services.

Eligibility

To submit a proposal, a curator must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a student with a valid study permit (for international students).

Compensation

The selected curators will each receive a $6,000 fee.

The total budget for each exhibition is $50,000 and is managed by the Art Bank. The budget covers the curator’s fee, minimal travel expenses for research, installation and vernissage attendance, artist exhibition and reproduction right fees, restoration and/or framing, fabrication and installation costs, documentation of the exhibition and public programming.

Covered separately are the following: writing, editing, translation, design and installation of didactic panels and promotional material, including Web content.

Timeline

• July 8, 2024 – August 13, 2024 – Call for proposals
• August 13, 2024, at 5 p.m. – Deadline for submission
• By end of September, 2024 – The selected curators are informed of the decision.
• November 2024 – Research visit at the Art Bank for both selected curators.
• June 2025 and June 2026 – Exhibition openings

Visitor at the recent launch of Madweyàshkà / Like a Wave. Artworks by (from left to right): Joane Cardinal-Schubert, Michael Robinson and Nadia Myre. Photo: Brandon Clarida Image Services.

Submission Requirements

Please submit a brief proposal outlining:

• Your concept (300–500 words);
• a list of suggested works: please identify a minimum of five artists or works of art from the Art Bank collection that speak to the ideas you would like to explore (maximum of 20 works of art);
• a recent CV, biography or a narrative text (300–500 words max.) outlining your experience in the visual arts sector; and
• the names and contact information of two references.

How to Submit

Review the guidelines and complete the online form on the Art Bank website.

Submission Deadline: August 13, 2024, at 5 p.m.

Application Assistance contributes to costs for services to help with an exhibition proposal submission for individuals who self-identify as:

• Deaf, hard of hearing, having a disability or living with a mental illness; or
• First Nations, Inuit or Métis facing language, geographic and/or cultural barriers.

To submit a request, contact artbank@canadacouncil.ca at least one week before you plan to submit your proposal.

For additional information or questions, please contact:
Questions can be sent by email to artbank@canadacouncil.ca or a message can be left at 1-800-263-5588, extension 4479. You can expect a response in two business days.

If you are Deaf, hard of hearing or a TTY user, please use your preferred MRS (Message Relay Service) or IP (Internet Protocol) service to contact the Council. The Canada Council also welcomes VRS (Video Relay Service) calls. For more information, please visit the VRS Canada website.

Canada Council Art Bank
921 St-Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa, K1K 3B1
artbank.ca
artbank@canadacouncil.ca
613-566-4414, extension 4479

Facebook @CCartbank
Instagram @artbank_banquedart

Âjagemô exhibition space
150, Elgin Street, Ottawa, K2P 1L4
canadacouncil.ca/about/ajagemo

The Canada Council’s offices, located in Ottawa, are on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial. Read the full statement.

Accessibility:
The Canada Council Âjagemô exhibition space is fully accessible. For more information, visit canadacouncil.ca/about/ajagemo.