Call for Applications: Indigenous Artist-in-Residence 2026, Western University

Jodi Lynn Maracle, What do you carry? What do you leave behind?, sculpture and performance installation.

Call for Applications: Indigenous Artist-in-Residence 2026, Department of Visual Arts, Western University

Application Deadline: January 15, 2026

The Department of Visual Arts at Western University is seeking applications from artists for the one-year Indigenous Artist-in-Residence (IAiR) program. This program will support a First Nations, Métis, or Inuk artist in the research, creation, and production of new artistic work. The IAiR will work closely with the Department of Visual Arts and the Wampum Learning Lodge. Applications from artists with strong connections to or living in the region of London are strongly encouraged. The applicants should commit to work onsite on a regular basis.

The Indigenous Artist-in-Residence will benefit from dedicated time, space and support to create new work, experiment with ideas, and build meaningful collaborations with the Department of Visual Arts community. The successful candidate will have the potential to engage with our course offerings in Art History, Museum and Curatorial Studies, and Studio Art. At the end of the residency, the artist will have a solo exhibition in our artLAB Gallery.

The IAiR position includes access to studio space, equipment, staff support, and other resources at Western University, such as use of the library. It will include periodic activities that intersect with coursework and departmental events.

The residency will be situated in the Department of Visual Arts for a period of 8 to 12 months beginning August 1, 2026 (negotiable). The stipend for this position is $50,000 (inclusive of taxes) regardless of the length of the residency, and is intended to cover support materials, travel, accommodation, artist fees and costs related to the residency.

The Department of Visual Arts has strengths in digital media, photography, painting, drawing, printmaking, sound, sculpture, and installation. Department facilities include the artLAB Gallery, the Cohen Explorations Lab and Cohen Commons, the Centre for Sustainable Curating, as well as studio facilities including woodshop, sound studio, print-making studio, painting studio, dark room, and black box media lab.

Leith Mahkewa, Supporting Each Other and Creation, beaded vase.

Local Context

Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Chonnonton Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.

With this, we acknowledge and respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.

The Department of Visual Arts is located next to the Deshkan Ziibing, also known as the Thames or Antler River. This culturally and ecologically significant river reminds us of our responsibilities to the land and Indigenous Peoples, and offers meaningful grounding and inspiration to many students, staff and faculty.

Amount: $50,000 stipend

Duration: 8-12 months

Submission Checklist

1. Biography/ artist statement (maximum 250 words)
2. Project proposal (maximum 500 words)
3. Community engagement proposal (maximum 250 words)
4. Contact information for 2 references (only the referees of shortlisted candidates will be contacted).
5. Portfolio: 5-10 original works, with title and date. Submissions can include:
   Image files; submitted as JPG or PDF do not exceed 1 MB or 1024 x 768 pixels
   Audio files; submitted as MP3 or MP4 (links suggested)
   Video files; submitted as AVI, MOV, MPEG, MP4, (links suggested)

E-mail submission packages in a single PDF document to iair@uwo.ca

Application Deadline: January 15, 2026

Candidate shortlisted for the interview will need to submit their documentations to comply with the Indigenous Affirmation Policy.

Please note this position is pending budgetary approval.

For additional information or questions, please contact:
iair@uwo.ca

Department of Visual Arts
Western University
John Labatt Visual Arts Centre
London, ON, Canada
www.westernu.ca/visarts

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