Call to Emerging Curators: Âjagemô Exhibition Space Proposals 2024

Canada Council for the Arts

View of the exhibition Looking the World in the Face by curator Amin Alsaden, presented in the Âjagemô Exhibition Space in 2022. Photo: Brandon Clarida Image Services.

Invitation to curate an exhibition, opening in June 2024 in the Canada Council Âjagemô Exhibition Space, Ottawa

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, October 18 at 5 p.m.
Review the guidelines and complete the online form on the Art Bank website

The Canada Council Art Bank is seeking proposals from emerging curators interested in curating an exhibition in the Âjagemô Exhibition Space presented from June 2024 to January 2025.

Âjagemô is located on the ground floor of the Canada Council’s head office at 150 Elgin Street in Ottawa. Since 2014, activities have included exhibitions, events and performances of contemporary art by artists from across Canada.

The name Âjagemô was gifted to the Canada Council by an Algonquin elder and artist and serves to recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. An Algonquin word signifying ‘crossroads’, it recalls the power of art to connect people and to expand possibilities.

As 2024 marks a decade of exhibitions in Âjagemô, emerging curators are invited to explore the Art Bank collection and the concept of ‘crossroads’ as the starting point of their curatorial reflection. Curators are encouraged to reflect on the idea of a meeting place where views intersect, where paths cross or a space where connection is built, and community is fostered through art.

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 curators who self-identify as Indigenous, Black, racialized (culturally diverse), Deaf, or having a disability, being from official language minority communities, youth, 2SLGBTQI+, gender-diverse and women, including curators at the intersections of these identities.

Supported by the Art Bank team, the curator will have access to the Canada Council Art Bank collection, gain experience in curating an exhibition in an institutional context, and expand their professional network.

Project Requirements

• The proposed exhibition 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 personality attributes of ‘open, vibrant and connected’ and the values of 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).

Eligibility

• Emerging curators are curators who are entering or are in the early stages of their professional career.
• To submit a proposal, a curator must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status, as defined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Visitors at the recent launch of Coming into Sight: 50th anniversary Art Bank Acquisitions in the Âjagemô Exhibition Space. Artworks by (from left to right): Jessica Winters, Zinnia Naqvi, and Rémi Belliveau. Photo: Brandon Clarida Image Services.

Compensation

The selected curator will receive a $6,000 fee.

The total budget for the 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, exhibition and reproduction right fees for artists, restoration and/or framing, fabrication and installation costs, documentation of the exhibition and public programming.

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

Timeline

• September 25 – October 18, 2023 – Call for proposals
• October 18, 2023, 5 p.m. – Deadline for submission
• By November 3, 2023 – The selected curator is informed of the decision
• November and December 2023 – Curatorial research at the Art Bank
• Between January 2024 and May 2024 – Exhibition production
• June 2024 – Exhibition opening, exhibition tour(s)

View of Coming into Sight: 50th anniversary Art Bank Acquisitions in Âjagemô. Photo: Brandon Clarida Image Services.

Submission Requirements

Please submit your brief proposal outlining:

• your concept (300-500 words);
• suggested artworks from the Art Bank collection (artbank.ca);
• a recent CV, bio or a narrative text highlighting your experience in the visual arts sector. (300-500 words max.);
• 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: Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 5 p.m.

Application assistance
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
• First Nations, Inuit or Métis facing language, geographic and/or cultural barriers

To submit a request, contact artbank@canadacouncil.ca at least 1 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, K1K 3B1, Ottawa
artbank.ca
artbank@canadacouncil.ca
613-566-4414, extension 4479

Facebook @CCartbank
Instagram @artbank_banquedart

Âjagemô Exhibition Space
150, Elgin Street, K2P 1L4, Ottawa
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.