Call for Applications: IA Current Curator

Application Deadline: August 21, 2023

InterAccess is seeking an emerging curator to join the organization under the IA Current Program, which supports the professional development of emerging curators and artists interested in new media practices. The IA Current Curator will use their vision and critical perspective to research, develop, and execute the 22nd annual IA Current Exhibition.

The exhibition will be presented in-person in InterAccess’s gallery, November 8 – December 9, 2023.

The IA Current Curator will receive an artist fee in accordance with CARFAC standards upon the public launch of the exhibition.

Eligibility Criteria

• InterAccess welcomes applications from emerging professionals and arts workers with fewer than four consecutive years of related professional experience, including undergraduate, graduate students, and recent graduates in a related field of study.
• The IA Current Curator must be available for key dates between September 1 – December 13.

InterAccess is committed to equity and strongly encourages applications from equity-deserving communities, including individuals who are Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, LGBTQ-identified, Gender Diverse, Two-Spirit, and Persons with Disabilities.

Submission Material

• Curatorial statement (500 words maximum)
• Exhibition proposal, including one emerging artist desired for exhibition (500 words maximum)
• Artist statement or bio
• CV and/or Portfolio (optional, recommended)
• Additional support materials (if necessary, 5 images or 5 minutes timed media maximum)

Submission Process

Send submissions to art@interaccess.org with subject line: IA Current 2023 | <CURATOR NAME> in one of the following formats:

• Single PDF (images linked or embedded, maximum 20MB)
• Zipped folder (maximum 20MB) attached to email or through file hosting service (GoogleDrive, Dropbox, etc)
• Video/ASL (10 minutes, 100MB maximum)

We ask that applicants ensure their files are properly formatted, with no broken links, and file share permissions are functional for downloading and viewing. We may not reach out for corrections if submissions are technically inaccessible.

Floor plans for InterAccess’s gallery space can be shared upon request. Gallery floor area is approximately 20′ x 40′ (6m x 12m) with an approximate ceiling height of 14′.

Selection Criteria

The IA Current curator is selected by InterAccess’s Programming Committee, comprised of InterAccess staff members and practicing artists in the new media community. The committee considers InterAccess’s prioritization of expanding the cultural space of art and technology, supporting electronic, interactive, and new media works in sculpture, installation, video, software, sound/music, and performance. Submissions are evaluated in terms of how the proposed exhibition will:

• Engage in experimentation and exploration of media arts practices
• Catalyze critical discourse around new media practices
• Provide support to equity-deserving communities and artists facing systematic barriers
• Foster collaboration
• Consider feasibility and capacity of InterAccess and the curator

Applicants are encouraged to address the above criteria in their submission material.

Please contact InterAccess’s Programming Manager (evangeline@interaccess.org) with any questions regarding the submissions process.

About IA Current

The InterAccess Current (IA Current) program supports the professional development of emerging curators and artists interested in new media and electronic practices. Each year, InterAccess selects an emerging curator, who works closely with InterAccess staff to conceptualize and execute an exhibition of works by emerging artists. “Current” refers to the now, but it is also an energetic charge that causes light, heat, and all manner of electronic life— an apt metaphor for emergent creative practices within the ever-expanding field of new media.

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Image: Sage Sidley, step, slither, and scroll. Presented in the 2022 IA Current exhibition tangles, overlays, and lines drawn elsewhere curated by Talia Golland.