Call for Expressions of Interest: Nuit Blanche Toronto 2024 Exhibition Curators

PARALLAX by Idea Tank Design Collective, Nuit Blanche Toronto 2012.

Nuit Blanche Toronto 2024 Exhibition Curators
Call for Expressions of Interest

Submission Deadline: November 22, 2023, 11:59 p.m. EST

The City of Toronto is seeking curators to work in close collaboration with Nuit Blanche Artistic Director Laura Nanni, to oversee the artistic vision of exhibition areas within Nuit Blanche Toronto 2024. The event takes place from 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 5 until 7 a.m. on Sunday, October 6, with a program of extended projects that will run until Monday October 14, 2024.

Curators must reside within the greater Toronto area and be available to attend frequent in-person meetings at City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, with site visits and artist meetings across the city as required. The curators are expected to work collaboratively with the City Cultural Events (CCE) programming and production staff, as well as affiliated support units including sponsorship, marketing and digital communications staff. Primary responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to; creating a curatorial thesis for one exhibition area, selection of art projects, project development as well as collaborating with internal and external parties. Curators begin duties in January 2024.

Prospective curators are encouraged to submit an initial expression of interest. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to create full proposals and compensated for their time. Work undertaken by the selected curators during the agreed period will be funded by the City of Toronto for a fee of $20,000.00 CDN + $2,000 CDN towards administration, research and travel expenses.

2024 CURATORIAL THEME:

Bridging Distance

The view of a horizon line. The time it takes to travel between point a and point b. The feeling we have when separated from a loved one. Zoom out for perspective. Take a closer look.

Distance. How do we understand it? How do we feel it? How do we reconnect and bridge the gaps?

For 2024, Nuit Blanche Toronto invites artists and curators to propose works that explore the multifaceted ways we experience and understand distance, while also reimaging how we can bridge distance through art. This is an opportunity for recalibration and reconnection with our city, our world, and each other, in public space.

How does the impact of distance manifest in our bodies, the city, and beyond? How might art physicalize and magnify different distances? How can art bring us closer to the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of others outside of our immediate geographic, social, and political realms? How might art play with distance to provide different perspectives and invite reconnection?

SCOPE OF WORK:

Event & Artistic Oversight

• Create a widely accessible curatorial thesis in response to the Artistic Director’s event theme.
• Co-create and oversee an exhibition area with a focus on curatorial vision, event cohesion, and audience experience.
• Participate as a jury member in the selection of independent projects and open-call projects.
• Ensure a diversity of projects in a variety of media (material and technical execution) are represented within the exhibition area.
• Support the inclusion of diverse local, national and international artists.
• Work with the producing team in a spirit of goodwill, collaboration, and information-sharing to sustain the artistic integrity and attain the objectives of the project.
• Work with CCE staff and the Artistic Director to create, install (and/or present) and remove site-specific contemporary exhibitions for Nuit Blanche 2024.
• Facilitate and ensure open and timely communication and information-sharing between the artists, Artistic Director and the producing team, keeping them informed of exhibition and project progress and development.
• Become part of the execution team for the event and exhibition areas in the days leading up to and on the night of the event and be available to artists, media, sponsors, partners and CCE staff for the duration of the night.
• Assist with identifying projects which could have a successful and fiscally responsible extension (extended until Monday October 14, 2024).

Sponsorship & Partnerships

• Develop new partnerships and build on existing relationships with key artists, stakeholders, organizations, communities, champions, audiences and media.
• Participate in online, phone and in-person meetings with producing team to create event awareness and build strategic partnerships and sponsorships.
• Define and leverage community or neighborhood partnerships.
• Attend venue site visits and ongoing meetings with partners as needed.
• Work with the Artistic Director, producing team and artists to consider placement of projects at sites with potential for sponsorship funding.

Budgeting & Administration

• Work with the producing team responsible for delivering the event on budget, support the creation of deadlines and the critical path developed with CCE staff for the event.
• Manage project scope to ensure budget, timelines and team capacity are prioritized in the planning and execution of the exhibition.

Communications – Marketing & Publicity

• Act as a spokesperson for media appearances, speaking engagements, panel discussions, sponsor and partner events and planning sessions related to their exhibition area.
• Assist with drafting, editing, and reviewing of exhibition area curatorial images, texts, project descriptions and signage text with a focus on artistic accessibility and ensuring inclusion of all audiences through intelligible, clear writing and interpretation of artworks.

HOW TO APPLY:

Applicants must submit an expression of interest (maximum 1 page), including:

• A brief curatorial concept in response to the curatorial theme, Bridging Distance;
• At least one proposed artist, collective, and/or project of interest related to the concept;
• Indication of geographic area(s) of interest for the exhibition, and relevance to the curatorial theme;
• Biographic information highlighting relevant experience.

Expressions of interest should be emailed directly, with the subject line “Nuit Blanche 2024 Curator EOI,” to Laura.Nanni@toronto.ca, Nuit Blanche Artistic Director, by 11:59 p.m. EST, November 22, 2023.

Accommodations are available upon request. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only applicants considered for the second stage of the process will be contacted.