Call for Proposals: Gardiner Museum Curatorial Residency 2026

The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation Hall. Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid

Submission Deadline: February 13, 2026, 5:00pm EST
Access the full application

The Gardiner Museum in Toronto is seeking proposals for its annual Gardiner Museum Curatorial Residency. The Residency is made possible through the generous support of the Rebanks Family.

Residency Description

The Gardiner Museum Curatorial Residency is a paid opportunity to conceive, research, and produce a small-scale museum exhibition and gain experience in a professional environment.

The Curatorial Residency program is typically 20 weeks long and its main outcome is an exhibition presented at the Museum. The exhibition should focus on clay or ceramic works, works that are primarily ceramic, or ceramic works in context with other objects or artworks. The theme should be of contemporary relevance and informed by the latest scholarship, whether the objects are historical or contemporary. The exhibition should draw from or directly relate to the Museum’s holdings.

The Curatorial Residency has two components. The first is a travel component (typically 2–4 weeks), with financial support for the selected applicant’s travel outside of Canada to research their exhibition, including visiting other museums. The second is full-time work at the Gardiner Museum (typically 16–18 weeks). This portion of the Residency focuses on the research, development, writing, and realization phases of the exhibition, along with participation in the regular curatorial operations of the Museum.

The Curatorial Resident will also give at least one public presentation about their exhibition and contribute to the Gardiner’s digital platforms with content about their project.

The Residency should take place between April – October 2026, with an anticipated exhibition opening date of January / February 2027.

Genealogies of Sustenance (2024) curated by Sarah Edo. Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid

Budget

The total Residency budget is $45,000 CAD.

The Curatorial Resident will receive $25,000 CAD, which will be directly managed by the Curatorial Resident, with distribution and accountability guidelines specified at the time of acceptance. An additional $20,000 CAD is available for the exhibition and will be managed by the Gardiner Museum.

Who Can Apply

The Curatorial Residency is open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are enrolled in or have recently graduated from a master’s program in Museum Studies, Curatorial Studies, or Art History; doctoral candidates or recent graduates in those fields; and those pursuing independent or community-based curatorial work at the early stages of their career. As long as you meet the above criteria, you may apply if you live outside of Canada. The Residency seeks to build upon previous training and experiences while creating an opportunity for aspiring curators to enter the field. Applicants should have some demonstrated commitment to presenting visual arts in exhibition contexts, although not necessarily specific experience with ceramics.

The Gardiner Museum is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified candidates from visible and invisible minority group members, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons across the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identities and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.

Replicas and Reunions (2022) curated by Maya Wilson-Sanchez. Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid

How to Apply

Please download and read the full application before applying. Interested applicants are required to submit the following:

1. Cover letter (1 page) providing a narrative description of your background, training, relevant curatorial work, and career objectives emphasizing how the Residency will help you achieve these goals.

2. CV (up to 4 pages)

3. Exhibition proposal, which should include:

• The proposed concept and research plan with a description of the travel to be undertaken (maximum length: 2,000 words)
• Work schedule (1 page) and general budget for the project. Further details about the exhibition proposal and budget are explained below.

4. A signed Agreement to Propose and Consent Form with compliance checklist (attached in Appendix B of the full application)

Please submit materials as a single digital PDF. Complete submissions must be received by the Gardiner Museum by 5pm EST on February 13, 2026 to be considered. The selected applicant will be notified by early March 2026.

Submit complete proposals, as well as any questions, to:
curatorial@gardinermuseum.com
111 Queen’s Park
Toronto, ON M5S 2C7

About the Gardiner Museum

The Gardiner Museum welcomes and inspires audiences of diverse backgrounds, abilities, and experiences through the rich history and storytelling power of clay. We steward and animate an internationally significant collection of ceramics while centering hands-on learning and making. We engage in important cultural conversations taking place in our city and beyond through gallery programming and collaborative partnerships. We work to advance Indigenous self-determination and build human connections, creating space for reflection and dialogue.

Learn more at gardinermuseum.com.

Gardiner Museum
111 Queen’s Park
Toronto, ON M5S 2C7
416.586.8080

Instagram @gardinermuseum
Facebook @thegardinermuseum
X @gardinermuseum

Accessibility:
The Gardiner Museum is an accessible venue with a ramp from the street leading up to the main lobby entrance. The entrance is accessible via two sets of double doors with an access button. Accessible restrooms are available on the second and third floors. Third floor washrooms are also gender neutral.

The Gardiner strives at all times to provide goods and services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are committed to giving people with disabilities the same opportunity to access and benefit from our services in the same place and in a similar way as other customers whenever possible. We welcome your feedback.

Image Descriptions:
1. A wide view of The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation Hall with an exhibition featuring ceramic works in a long case and on free-standing plinths, as well as several works on paper hung on the wall. There are graphics on the wall and in the long case.
2. An installation view of an exhibition in the Gardiner lobby featuring ceramic works in a long case and on free-standing platforms. The walls are purple and the main platform is lime green. The title of the exhibition, “Genealogies of Sustenance”, is printed on the wall.
3. An installation view of in the Gardiner lobby featuring ceramic works in a long case and on free-standing platforms, as well as four paintings. The walls are light pink. The title of the exhibition, “Replicas and Reunions”, is printed on the wall.