Call for Submissions: 2026 Middlebrook Prize

Closing Soon – Call for Submissions: 2026 Middlebrook Prize for Young Canadian Curators

The Art Gallery of Guelph is accepting submissions until Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 5pm ET.

Founded in 2012, the Middlebrook Prize for Young Canadian Curators is awarded annually to an emerging Canadian curator under 30, with the aim of fostering social innovation and curatorial excellence in Canada. Hosted and administered by the Art Gallery of Guelph, the winner is selected by a jury of arts leaders and receives a $5,000 honorarium as well as mentorship in the development of an exhibition at the Art Gallery of Guelph. This year’s jurors include Emma Hassencahl-Perley, Curator of Indigenous Art at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Lillian O’Brien Davis, Associate Curator at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, and Sandy Saad-Smith, Curator at the Doris McCarthy Gallery.

Submissions are assessed based on the artistic quality and conceptual strength of the proposed exhibition. The successful applicant’s exhibition will be presented as part of the Art Gallery of Guelph’s Fall 2026 season. By supporting and mobilizing Canadian creative talent, the Middlebrook Prize aims to inspire positive social change through creativity during a time of ongoing and unprecedented economic, environmental, social, and cultural upheaval. Proposals should emphasize contemporary Canadian art with attention to audience, community, and social relevance. read more >

Applications must include:

1. Letter of introduction: applicants should articulate their curatorial values and philosophy as well as what the Middlebrook Prize means to them as a career-building opportunity
2. Two-page exhibition proposal: must include a curatorial statement, list of artist(s)/artworks supported by a clear, compelling case for their inclusion, and a description of potential outreach programming
3. Exhibition budget up to $10,000 including: artist fees (per 2026 CARFAC fee schedule for Category II institutions), estimated shipping via an accredited art transportation company, any special equipment requirements for the exhibition, a description of unique or unusual installation requirements, and projected travel/accommodation expenses for artist(s)/curator
4. One sample of critical writing: curatorial essay or published article/review
5. Curriculum vitae: current, maximum 3 pages
6. Support images (maximum 10) with descriptions (artist name, title, date, medium, dimensions): 5 images supporting exhibition proposal and 5 images documenting past curatorial work
7. Floor plan: carefully consider the scale of the space and detail the proposed layout (download the floor plan)

Applications are to be submitted in a single PDF document, with the subject line “Middlebrook Prize”, to info@artgalleryofguelph.ca. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from individuals who identify as Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, women, and persons living with disabilities.

Notes:

• The award winner must be under 30 years of age by December 31, 2026, and is required to demonstrate proof of age on signing of the exhibition contract
• The Prize is open to Canadian citizens, as well as non-Canadians currently living and working in Canada
• If the Prize is awarded to a non-Canadian curator, they must be a resident in Canada for the full term of the Prize (March 1 through December 31, 2026)

Important dates:

• Call for Submissions: December 1, 2025 – January 15, 2026
• Award Presentation: March 2026
• Exhibition Dates: September – December 2026

The Middlebrook Prize for Young Canadian Curators is made possible through the generous support of the Centre Wellington Community Foundation’s Middlebrook Social Innovation Fund. For more information about the prize as well as past winners and their projects, please visit www.middlebrookprize.ca.

Juror bios

Emma Hassencahl-Perley is a Wolastoqey visual artist, curator, and arts writer from Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) in New Brunswick. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mount Allison University in 2017 and completed a Master of Arts in Art History at Concordia University in 2022. She serves as the Curator of Indigenous Art at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton. Emma has led and co-led numerous exhibitions, including Everything is Gonna Be Fine (2018), Carl Beam: one who is brave-hearted (2019), ehpituwikuwam (2022), Wabanaki Modern (2022), BACA: Creation Stories (2023), and Epekwitk Quill Sisters: Etleoogoeiog (Talking Together) (2024).

In her role at the Beaverbrook, she is an advocate and devotee of Indigenous art and artists, with a particular focus on uplifting voices from the Wabanaki Nations—specifically, the Wolastoqiyik, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki. Emma’s curatorial practice is deeply informed by a responsibility to community and regional art histories, grounded in ethical love and care. Her commitment prioritizes the representation and support of Indigenous women and 2Spirit artists, whose contributions have often been marginalized within dominant art historical narratives. This approach is inspired by Métis art historian Sherry Farrell Racette’s essay “‘I Want to Call Their Names in Resistance’: Writing Aboriginal Women into Canadian Art History”, as well as the art and activism of Wolastoqey artist and poet Shirley Bear—both of which were foundational to her graduate research.

Lillian O’Brien Davis (she/her) is the Associate Curator at the MacKenzie Art Gallery. She previously held the position as Curator of Collections and Contemporary Art Engagement at The Goldfarb Gallery of York University. She has curated independent projects with Nuit Blanche Toronto, the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, Susan Hobbs Gallery (Toronto), and the School of Art Gallery at the University of Manitoba. Her writing has appeared in BlackFlash magazine, Canadian Art online, The Brooklyn Rail, C Magazine, Insight Magazine, and RACAR Art History Journal. From 2021 until 2025, Lillian was one of two inaugural Visiting Curators at the University of Manitoba School of Art Gallery. In 2023, Lillian was the recipient of the David C. and Thelma G. Driskell Award for Creative Excellence. Lillian was born in Tkaronto (Toronto), and she holds a Master of Visual Studies in Curatorial Studies and a BA Hons. in the History of Art and English Literature from the University of Toronto.

Sandy Saad-Smith is a curator dedicated to expanding the ways audiences encounter contemporary art through accessible, imaginative, and critically engaged exhibition-making. Her practice foregrounds collaboration, care, and public dialogue, shaping cultural spaces that invite curiosity and foster deeper connections between artists and communities. With a Master of Visual Studies from the University of Toronto and over 15 years of experience across public museums, galleries, and cultural institutions, Sandy has a long-standing practice of bridging culture and community. She is currently the Curator at the Doris McCarthy Gallery at the University of Toronto Scarborough, where her programs champion emerging and established artists and reflect the diverse perspectives of the community she serves.

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