Curatorial Fellow, Exhibitions, Toronto Biennial of Art

Jatiwangi art Factory, The Shape of Sound, 2022. Installation view at Small Arms Inspection Building, Toronto Biennial of Art 2022. Photography: Rebecca Tisdelle-Macias.

Job Opportunity: TBA Curatorial Fellowship, Exhibitions

About TBA

The Toronto Biennial of Art is Canada’s leading visual arts event focused exclusively on contemporary art from around the world. For 10 weeks every two years, local, national, and international Biennial artists transform Toronto and its partner regions with free exhibitions, performances, and learning opportunities. Grounded in diverse local contexts, the Biennial’s city-wide programming aims to inspire individuals, engage communities, and contribute to global conversations.

As conversations about Truth and Reconciliation as well as inclusion, equity, and accessibility continue to evolve, the Biennial is committed to developing new ways of seeing and listening. Read more about our ongoing commitment and vision ahead here.

For detailed information on the impact of the first Biennial, please read our latest Evaluation Report.

Position Overview

Job Title: Curatorial Fellow, Exhibitions
Role Type (full time/part time, contract or not): Part-time, Contract
Contract Length: September 2023–December 2024
Compensation: $10,000 CAD
Application Deadline: July 17, 2023
Commitment: regular curatorial meetings (minimum of 2 per month); independent project development in conversation with TBA team; availability during installation period in September 2024 and throughout Biennial dates as needed.

The Toronto Biennial of Art (TBA) is seeking a part-time Curatorial Fellow in Exhibitions. The TBA Curatorial Fellowship is an opportunity for emerging Black, Indigenous, and racialized curators; an experimental and collaborative process through which the fellow is invited to cultivate personal curatorial methodologies and realize a project within the framework of the Toronto Biennial of Art.

In 2023-24, the Curatorial Fellow in Exhibitions will be invited to work directly with the Biennial’s co-curators, Dominique Fontaine and Miguel A. López, through a reciprocal mentorship model: being mentored by, as well as mentoring the team, through collaboration and knowledge sharing. Over the period of one year, the Fellow will shape a curatorial exhibition project, with the support of the Biennial’s curators through regular meetings and planning sessions, to be realized during the period of the 2024 Biennial edition. The Fellow will contribute to the Biennial’s publication to share the deeper research and thinking behind their project, as well as further information on the selected artist(s). The Fellow will receive a fee, production budget, as well as support from various Biennial departments (incl. Public Programs and Learning, production, communications and marketing, development, community outreach, volunteers, etc.) at various stages of the Fellowship. The Fellow will also have opportunities for professional development and learning from all levels of the organization; engagement with Biennial partners, contributors and publics; access to research support from institutional partners. In addition to regular opportunities for in-process feedback and reviews with members of the curatorial team, following the TBA 2024 edition, the Fellow will be invited to reflect on their role and project with the organization as a means of shaping upcoming iterations of the Fellowship, as well as growing an alumni or supporting network for future Fellows.

Roles and Responsibilities
The Fellow will be responsible for:

• Realizing all aspects of their curatorial project, as developed collaboratively with the TBA curators: conception, planning and logistics, writing, partnerships/collaborations, production, programming, digital content development, marketing and communications, etc.
• Adhering to timelines and milestones as developed collaboratively with the curatorial team.
• Drawing upon their past related experiences, research, and practices, sharing knowledge with the curatorial team.
• Liaising directly with project managers as production advances closer to opening dates, program dates, online content launch dates, etc.
• Providing texts for TBA’s platforms, including as needed: website, social media, press releases, guide, publications.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Arts required, preferably with a concentration on visual arts, art history, curatorial or museum studies, arts administration; MA in these fields is an asset.
• Experience working with artists and curators in an exhibition setting. Experience curating an exhibition is an asset.
• Ability to take direction and work collaboratively, and also work independently.
• Ability to work efficiently and communicate with staff and external partners from different backgrounds and with varying expertise.
• Superior organizational, resource management, research, and communication skills, with attention to detail.
• Proven commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and practices of anti-racism and anti-oppression, to contribute to a healthy workplace environment.

Location: Our offices are located at 158 Sterling Road in Toronto.

Other Benefits:

• Hybrid working arrangements
• Annual winter holiday office closure
• Optional monthly arts and culture outings during work hours

To Apply:

To apply, please submit the following to opportunities@torontobiennial.org with the subject line “Curatorial Fellowship”. Please indicate where you saw this posting. Only selected applicants will be contacted for an interview.

• Resume: Resume or cv describing academic, professional, and other relevant experience. Maximum three pages.
• Statement: A one-page statement describing your work, current research, and intellectual interests.
• Writing Sample: A maximum of two exhibition texts, no longer than five pages each (including images), in PDF format.

The Toronto Biennial of Art (TBA) has developed this special program for a Curatorial Fellow in Exhibitions in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code as a way to address substantive equality by helping reduce discrimination and addressing historical prejudice. TBA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity and inclusiveness in all of our work. In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, accommodation will be provided at any point throughout the hiring process, provided the candidate makes their accommodation needs known to Toronto Biennial of Art.

158 Sterling Road
Toronto, ON
M6R 2B7 Canada

torontobiennial.org
info@torontobiennial.org
@torontobiennial