TD Associate Curator Indigenous Ways, Thunder Bay Art Gallery

Courtesy of Thunder Bay Art Gallery

TD Associate Curator Indigenous Ways

Deadline: April 6, 2026, or until filled
Status: Full time (3 year contract)
Compensation: $60,844 – $71,000
Supervisor: Executive Director

Reporting to the Executive Director, the TD Associate Curator Indigenous Ways will create, promote, and facilitate gallery exhibitions and public programming that is informed by Indigenous ways.

Duties

Curating exhibitions and gallery installations
Project manage exhibition development and publication production including budgets
Research, write, and edit didactics and essays for exhibitions, programs and publications
Provide supplementary exhibition and collections content for education and communications purposes
Contribute curatorial materials for funding requests and grant applications
Propose, promote, and organize exhibitions, contributing to touring programs
Advise and contribute to the drafting of policies related to the collections and exhibitions
Establish and maintain contact with artists, peers, dealers, collectors, government agencies
Support the development of the collection, with a particular emphasis on the work of Indigenous collections care, and the associated protocols and feasting entailed
Seek and develop connections with emerging and established artists in the local, regional, and national art community to ensure the Gallery’s continued relevance
Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

This role carries significant relational, cultural, and community based responsibilities. The Gallery recognizes Indigenous knowledge, lived experience, and community trust building as professional expertise and is committed to supporting this work through collaborative leadership, appropriate resourcing, and respectful institutional practices.

Experience working within diverse Indigenous communities with knowledge of Indigenous worldviews and values.
Ability to work in a team environment in a collegial manner.
Knowledge of cultural protocols to appropriately engage and foster respectful, reciprocal, ongoing relationships with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Indigenous communities locally, regionally, and nationally.
Strong personal initiative, tact and good judgment and the ability to successfully manage timelines.
Must show evidence of a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of a respectful and collegial working environment.
Strong consultative decision-making skills; strong organizational skills; proven project management skills; and an ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Experience working in a cultural institution in a curatorial capacity.
Knowledge of both historical and contemporary Indigenous art and making.
Demonstrated success with grant writing.
Interest in publication and catalogue production.
Exceptional writing and public speaking skills.

Assets (Nonessential)

Ability to speak or write an Indigenous language.
Masters level degree in art history, museum or curatorial studies.
Understanding of the development of a permanent collection.

About Us

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has a distinguished history of Indigenous art and healing over the last 50 years. We are an institution that is bi-epistemic, functional in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous worlds. This vision is not about segregation but about building an organization that is inclusive and functional in both ways of being while maintaining our individual autonomy. One example in action, often cited by the Indigenous members of our Board, was, “Walking with Our Sisters,” a memorial expression to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls that was the vision of the Métis artist Christi Belcourt. That vision resonated across Indigenous Canada and resulted in over 1,700 pairs of moccasin vamps created by families as a memory to their lost family. The installation, presented in Thunder Bay in 2014, was a visceral, solemn, spiritual experience that was open to the greater community. All who came walked with Elders who shared their experiences, answered questions and offered emotional support to experience, to feel, to bare witness.

Patkau Architects

Today, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery is constructing a new facility on the shores of Gichigami, under the watchful gaze of the Sleeping Giant, Nanaboozhoo. The new building will mean:

Improved accessibility through public transportation.
More exhibition space for ongoing permanent displays of the collection.
More opportunities for Indigenous children to view positive representations of their culture, to learn, to play, to heal through their artistic expression.
More opportunities for new Indigenous artists, emergent Indigenous curators, and employment for Indigenous youth.
More opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous citizens to gather and heal together.

We all—our staff, Board, Elders and broader community—stand on the verge of a great and exciting expansion. We will inevitably face many challenges that will require great trust as we build solutions.

This position seeks to preserve and amplify Indigenous knowledge and skills within our institution, respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action, and continue the implementation of decolonization processes outlined by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as articulated through the Canadian Museums Association’s Indigenous-led “Moved to Action” initiative. Working collaboratively with Gallery staff, this new position will embed and braid Indigenous ways into the Gallery, further cultivating inclusive spaces for learning, dialogue, and healing at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. These efforts will strengthen relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, contributing to a more connected and equitable community in Northern Ontario.

How to Apply

We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences. If you are enthusiastic about this role and the work of our Gallery, but your qualifications do not perfectly align with the job description, we encourage you to apply while highlighting your relevant experience, knowledge, and transferable skills in your cover letter.

Applicants who are Deaf, have an exceptionality or disability, or who need support expressing interest or applying for this opportunity are encouraged to contact David Spies, Administrative Coordinator at administration@theag.ca or call 807.577.6427 to allow for appropriate accommodation of your needs and to discuss alternate formats for submitting your application.

To apply for this position, please send via email to administration@theag.ca, a letter of intent, a current resume and the names of two references, under the subject line “TD Associate Curator Indigenous Ways” addressed to:

Matthew Hills, Executive Director
Thunder Bay Art Gallery
PO Box 10193
Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 6T7

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is committed to employment equity and diversity and encourage applications from all qualified candidates, including women, people of any sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression; Indigenous peoples; visible minorities and racialized people; and people with disabilities. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.