1. Curator of Programming and Public Engagement

Reporting to: Executive Director
Term: Full-time, permanent position, 30 hours/week. Some evening and weekend work required.
Salary: $50,000
Benefits: Provided following a three-month probationary period
Start Date (flexible): October 6, 2020
Application Deadline: August 21, 2020 @ 5:00pm EST

Gallery TPW is seeking a collaborative, community-focused and critical programmer for this dynamic position. This role is responsible for curating stand-alone and thematic public programs, including but not limited to: performances, workshops, symposia, and community events. In addition, this role is responsible for overseeing accessibility, audience outreach, and long-form programming partnerships. Working closely with the Executive Director and Curatorial Resident, the Curator of Programming and Public Engagement will help shape public programming and educational initiatives in response to Gallery TPW’s mandate, community feedback and wider social and political concerns.

Overview of Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for developing, coordinating, and realizing TPW’s public and educational programming, strategic partnerships, and outreach strategies in keeping with TPW’s commitment to artist-run culture and community engagement
• Prioritizes modes of programming and outreach that address systemic barriers to access and that focus on diverse and underrepresented artists and practices
• Supports the organization’s mandate, values, and public image in close dialogue with the Executive Director and Board of Directors
• Works closely with the Executive Director and Curatorial Resident to develop and maintain community connections
• Collaborates with the Executive Director and Curatorial Resident to determine new programming possibilities within and beyond Gallery TPW’s physical exhibition space
• Builds Gallery TPW’s relationships via networking and community engagement
• Maintains programming budgets and actively assists the Executive Director in securing funding
• Meets regularly with staff and Board committees to ensure clear communication regarding programming development and implementation

Position Qualifications:

• Three years minimum experience as a curator, programmer, or arts educator
• Strong knowledge of contemporary art including photography, new media, time-based practices, and performance
• Experience facilitating and curating arts programming

2. Curatorial Resident

Reporting to: Executive Director
Term: Full-time, four-year contract, 30 hours/week. Some evening and weekend work required.
Salary: $50,000
Benefits: Provided following a three-month probationary period
Start Date (flexible): Mid-November 2020
Application Deadline: August 21, 2020 @ 5:00pm EST

Gallery TPW is seeking a welcoming, collaborative, and community-minded curator for this unique position. This role provides the opportunity to curate Gallery TPW’s exhibition and related programming for a four-year period. The four-year term is meant to foster a responsive and experimental model that encourages wide-ranging and changing ideas, circumstances, and experiences to inform the programming at Gallery TPW. Working closely with the Executive Director and Curator of Programming and Public Engagement, the Curatorial Resident will help shape a four-year exhibition vision and plan in response to Gallery TPW’s mandate, community feedback, and wider social and political concerns.

The ideal candidate is an ambitious and critical curator (or curatorial partnership/collective) who advocates for new exhibition possibilities and pushes the boundaries of what artistic programming can be. The ideal candidate will be interested in showcasing radical, experimental practices that challenge, or work outside of, established artistic concepts and displays. The curator will be welcome to reconsider the ways in which exhibitions are programmed at Gallery TPW. Examples may include: How many exhibitions are offered throughout the year or where exhibitions may take place.

Overview of Duties and Responsibilities:

• The Curatorial Resident is a key role with shared responsibility for visioning and programming the gallery
• Develops, coordinates, and designs exhibitions and related programs
• Prioritizes modes of curation and coordination that address systemic barriers to access and that focus on diverse and underrepresented artists and practices
• Supports the organization’s mandate, values, and public image in close dialogue with the Executive Director and Board of Directors
• Works closely with the Executive Director and Curator of Programming and Public Engagement to develop and maintain community connections
• Collaborates with the Executive Director and Curator of Programming and Public Engagement to determine new programming possibilities within and beyond Gallery TPW’s physical exhibition space
• Builds Gallery TPW’s relationships via networking and community engagement
• Maintains programming budgets and actively assists the Executive Director in securing funding
• Meets regularly with staff and Board committees to ensure clear communication regarding programming development and implementation

Position Qualifications:

• Three years minimum experience as an independent or institution-based curator, curatorial collective, or in an alternative curatorial capacity
• Strong knowledge of contemporary art including photography, new media, time-based practices, and performance
• Familiarity with local, national, and international art communities
• Experience and/or interest in curating exhibitions with emerging, mid-career, and established artists

Qualifications for both positions:

• Understanding of artist-run centres and non-profits
• Demonstrated ability to fluidly and effectively articulate ideas, verbally and in writing
• Demonstrated commitment to decolonizing art practices and to decentering whiteness within programs and planning procedures
• Knowledge of the historic and contemporary contexts of Indigenous peoples in Canada
• History of working side-by-side with equity-seeking communities and an understanding of issues of representation within the Canadian arts ecology as well as internationally
• Strong relationships with arts communities and artists built on previous successful collaborations
• Capacity to problem-solve and respond to unforeseen circumstances in a strategic manner
• Proven ability to foster a collaborative work environment
• Must be highly organized, detail-oriented, committed to quality, and adept at working independently and collaboratively
• Experience in public relations, media relations, communications, and community outreach is an asset

Equity:
Gallery TPW extends a commitment to equity in every aspect of the organization and recognizes that structural inequalities create significant barriers to equal opportunity employment. We strongly encourage applications from equity-seeking communities, from individuals who are Gender Diverse, LGBTQ, Two-Spirit, Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, and Persons with Disabilities.

How to Apply:
Please submit a cover letter, outlining your interest in the position and your relevant background, a CV, and any other support material you feel is pertinent by August 21, 2020 @ 5:00pm EST to jobs@gallerytpw.ca with either the
subject line “Programming Position” or “Curator Position”

About Gallery TPW:
Gallery TPW is a leading artist-run centre dedicated to exhibiting underrepresented artistic and curatorial practices. Founded as The Toronto Photographers Workshop in 1977, Gallery TPW was created by a group of fifty artists and curators who were passionate about the need to support photography as an art form. As conversations about contemporary art practice evolved and photography gained legitimacy, the gallery expanded its medium-specific mandate to include new forms of imaging and time-based work. In the 1980s, when a new wave of artists joined, the gallery began to also address issues related to feminism, Latin American liberation struggles and LGBTQ rights. Since its inception, Gallery TPW has exhibited the work of more than a thousand artists, regularly advocated on behalf of the arts community, and developed an outstanding curatorial program.

Most recently, Gallery TPW is emerging from a period of transition and self-reflection. Once again, a community of artists is rallying together to affirm the gallery’s vision and values. Building on our legacy, we are asking ourselves: How does an artist-run centre, with our history, best serve its communities today? While our core values remain resolute, we are reimagining our role in the present context.

Image Credit: Installation documentation of Close Readings at TPW 2017

Gallery TPW
170 St. Helens Ave.
Toronto, ON, M6H4A1
416.645.1066 | info@gallerytpw.ca | gallerytpw.ca