Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art, in partnership with Artists for Kids and the Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation for Young Artists

Photo by Khim Mata Hipol. Pictured Work: Andrew Dadson, Ocean Drift, 2026, oil on linen. Courtesy of the Artist and Daniel Faria Gallery.

About us

The Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art is the only gallery in Canada dedicated to young audiences. Working in close partnership with Artists for Kids, we place art education at the forefront of our curatorial choices and public programming. Together, we activate a 1,000+ work collection of Canadian art through exhibitions, school and community programs, and free public access to the Gallery, creating welcoming spaces for learning, belonging, and creative exchange.

Position
Exhibition and Collection Assistant (Young Canada Works Internship YCW-BCH)

Term
September 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 (7 months)

Hours and wage
Full-time, 28 hours per week
$26 per hour

Work location
Onsite at the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art (North Vancouver). Some hybrid/remote tasks may be possible for content-based work, depending on operational needs.

Position summary
This internship supports the public activation and ongoing stewardship of the Gordon Smith Gallery’s 1,000+ work collection of Canadian art. The digitization phase of the collection is largely complete; this role focuses on public engagement with the collection, ongoing collections maintenance, and exhibitions and curatorial support. The Exhibition and Collection Assistant will help ensure the collection remains accurate, accessible, and actively used through exhibitions, programs, and online engagement.

Key responsibilities:

Collection engagement and public-facing content

– Support social media and marketing of the Gallery, Collection and Programs

– Draft clear, accessible interpretation and artwork descriptions suitable for youth and general audiences

– Support content preparation for online engagement, including coordinating images, captions, logos, and internal and external approvals

Collections maintenance and documentation

– Maintain and update collection records (metadata consistency, locations, documentation filing, basic condition/location tracking as required)

– Process new acquisitions and related archival materials (data entry and documentation organization)

– Support periodic record audits and data quality improvements

Exhibition and curatorial support

– Assist with exhibition preparation tasks such as object lists support, label and credit verification, image/rights checks, and checklist tracking

– Support documentation of installation/de-installation activities as assigned

– Update collection records following exhibition movements and activities

Deaccessioning administration

– Support administrative documentation steps under supervision when deaccessioning arises, ensuring records are complete and traceable

Qualifications and skills

Required

– Graduate from a relevant post-secondary program such as Museum Studies, Art History, Curatorial Practice, Fine Arts, Cultural Heritage, Archival Studies, Library and Information Studies, Digital Humanities, or Arts Administration (or equivalent undergraduate degree)

– Strong attention to detail and organizational skills

– Strong written communication skills and comfort writing in plain language for public audiences

– Computer skills (Social Media platforms, Adobe Creative Suite, Google Workspace and/or Microsoft Office; comfort learning database/CMS-style systems)

– Interest in Canadian art, collections, and public engagement

– Ability to work collaboratively in a small team environment and manage multiple deadlines

– Experience working within a Gallery or Museum setting

– Experience creating and implementing interpretive material for an exhibition

– Experience working with multiple stakeholders

Assets

– Experience with collections databases, Omeka S, WordPress, or similar platforms

– Familiarity with accessibility practices for public-facing content (captions, alt text, plain language)

– Basic image handling and file management skills; Adobe Acrobat/Creative Suite familiarity

– Events experience

Equity, inclusion, and accessibility

We are committed to equity and inclusion and strive to create a welcoming workplace. We encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized persons/visible minorities, newcomers to Canada, persons with disabilities, and people of all genders and sexual orientations. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in any stage of the selection process.

Eligibility (Young Canada Works at Building Careers in Heritage YCW-BCH)

An individual may be eligible for an internship if they:

-are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada (non-Canadians holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent resident status are not eligible);

-are legally entitled to work in Canada (have a valid social insurance number);

-are between 16 and 30 years of age inclusively at the start of employment; and

-are a college or university graduate (certificate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate).

Note: Priority will be given to graduates that have not previously participated in YCW internship programs and that are unemployed or underemployed.

How to apply

Please submit:

– A cover letter outlining your interest in the role and how your skills align with the responsibilities

– A current resume

Application deadline:

July 31, 2026

Start date:

September 1, 2026

To apply/questions:

Email: admin@smithfoundation.ca with subject line: “YCW Exhibition and Collection Assistant – Application”