The TD Curatorial Fellowship 2026-2027 at the Gordon Smith Gallery

The Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from emerging curators for The TD Curatorial Fellowship at the Gordon Smith Gallery — a paid Curatorial Fellowship that supports career-entry into institutional curatorial work through mentorship, hands-on training, and community-engaged exhibition development. The Fellowship is grounded in the Gallery’s commitment to integrate curation and art education at every step, in close collaboration with the Artists for Kids (AFK) education team.

The TD Curatorial Fellowship is supported by TD Bank Group, through the TD Ready Commitment.

This Fellowship is designed to help reduce barriers to curatorial careers, particularly for applicants from equity-deserving communities.

Photo by Khim Mata Hipol

About the Fellowship

The selected TD Curatorial Fellow will work alongside:

• A Senior Curatorial Mentor, and

• The Artists for Kids (AFK) education team, to integrate child and youth-centered and public-facing learning experiences into the curatorial process.

• The Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation and Artists for Kids teams to support planning and programming for the 2026 and 2027 Fall Exhibitions

• The Fellowship culminates in a public exhibition (April–June 2027), curated by the Fellow, alongside related programs that help audiences of many ages and backgrounds engage meaningfully with Canadian art and ideas.

Mentor

The TD Curatorial Fellow will be mentored by Kimberly Phillips, Director of the Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum at Simon Fraser University (formerly SFU Galleries). Phillips is an arts leader, educator, and writer who has curated over 60 exhibitions and public projects and has held previous roles including Curator at the Contemporary Art Gallery and Director/Curator of Access Gallery.

Who this is for

We welcome EOIs from curators who are:

• Early-career / emerging (including independent curators and those transitioning into institutional work)

• Interested in how exhibitions can intersect with learning, access, and public engagement, including work with children and youth

• Especially encouraged to apply if they identify as part of an equity-deserving community, including but not limited to: BIPOC, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S+, newcomers, neurodiverse individuals, disabled people, and those from rural communities

Curatorial focus

The Fellowship supports curatorial work that can:

• Recontextualize and question how Canadian art collections reflect and obscure cultural histories, and

• Foreground perspectives historically marginalized within the canon, while leaving creative freedom for the Fellow’s specific approach and proposal direction.

Accessibility and accommodations

We welcome requests for accommodations at any stage of the process (application, interview, proposal development, and throughout the Fellowship).

To request accommodations, please contact: admin@smithfoundation.ca.

Selection process (multi-stage)

This opportunity uses a staged process to keep the first step accessible and low-burden:

Stage 1 — Expression of Interest (EOI)
Submit a cover letter + CV (no proposal required at this stage).

Stage 2 — Shortlist
A selection committee will review EOIs and invite a shortlist forward.

 Stage 3 — Proposal development (paid honoraria for shortlisted candidates)
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to develop an exhibition/program proposal and will receive honoraria in recognition of their labour and to reduce financial barriers.

Stage 4 — Final selection from proposals
A committee will select the TD Curatorial Fellow from the submitted proposals.

Compensation

All prospective candidates shortlisted for the RFP stage will receive an honouraria of $500 to develop a proposal. Additional guidelines will be provided for the proposal.

This is a part-time, hybrid, and contract position from June 2026 – September 2027. The Fellow will be paid a total of $25,000 over the course of the engagement in installments at key milestones. Flexible working conditions and schedule accommodations to support the Fellow in other forms of employment during this time period will be accounted for.

What to submit (Stage 1 – EOI)

Email a single PDF that includes:

• Cover letter (recommended 1–2 pages) including:

  • Your curatorial interests, approach and experience

  • Why this Fellowship is meaningful to your trajectory

  • A brief note on your interests related to equity, access, education, and/or community engagement (as relevant to your practice)

• Your CV

• A letter of reference

Subject line: TD Curatorial Fellowship EOI – (Your Name)
Send to: admin@smithfoundation.ca

Target Timeline

EOI Deadline: Friday, March 20, 2026

Shortlist Notified: Friday, April 3, 2026

Proposals Due:  May 1, 2026

Final Decision + Offer: Friday, May 22, 2026

 Questions:

Email admin@smithfoundation.ca.