CURATORIAL FELLOW

About TBA

The Toronto Biennial of Art’s mission is to make contemporary art accessible to everyone. 

A twelve-week event every two years, the Biennial commissions artists to create new works for a city-wide exhibition in dialogue with Toronto’s diverse local contexts. Year-round public and learning programs bridge Biennials and invite intergenerational audiences to explore the ideas that inspire our events. Building upon past editions and offering new ways of seeing and listening, each Biennial connects people to spark meaningful dialogues and imagine new futures.

The fourth edition of the Toronto Biennial of Art takes place from September 26-December 20, 2026.

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

Position Overview:

Curatorial Fellow

Full time contract: November 2025-January 2027

Salary: $60,000 annually

Application Deadline: October 10, 2025

Benefits:

• Hybrid work environment, with flexibility 
• Annual health savings account
• Monthly mobile phone subsidy
• 10 health days and 3 personal days annually
• 2 weeks vacation annually.

Location: Our offices are located on Queen Street West, Downtown Toronto.

TBA is seeking a full-time Curatorial Fellow to work on the 2026 Biennial, reporting to the Deputy Director & Director of Exhibitions and working closely with the Curator. The TBA Curatorial Fellowship is an opportunity for emerging Black, Indigenous, and racialized curators to support the curatorial vision of the next biennial and to provide key research, administrative and production support to the exhibitions team. 

The Curatorial Fellow will be invited to work directly with the Biennial Curator, being mentored by them through a collaborative and knowledge sharing approach. The Fellow will support the curatorial portions of the biennial, including the exhibition, performance, and temporal programs, with the guidance of the Biennial’s curator through regular meetings and planning sessions. This will be an opportunity to work directly with artists and partner venues on all aspects of the exhibition, and to gain key experience in the multifaceted world of biennials and festival models. The Fellow will receive support from various Biennial departments (incl. Public Programs and Learning, Production, Communications and Marketing, Development, 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 2026 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.

Responsibilities: 

●  Supporting the Curator in artist research for biennial artists including the maintaining of individual artist files.

●  Supporting the Curator in venue, neighbourhood, community and other research as needed.

●  Supporting the exhibitions team in the management and regular updating of the artist production budget.

●  Supporting biennial artists directly in the implementation of their commission projects including regular communication, budget and timeline management.

●  Supporting artists for site, installation and opening week visits to Toronto including onboarding, welcome package, scheduling, navigating the city.

●  Supporting the Curator in the creation of commission and loan contracts and communicating with artists throughout the contracting process.

●  Liaising with artist’s galleries and lenders as it pertains to production, exhibition display and contracting.

●  Serve as a liaison between the exhibitions team and other TBA departments including Development, Public Programs and Learning, and Marketing and Communications by providing up-to-date artist materials and exhibition documents as needed.

●  Providing general administrative support to the exhibitions team as needed including but not limited to organizing meetings and taking minutes, organizing travel, preparing documents, correspondence and day-to-day tasks.

●  Assisting in the development, copyediting, design, and production of exhibition didactic materials, such as wall text, labels, audio guides, and other content.

●  Supporting the Exhibitions Department with initiatives related to increasing accessibility initiatives across our exhibitions and programs.

●  PUBLICATION

○  Creating and maintaining a centralized, up-to-date database system for content related to the publication, including artist images, documents, and texts.

○  Obtaining permissions and copyright clearance for images and maintaining accurate credit lines.

○  Working with the broader publications team, including an external Managing Editor and Designer, to support meeting deadlines, communication between collaborators, and liaising with artists for content and final approvals.

○  Supporting the Publications team on miscellaneous tasks related to the publication.

Desired Qualifications:

• BA required, preferably with concentration on visual arts, art history, curatorial or museum studies, arts administration; MA in these fields is an asset.
• Minimum of 3-years experience working in/for a museum, gallery or visual arts organization.
• Superior organizational, resource management, research, and communication skills, with attention to detail.
• Experience working with national and international artists and curators in an exhibition setting.
• Solid track record as a creative problem solver and working in a fast-paced environment that is often deadline-driven as the Biennial event approaches; willingness and availability to work flexible hours when required for special events including some evenings and weekends.
• Ability to take direction, work collaboratively, and thrive in this environment, while managing and nurturing the many voices of the organization, as well as its audience.
• Ability to work efficiently and communicate with staff and external partners from different backgrounds and with varying expertise.
• Experience working as a proactive member of a cohesive team and independently.
• Proven commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and practices of anti-racism and anti-oppression, to contribute to a healthy workplace environment.

The Toronto Biennial of Art (TBA) has developed this special program for a Curatorial Fellow, supported by TD Bank,  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.               

To Apply:

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume and 3 references in one pdf document to opportunities@torontobiennial.org with the subject line Curatorial Fellow position. Only selected applicants will be contacted for an interview.