NEW HISTORICAL INDIGENOUS ART RESIDENCY AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA

Call for applications for the Audain Fellowship in Indigenous Historical Art now open

Deadline: August 15, 2025

OTTAWA, ON, July 9, 2025 /CNW/ - The National Gallery of Canada (NGC), in partnership with The Audain Foundation, announces today a new research-based residency in historical Indigenous art funded by the Audain Indigenous Curatorial Scholar in Residence program. This three-year appointment, with a $50,000 per-annum stipend, is intended for senior Indigenous scholars, art historians, curators or conservators. The call for applications is now open; candidates must apply by Thursday, August 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM EDT.

"Being a national gallery requires us to be inclusive, represent diversity and reflect our country to our own citizens," said Jean-François Bélisle, Director and CEO, NGC. "One of my greatest privileges has been to work with an Indigenous Ways & Decolonization team who are collaborative and visionary. They are reimagining what a national institution can be—a dynamic environment where ideas circulate, dialogue thrives and Indigenous art is collected, conserved and shared with all Canadians, now and for generations to come."

"We're committed, through partnerships with Indigenous leaders, to create the space and time required to redesign our path forward as an institution shaped by colonial legacies," said Steven Loft, Vice-President, Indigenous Ways and Decolonization at the NGC. "As part of this commitment and a responsibility to the arts and cultures of Indigenous peoples, the NGC has created this new opportunity for a scholar to work with its teams to further the discourse, understanding and theoretical and aesthetic concerns related to collecting and exhibiting historical Indigenous art and cultural objects."

This residency supports research and scholarship in developing best practices for institutions that collect, exhibit and conserve Indigenous historic or traditional art at the NGC. The selected resident will be invited to work alongside all NGC teams on ongoing projects during the mandate to advance institutional knowledge and thinking around historical Indigenous cultural artifacts and representation.

This three-year appointment starts in Fall/Winter 2025 and includes a stipend of $50,000 per year, an additional $20,000 per year for travel, access to the NGC collection and staff, and administrative assistance. The NGC will provide support to produce a dedicated publication in the third year of the residency based on the resident's research and host a series of talks and/or public events.

How to apply

Qualified candidates—who must identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis—are invited to submit a letter of interest outlining their relevant experience and a short research proposal (max. 500 words). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide a full CV and advanced proposal, and will also be invited to an interview. International applicants are encouraged to apply. For details, visit gallery.ca.

About the National Gallery of Canada

Founded in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada is among the world's most respected art institutions. As a national museum, we exist to serve all Canadians, no matter where they live. We do this by sharing our collection, exhibitions and public programming widely. We create dynamic experiences that allow for new ways of seeing ourselves and each other through the visual arts, while centering Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Our mandate is to develop, preserve and present a collection for the learning and enjoyment of all – now and for generations to come. We are home to more than 90,000 works, including one of the finest collections of Indigenous and Canadian art, major works from the 14^th to the 21^st century and extensive library and archival holdings. 

Ankosé – Everything is connected – Tout est relié 

SOURCE National Gallery of Canada

For media use only - for more information, please contact: Pénélope Carreau, Officer, Public Relations, National Gallery of Canada, [email protected]; Josée-Britanie Mallet, Senior Officer, Media and Public Relations, National Gallery of Canada, [email protected]