Art Curator – MCC Gallery of Indigenous Art

Job title: Art Curator – MCC Gallery of Indigenous Art

Job description: Organization Description
The Town of Midland, home of the Midland Cultural Centre (MCC), is situated on the beautiful shores of Georgian Bay at the gateway to the 30,000 islands. Together with the other communities that comprise the Heart of Georgian Bay, the area offers a dynamic work/life balance. Located within a 90-minute drive from Toronto, cottagers and tourists are drawn to the area by our multiple historic sites, award-winning festivals and events, accessible walking and cycling trails, pristine beaches, snowmobiling and skiing trails, galleries, performance venues and newly reconstructed downtown core which features unique boutique shopping experiences. Our area boasts a provincial and a national park, as well as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Our communities, rooted in our multi-cultural heritage comprised of First Nations, French, Métis and English, have recently formed the Culture Alliance, a joint culture committee serving the Towns of Midland and Penetanguishene, Townships of Tay and Tiny, and Beausoleil First Nation. The collaboration of a First Nation, two Francophone and two Anglophone communities to foster and promote culture is unprecedented in the province and demonstrates that our citizens value and celebrate culture in its many forms in our daily lives.

Situated in the Town of Midland’s downtown core, the MCC is a focal point for many of the cultural activities in the Heart of Georgian Bay and welcomes 70,000 visitors per year. Born from the vision of philanthropist Reinhart Weber and established through a pledge of more than $11 million from the Weber Foundation, which remains the largest single donation in the history of the County of Simcoe, the Centre opened in June 2012. The completely accessible state-of-the-art facility features Rotary Hall, a 274-seat multi-purpose space, an Indigenous Art Gallery, and a Café. The MCC is also home to Quest Art School + Gallery with exhibition and classroom space, and Huronia Players Community Theatre Group, with a 121-seat theatre. The Centre sells 17,000 tickets per year for various performances, concerts and special presentations drawing local and provincial audiences.

Job Description
The Midland Cultural Centre seeks a creative, passionate, and knowledgeable Curator to successfully lead and manage their new Gallery of Indigenous Art. Leveraging industry knowledge, relationships and awareness of Indigenous history, traditions, culture and issues, the Curator will plan and execute exhibitions and educational programming with the goal to highlight the practices of local, regional and national Indigenous artists.

Reporting to an Indigenous-majority steering committee and the MCC Executive Director, the Curator is responsible for the day-to-day Gallery operations as well as fostering relationships with Beausoleil First Nation, the Georgian Bay Métis Council, community organizations, local schools, volunteers, sponsors, and donors. Collaboration with fellow MCC staff and tenants is required.

The ideal candidate will bring experience in exhibition and education development and planning. Leadership roles in the arts, culture and/or not-for-profit as well as a successful track record of fundraising and grant-writing are assets. Candidates should demonstrate success in building and growing relationships with regional Indigenous Councils and communities.

The Curator is expected to represent the Gallery and MCC in a positive and professional manner within the Centre and community. The Curator is also expected to attend monthly Steering Committee Meetings, prepare monthly reports for the Steering Committee and MCC board of directors, and may be requested to attend MCC special events and/or meetings on occasion.

Purpose
The Curator of the Midland Cultural Centre’s (the “MCC”) Gallery of Indigenous Art is responsible for overseeing, planning and managing exhibitions and complementary educational programming. The Gallery will highlight the practices of local, regional and national Indigenous artists.

Reporting to an Indigenous-majority steering committee, the Curator is responsible for the day-to-day gallery operations as well as fostering relationships with Beausoleil First Nation, the Georgian Bay Métis Council, community organizations, local schools, volunteers, sponsors, and donors. Collaboration with follow MCC tenants is also required.

Working with the Steering Committee, the Executive Director and MCC staff, the Curator will develop and implement community engagement strategies and plans to advance the mandate of the Gallery.

Requirements:
Duties and Responsibilities

Exhibitions

• Issue calls for proposals from local, regional and national artists, presenting options and recommendations to the Gallery Steering Committee.
• Coordinates exhibitions with artists, including exhibition agreements, exhibition dates, receptions, educational programming, and all logistics associated with the exhibition.
• Coordinates exhibition schedule and works with MCC tenants in an effort to, when possible, host collaborative openings/special events and activities.
• Coordinates any loans of art from private collections.
• Ensures insurance coverage for artwork while on MCC property.
• Organizes receipt and return/shipment of exhibition materials

Education

• Develops education programming for school groups and the general public.
• Works with local elementary and secondary schools to host gallery visits and/or artist visits to schools in alignment with current exhibitions and school curriculum.
• Completes/oversees the writing, design, required translation and printing of educational materials.

Marketing

• Coordinates the creation of exhibition promotional materials. This includes the writing, design, any required translations, printing and distributing of invitations, posters, didactics, and educational materials.
• Responsible for coordinating the Gallery’s social media presence including, but not limited to, creating posts to highlight current and upcoming exhibitions, educational programs, and featured artists.
• Work with MCC’s Marketing and Promotions Coordinator to issue media releases, add Gallery information to the marquee and ensure Gallery webpage is current and past exhibitions and programs and archived.

Finance

• Work with Executive Director to establish an annual budget for approval by the MCC Board of Directors.
• Work with the MCC’s Executive Director and Finance Coordinator for the preparation of invoices and payments.
• Monitors Gallery budget and provides monthly reports to the Executive Director.
• Researches and completes grant applications to support the activities of the Gallery.
• Works with Steering Committee and MCC Development Focus Group to identify and approach potential Gallery sponsors and donors.
• Facilitates and finalizes the transactions of art sales.

Volunteers

• Assists Operations Coordinator with the recruitment, training and orientation for Gallery volunteers.
• Prepares educational materials for Gallery volunteers.
• Works with Operations Coordinator to organize refreshments and logistics for opening receptions.

Community Partnerships

• Fosters and develops positive and respectful relationships with Beausoleil First Nation and the Georgian Bay Métis Council.
• Cultivates relationships with the Georgian Bay Native Friendship Centre, Georgian Bay Native Women’s Association, Métis Nation of Ontario, Rama First Nation and Georgina Island First Nation.
• Works collaboratively with MCC tenants.
• Develops relationships with community not-for-profit organizations as well as local museums, attractions, the Culture Alliance, and funders, sponsors and donors.

Qualifications

• Passion, enthusiasm, and commitment to arts, culture, and community partnerships with the desire to work in a creative and inclusive environment.
• Understanding and expertise of Indigenous history, traditions, cultures and issues.
• Post-secondary education in Fine Arts, Art History, Museum and Curatorial Studies, Arts Management, or equivalent. Education in other specializations or equivalent work experience will be considered.
• Curatorial experience in a professional gallery.
• Experience overseeing logistics, scheduling, marketing and promotion, and funding of not-for-profit visual art gallery.
• Demonstrated experience curating exhibitions which include and/or highlight Indigenous artists and working with Indigenous communities.
• Exceptional oral, written and editing skills, as well as organization, time-management and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent marketing and promotional skills, including social media.
• Experience and knowledge of technical and aesthetic dimensions of exhibition installation.
• Knowledge of proper physical handling of works of art of diverse media, as well as temporary storage.

Additional Info: Working Conditions

• Normal work week is 21 hours, with the requirement to work evenings and weekends as needed.
• This position includes periods of seated work as well as the physical installation of exhibition elements and gallery preparation (wall patching, painting, lighting). Tours of the exhibitions and leading educational experiences is also involved.
• The Gallery Curator is expected to attend monthly Steering Committee meetings and may be requested to attend MCC board meetings and/or special events on occasion.

Additional Information

Salary range – $20.60/hr at 21 hrs a week

COVID-19 considerations:
All those who enter the building must be double vaccinated, COVID procedures and sanitation is in place.
We thank all applicants and advise that only those selected to be interviewed will be contacted.

The Midland Cultural Centre is an equal opportunity employer, valuing diversity in the workplace. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible environment where all employees, volunteers and members of the community feel valued, respected, supported and welcomed. We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the public and the communities in which we live and serve.

The Midland Cultural Centre is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in the compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

The Midland Cultural Centre acknowledges that the land on which we gather is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Ojibway/Chippewa and Potawatomi peoples, and is the ancestral home of the Huron-Wendat Nation.

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