Job Posting (YCW)
Curatorial and Collections Assistant
Summer Student Position
MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie
About the MacLaren Art Centre:
The MacLaren Art Centre is a free public art gallery located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabek, which include the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Pottawatomi Nations, collectively known as the Three Fires Confederacy. With over 4,000 works of contemporary and modern Canadian art in the permanent collection, the gallery serves an immediate community of approximately 300,000 people across Barrie and Simcoe County. We approach our work with a regional responsibility, responding to issues that matter in our immediate community within the broader context of the provincial and national visual art and cultural framework. We offer a variety of modern and contemporary exhibitions that focus on visual art and visual culture by Canadian artists of regional, provincial, and national significance. Our goal is to provide the community with an exciting and relevant range of art exhibitions, tours, lectures, and art programs that inspire curiosity, creativity, and interest in the visual arts.
About the Job:
The MacLaren Art Centre is seeking a Curatorial and Collections Assistant to collaborate with the artistic team to support various tasks related to exhibitions and collections. The position will focus on two key projects outlined below, in addition to other tasks as assigned.
The candidate will aid with the transition of all Art Rental and Sales collections records to a new collections management database with supervision from the Curatorial Assistant. Tasks will be focused on data scrubbing and collections research to ensure consistency, accuracy, and completeness of object records. Other tasks will include maintaining Permanent Collection object records on an as-needed basis.
The candidate will also work closely with the Interim Artistic Director to develop an independent project focused on activating the Permanent Collection, to be executed in the late summer/early fall. The project will focus on cultivating community engagement and contextualizing the MacLaren’s Permanent Collection. Work will include collections research, the development of a curatorial concept and interpretive plan, writing didactic texts, coordinating installation logistics, coordinating related public programming, and overseeing the development of marketing and other promotional materials.
The candidate will also participate in other tasks to support the artistic department as required, such as installation/de-installation, and developing and promoting exhibitions and events.
All applicants must be registered with Young Canada Works (YCW) and meet all eligibility requirements for that program.
Position: Curatorial and Collections Assistant
Duration: 12 weeks
Rate of pay: $19.00/hour
Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Tuesday through Saturday (some evening work is required)
Suggested start and end date: June 3 to August 23, 2025*
Qualifications:
- Must be a post-secondary student pursuing a degree/diploma in Art History, Museum/Curatorial Studies, Art/Visual Studies, Fine Arts Studio or a similar research background with an emphasis on contemporary and historical Canadian art.
- Must have a solid understanding and appreciation of contemporary Canadian visual art and the function of regional art galleries.
- Must have excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills.
- Must have proven experience with detailed contemporary or historical art research.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and online research is required.
- Must maintain a high standard of professionalism as well as the ability to work independently and in a team.
- Experience with project management is a definite asset as is prior administrative and art handling experience in a public or private gallery context in either a professional or volunteer capacity.
- Experience with Sketchup and/or collections management software is a definite asset.
- Must be personable, detail-oriented, and able to work as a team member.
- Must arrange their own travel to and from the MacLaren Art Centre daily.
- A current police record check to include a vulnerable sector screen is required.
YCW Eligibility Requirements:
- Must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada.
- Note: Non-Canadian students holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent status are not eligible.
- Must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
- Must be between 16 and 30 years of age at the start of employment.
- Willing to commit to the full duration of the work assignment.
- Will not have another full-time job (over 30 hours a week) while employed with YCW.
- Has been a full-time student in the semester preceding the YCW job.
- Intends to return to full-time studies in the semester following the YCW job.
The deadline for applications is 9 am on Monday, May 5, 2025.
The MacLaren Art Centre is an equal opportunity employer serving our diverse communities. Although we appreciate all applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted. The successful candidate will be required to supply a current criminal record check and vulnerable sector police screen before work can commence.
Please send a personalized cover letter and curriculum vitae in confidence to:
Yasmeen Kazak, Curatorial Assistant, via email to: yasmeen@maclarenart.com, or via mail to:
MacLaren Art Centre
37 Mulcaster Street, Barrie, ON L4M 3M2
