Workman Arts is seeking a Guest Curator (or team of Curators) to develop and curate a small group exhibition and/or Public Program as part of Being Scene 2025

Workman Arts welcomes curatorial proposals that incite a range of intersectional narratives and conversations as it relates to mental health and/or addictions. This year the curated exhibition will take place between early September – October 2025 (dates TBD), and will focus on themes of Care, Community, Togetherness and Sustainability.

The selected curator (or curatorial team) will receive a curatorial fee of $3,000 and will be able to offer participating artists an artist fee and materials budget to potentially create new work. Project Planning and administrative support will be provided by Visual Arts Manager Fatma Hendawy over the period of mid-June 2025 until the exhibition closure in early October 2025.

The exhibition and/or public program will be held at WA Offsite Gallery at 32 Lisgar Street in downtown Toronto. 

We welcome and encourage proposals from applicants who are Indigenous, Black, racialized, women, 2SLGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and/or are members of other visible or invisible marginalized groups.

If you encounter any barriers when applying, please contact Fatma Hendawy (fatma_hendawy@workmanarts.com) for submission alternatives.

We are open to traditional exhibition formats, however, this year we aim to prioritize more innovative and inclusive exhibition formats that manifest the highlighted themes. Thinking of exhibitions as spaces of gathering and sharing, curators are also welcome to propose a month-long public program instead of having an exhibition. 

  • Curatorial fee $3,000 (collectives will share this fee) 
  • Artist fees (highly recommended to have 5 artists maximum) 
  • Production fees for producing new artworks (art materials)
  • Exhibition production (install fee, shipping, equipment, publication, opening reception, etc.) accurate numbers will be given to the shortlisted curators before their interviews 
  • Public program (speaker fees, workshop fees, etc.)
  • Administrative and financial mentoring/assistance from Visual Arts manager
  • Access to WA Offsite Gallery at 32 Lisgar Street, Toronto
  • Work closely with the Visual Arts Manager to implement their proposed curatorial vision, exhibition and/or public program 
  • Work closely with Communication Manager to prepare promotional material 
  • Work with selected artists to develop new works and/or programs 
  • Work with art installers to install and deinstall the exhibition 
  • Follow WA’s code of conduct and mandate
  • Individual curators and collectives are welcome to apply
  • Must have 3-4 years of experience in curating exhibition and/or public programs 
  • Must be available in person in Toronto between early September and early October 2025 (to install and deinstall the exhibition, implement public program) 
  • Must be available from June to September to develop work plans and curatorial proposal with the VA manager (either online or in person)
  • Cover Letter: Please include a short statement about your experience working with visual artists curatorially and/or collaboratively. Please let us know your goals for this exhibition/program. Word doc (.doc, .docx) or PDF only. 
  • Curatorial Proposal: Please include an exhibition/program proposal about one or an intersection of these general themes (Care, Community, Togetherness and Sustainability). Please make your proposal more specific, include artists and artworks you would consider and/or examples on how you would frame your call for submissions if needed. Suggested artists and artworks can change as you develop your proposal. (Word doc (.doc, .docx) or PDF only)
  • Sample writing & CV 
  • Availability for interview

History of Being Scene

The Being Scene exhibition began over 20 years ago on the grounds of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Every year, Being Scene exhibits a juried survey of over 100 artworks by Workman Arts member artists as well as  artists with lived experience who have received services from CAMH. Since 2018, Workman Arts introduced a smaller curated exhibition as part of the overall  exhibit. Working closely with a guest curator, artists gave shape to compelling ideas and narratives, covering a wide range of conceptual and material approaches from diverse experiences. 

Workman Arts has identified equity and anti-oppression as strategic priorities and strongly encourages qualified applicants from diverse communities to apply and self-identify in their proposals. 

About Workman Arts

Workman Arts is a multidisciplinary arts organization that promotes a greater understanding of mental health and addiction issues through creation and presentation. We support artists with lived experience through peer-to-peer arts education, public presentations and partnerships with the broader arts community. We offer these opportunities to a growing member base which consists of artists with varying levels of experience ranging from emerging to professional artists, in all forms of practices such as Media, Literary, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts. Member artists have an existing art practice and goals to further develop, professionalize and share their practice.

Artwork: Seachange, 2024. Jenny Chen. Installation, digital media.

IMPORTANT DATES

Deadline to Submit: June 1, 2025 by 11:59 PM (EDT)
Shortlist interviews: June 9 – 13, 2025 
Guest Curator announced: June 16, 2025

QUESTIONS? CONTACT:
FATMA HENDAWY
VISUAL ARTS MANAGER
fatma_hendawy@workmanarts.com