Curatorial Assistant (Canada Summer Jobs)
/Job Title:
Curatorial Assistant (Canada Summer Jobs)
Organization:
The Reach Gallery Museum
Deadline:
Apr. 26, 2026 (for priority consideration or until filled, no later than May 15)
Organization Description:
Housed in a 20,000 square-foot purpose-built cultural facility located on unceded Stó:lō territory in the City of Abbotsford, The Reach Gallery Museum is a professionally staffed and board-governed not-for-profit organization that serves as the leading public art gallery, local history museum, and archive in the Fraser Valley. Since its establishment in 2008, it has become a hub for excellence in exhibitions and public programs in the fields of contemporary art, visual culture, and heritage. The Reach, its exhibitions, and publications have been honoured by numerous awards, including three Education, Communications, and Awareness Awards from Heritage BC (2020, 2021, and 2024), two Awards of Merit from BC Museums Association (2018 and 2021), two Governor General’s History Awards (2016 and 2021), and The Lieutenant Governor’s Platinum Jubilee Arts and Music Award (2022).
Website:
Job Description:
Supervised and mentored by the Curator of Art & Visual Culture, the Curatorial Assistant will develop insight into key curatorial theories and methodologies, gain hands-on experience, while supporting exhibition projects across different phases of research, development, production, and installation.
Responsibilities:
Through their involvement in multiple projects, the Curatorial Assistant will have the opportunity to gain a wide range of skills (research, interpretive planning, project management, editing, etc.) and insights, as afforded by exhibition projects with different scopes, scales, and goals.
Qualifications:
To take part in CSJ, candidates must:
• be aged between 15 and 30 years old (at the start of position term)
• be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or someone who has been officially given refugee protection in Canada and
• be legally allowed to work in Canada
o this includes having a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN) at the start of the position term.
Candidates who do not meet the CSJ eligibility requirements cannot be considered for this employment opportunity.
In addition, the ideal candidate will possess some or all of the following qualifications, experience, skills, and qualities:
● Undergraduate degree (BA or BFA) in the disciplines of art history, visual arts, museum studies, cultural anthropology, history, or other relevant field (advanced undergraduate students may be considered)
● Proven ability to conduct research in the field of contemporary art and/or demonstrated experience with curatorial projects (paid or volunteer);
● Familiarity with or willingness to learn art museum and gallery curatorial processes and exhibition development procedures;
● Strong organizational and project management skills, with keen attention to detail;
● Excellent communications skills, including advanced written and spoken English
● Proficiency in or willingness to learn Microsoft Office (particularly working knowledge of Excel and annotation tools in Word), file sharing (such as SharePoint or similar), project management (Monday.com or similar), calendaring/scheduling, and other digital tools
● Sound judgement in determining when to take initiative and when to ask for guidance;
● Agility and willingness to problem-solve; and
● Professional demeanour, positive attitude, responsiveness to feedback, collaborative spirit, and the proven ability to work respectfully and effectively with a wide range of project collaborators and interest-holders.
Candidates from groups that have been historically underrepresented in the arts and culture sector or who may have followed non-traditional development paths are encouraged to apply. We recognize that transferable skills and valuable perspectives are often gained in contexts other than formal education or paid employment.
How to Apply:
If this opportunity sounds like a good fit with your background, skills, interests, and career aspirations, we would love to hear from you!
To be considered for this position, please submit a cover letter and curriculum vitae to Kelley Tialiou, Curator of Art & Visual Culture, by visiting https://thereach.ca/careers/ and following the upload link. For priority consideration, please submit your application by Sunday, April 26, at 11:59 pm PST; review of applications will begin immediately and continue beyond the priority application date until the position is filled.
If there are any accommodations that would serve to remove barriers to participation in the interview process for you, please do not hesitate to outline your considerations and we will do our best to make the necessary provisions. You may do so either in your original submission or when responding to a potential invitation to interview.
Thank you in advance for your interest! All candidates will be notified regarding the status of their application once the position has been filled.
Remuneration:
$22.50/hr, plus 4% vacation pay
