Curatorial Director

ABOUT THE 525

The 525 is a Saskatchewan-based contemporary arts nonprofit building a multi-city corridor — Saskatoon to Vancouver, Toronto, Mexico City, and growing. We make exhibitions in places people aren't expecting art.

We believe art should not be reserved for people who already know how to enter the room. We make exhibitions in places people might not expect, and we look for work and voices that might otherwise be overlooked, trusting that when art transforms a space, it can also shift how people see themselves, each other, and the communities around them.

Our first curatorial principle is experience/impact-first: work earns its place by what it does to the person standing in front of it — not by who made it or what story it tells on paper. We curate for the moment before the label is read. The room is part of the work — how someone moves through it, what they see first, where they stop.

THE ROLE The Curatorial Director holds curatorial vision across The 525's full portfolio. You shape individual shows and the aesthetic identity of the organization as it grows. A few things that define how we curate:

• Work earns its place by what it does in the room — not by artist biography or existing recognition.
• The work can reach someone who has never been in a gallery and someone who has seen everything — resonance and depth without exclusivity.
• Commercial viability and curatorial integrity aren't in tension. A work that moves people moves units.

You manage the per-show curatorial team structure — Lead Curator, Co-Curator, Curatorial Assistant — and you develop emerging curators at every level.

SCOPE OF WORK

• Curatorial vision —

Set and evolve the organization's curatorial philosophy across all programming streams and national/international corridors.

• Per-show curatorial team —

Manage and mentor Lead Curators, Co-Curators, and Curatorial Assistants at every exhibition.

• Artist relationships —

Build and maintain relationships with artists across corridor cities.

• Exhibition standards —

Own selection processes, curatorial statement quality, and presentation standards.

• Open call design —

Write call for artists language, eligibility criteria, and selection frameworks.

• Grant contribution —

Write curatorial sections for funding applications.

• Rebrand Working Group —

Active member alongside Principal Director, Design Lead, and outgoing Curatorial Advisor.

• Mentorship —

Develop emerging curators. The Curatorial Assistant role at every show helps shape the outcome.

WHAT YOU'RE WALKING INTO

Six active programming streams for the 2026 - 2027 programming year:

• You See Me – Kiwapamin at Wanuskewin Heritage Park — group exhibition, Treaty 6 territory. April–June 2026. Transition from outgoing curatorial leadership.
• Artist in Residence (×2) — mural and residency program, Saskatoon. Summer 2026.
• Vancouver Exhibition — group exhibition. August 2026.
• Mid-Autumn & Chinatown Partnership — multi-year cultural activation, Riversdale. Summer–Fall 2026.
• CDMX × Toronto — international corridor exhibition. February 2027.
• Bangkok Corridor — international corridor, exhibition and residency. Winter 2027.

COMPENSATION

Retainer — fee to be negotiated based on scope. Independent contractor.

This role is structured as a fractional contract and is expected to begin at approximately 3 to 8 hours per week, averaging roughly 30 hours per month. Hours will increase during exhibition setup, receptions, community programming, and takedown periods.

Anticipated start time for June 1st, with some flexibility.

HOW TO APPLY — VIDEO QUESTIONS (3 TO 5 MINUTES)

Answer both questions. Don't introduce yourself — go straight to it!

• Tell us about a piece of work — any work — that stopped you before you understood it. What happened in that moment, and what does that tell you about how you curate?
• The 525 believes work earns its place by what it does to the person standing in front of it — not by who made it or what story it tells on paper. Tell us about a time that principle cost you something?

WHAT TO SUBMIT

• CV or résumé —

Standard format, any length.

• One portfolio link —

A single URL. Website, PDF, or folder — your call.

• Video response —

3–5 minutes. Answer both questions. Phone camera is fine.

APPLICATIONS Due April 30th:

• Application will be accepted on a rolling basis!
• Interviews will b