2015 MPfYCC Call for Submissions

The Art Gallery of Guelph and the Middlebrook Fund for Social Innovation announce the call for submissions for the third annual Middlebrook Prize for Young Canadian Curators.

By supporting and mobilizing Canadian creative talent, the Middlebrook Prize aims to inspire positive social change through creativity and connectedness in a time of unprecedented economic, environmental, social, and cultural challenges.

The first of its kind in Canada, the Middlebrook Prize invites curators under the age of 30 to submit an innovative proposal for an exhibition at the Art Gallery of Guelph (September 17 – December 13, 2015). Applicants are encouraged to reflect upon the ways in which creative thinking may animate and engage a community, instilling a shared sense of purpose and connectedness. The winning applicant will receive an honorarium of $5,000.

2015 Jurors
Dawn Owen, Acting Director/Curator of Contemporary Art, Art Gallery of Guelph
Jennifer Rudder, Associate Professor of Curatorial Studies, OCAD University
Katherine Dennis, 1^st Middlebrook Prize Recipient

Applications must include:

• 1 page exhibition proposal (including contact information, curatorial statement, list of artists, and description of public programming)
• Exhibition budget not exceeding $10,000 and including: artist fees (per CARCC 2015 fee schedule for Category II institutions), shipping via an accredited art transportation company, A/V and/or special equipment required for the exhibition, description of unique or unusual installation requirements, projected travel/accommodation expenses for artists/curators)
• 1 example of critical writing
• V. (current, maximum 3 pages)
• 10 images with descriptions (including artist name, title, date, medium, dimensions) inclusive of the following:
• 5 images supporting exhibition proposal
• 5 images supporting past curatorial work
• Note that the award winner must be under 30 years of age by December 31, 2015 and is required to demonstrate proof of age on signing of the exhibition contract

Important Dates:

Call for Submissions: March 31 – May 1, 2015
Winning Recipient Announcement: May 11, 2015
Exhibition: September 17 – December 13, 2015
Exhibition Reception: September 17, 2015

Applications are to be submitted in a single PDF document, with the subject line Middlebrook Prize, to: Middlebrook Prize Jury at info@artgalleryofguelph.ca

For information about the 2nd Middlebrook Prize Recipients, Alison Cooley and Natasha Chaykowski, and their exhibition please visit: http://www.eloracentreforthearts.ca/index.cfm?page=Gallery_2014_MB_FL

For information about the 1st Middlebrook Prize Recipient, Katherine Dennis, and her exhibition please visit: http://www.eloracentreforthearts.ca/index.cfm?page=Gallery_2013_K_Denni

The Middlebrook Prize for Young Canadian Curators is funded by the Centre Wellington Community Foundation’s Middlebrook Social Innovation Fund, with support from John and Miranda Kissick.

The Art Gallery of Guelph and its sponsors — University of Guelph, City of Guelph, and the Upper Grand District School Board — acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Trillium Foundation, and the Department of Canadian Heritage.