Curators: Make Your Mark at the AFA art house

DATE : January 19, 2026

DEADLINE: January 30, 2026 - 9:00 pm

Curators looking to make their mark in the field of the visual arts will have their chance through the AFA’s Emerging Curator Fellowship program. 

This fellowship aims to foster the growth and development of curatorial talent, inspire broader and more diverse audiences to connect with the AFA Art Collection, and introduce fresh perspectives on the artworks and artists represented in our growing collection.

The program has now been reimagined to offer a more immersive, public-facing experience. A contract worth up to $15,000 per proposal is available for this project. This includes providing an opportunity for an emerging curator to develop and present an original exhibition within a gallery space at the AFA art house, a new venue located in downtown Calgary’s Edison building.

To learn more about the fellowship and how to apply, please visit our funding guidelines page. The deadline to apply is January 30, 2026 at 2 pm MST.

While putting together the application package, we invite you to take in the insights of Autumn Whiteway, a previous recipient of the Emerging Curator Fellowship. A Saulteaux/Métis visual artist, Autumn used her fellowship to create a virtual exhibition, Cross Cultura, to compare Indigenous and non-Indigenous aesthetics and epistemologies.

Watch Autumn describe her project and her experience.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg2gQphraS0&t=385s