Archival Assistant
Term: Full-time (35 hours a week), 8-week contract
Pay: $20/hour
Start Date: June 1, 2022
The New Gallery (TNG) is seeking an individual with a passion for archives & research to join TNG’s team for a short-term internship!
TNG’s archival assistant will a research project and associated programming expanding from The New Gallery’s (TNG) archive. This position offers the opportunity for an emerging artist, writer, curator, and/or researcher to gain hands-on experience in developing, implementing, and organizing research and programming related to TNG’s archives, held in the Resource Center. TNG’S Resource Center, located directly above TNG’s Main Space storefront, is a combined library/archive and meeting space that houses TNG’s archive of Calgary’s Artist-Run Centre history and programming spanning over 45 years.
The archival assistant will undergo a six-week research project related to TNG’s archive, with the intention of contributing to it in some way. They will begin their position with a two-week onboarding to explore the archives, for a total of eight weeks. The position will have regular check-ins with the Director in order to provide support and direction when needed. The direction and scope of the research are up to the passions and interests of the selected candidate.
This research work will also be translated into traditional Chinese and made accessible to Calgary Chinatown residents through TNG’s existing partnerships.
The successful candidate will have an interest in contemporary art and artist-run culture. They will support TNG’s ongoing efforts to be an equitable, accessible, and inclusive organization, and bring these values into their daily work and role at the organization. Prior experience is not expected or required! TNG is looking for applicants who are community and values-driven, exceptional communicators and collaborators, motivated and passionate about their work, and highly organized. The willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends is required.
Additional skills sets include:
- Program development.
- Project management.
- Procedure development.
- Clear communication, both written and verbal.
- Community engagement and outreach.
- Exceptional digital/computer literacy.
- A familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, and Google Workspace.
- Additional language skills, in particular any Chinese dialects, French, or Indigenous languages from Treaty 7, are considered assets.
Specific duties include:
- Work collaboratively with TNG’s artists, community partners, and committees to conceptualize and execute outreach programming to create access points for digital projects, with a particular focus on underserved communities.
- Exploring TNG’s past exhibits via its archives to develop an understanding of its past.
- Developing a small body of research that addresses holes in this archive through thematic or artistic links.
- Disseminate research (flexible method of dissemination — digital archive project, essay, etc.).
- Contribute to operational and project grant applications and reporting.
- Participate in TNG fundraising events, including bingos and casinos.
- Support day-to-day operations as needed.
- Participate in training as required.
This is a full-time (5 days/week) 8-week contract position. Compensation for this position includes a salary of $20 per hour and 4% vacation pay.
Application Guidelines:
Applicants can submit a letter outlining their interest and qualifications for this position to hr@thenewgallery.org with the subject line Application: Archival Assistant 2022.
Oral and video submissions are also accepted, links to these files are preferred but other delivery methods are also accepted. CVs/resumes are not required, but applicants may supplement their letter of interest with this document if preferred. Contact information for professional references will be required if you are selected for an interview.
TNG is dedicated to equitable access, and encourages Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, newcomer, 2SLGBTQ+ artists, d/Deaf and disabled artists, emerging artists, as well as artists from poor and working-class backgrounds to apply to this opportunity.
TNG is committed to working individually with applicants facing barriers when applying to this opportunity. If you require support or accommodations during this process, or have any questions in general about the position, please contact us at 403-233-2399 or email hr@thenewgallery.org.
About Us
TNG is an artist-run centre located in Mohkinstsis/Calgary on the ancestral and traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. This charitable centre for contemporary art was established in 1975 as the Clouds & Water Gallery and Visual Production Society.
Currently, TNG operates:
Main Space: An exhibition venue in a storefront of the historic Canton Block in Calgary Chinatown
Billboard 208: A programming site situated on the exterior of TNG’s storefront
Resource Centre: A combined library/archive and flexible meeting space
Main Frame: An online platform for web-based projects
These venues support the research, creation, and exhibition of socially relevant and politically informed creative practices from artists at all junctures of their careers, while enabling a public engagement with artist-run culture and contemporary art. TNG’s programming comprises a broad range of art and educational activities, including exhibitions, publications, residencies, offsite projects, and community collaborations that serve to invigorate audiences’ experience of contemporary art and culture.
TNG gratefully acknowledges its home on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region, including the Blackfoot Confederacy (Kainai, Piikani and Siksika), Tsuu T’ina First Nation, Stoney Nakoda First Nation (Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley), and Métis Nation of Alberta Region III. TNG would also like to acknowledge the many other First Nations, Métis and Inuit who call this land home.
