Co-Director Wanted
Application Deadline: May 31, 2025 at 5pm
Interviews: 4th week of June, 2025 (in-person or Zoom)
Start Date: July 16, 2025 (flexible)
Salary: $45,000 annually to start
For the full opportunity visit stride.ab.ca/opportunities.
- Hours: Full-time – 30 hours, five days per week / Hybrid work model — minimum 3 days in-person; evening and weekend availability as required.
- Salary: $45,000 annually, per three-month probationary period, opportunity for increase to $47,000 after probation period.
- Vacation: Two weeks taken during the holiday break (typically mid-late December – early January), with an additional 10 days paid vacation per year.
- Paid Leave: Five sick days per year, five personal days per year.
- Artistic Leave: One-month available after one full year of employment, per board of directors approval.
- Benefits: Full health benefits package available following a successful 3-month probationary period.
About Stride Gallery
Stride Gallery is located in Mohkinsstsis, the traditional territories of Treaty 7 people. Our activities take place on the land that has been stewarded and cared for by the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprising of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Iyarhe/Stoney Nakoda people (comprising of Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations. The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).
Stride is a non-profit artist-run centre that supports contemporary art practices. We believe in art that addresses our current realities with urgency, criticality and care through which we can propose new ways of thinking and being. For these emergent practices, we provide various platforms such as a combined Studio Residency and exhibition opportunity, public programs, performances, workshops, publications, and gatherings. We aim to provide strong mentorship for the artists we support. Through these programs, we aim to foster community participation and conversations around art.
An ideal candidate is a dedicated, community-oriented individual who would like to contribute to the future vision of Stride Gallery. The ideal candidate is someone who advocates for new possibilities in supporting artists and the arts community in an artist-run centre context that includes programming, organizational work, and ongoing conversations with the various communities we serve. The candidate will be supported to explore their vision of pushing these boundaries of programs and community engagement work, and will work collaboratively with the current co-director and board of directors to realize these goals.
Equity
Stride Gallery is committed to equity in every aspect of our organization and acknowledges systemic inequities continually creates barriers to employment opportunities. We strongly encourage applications from equity-seeking communities, such as individuals who are Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Two-Spirit, Gender Diverse, LGBTQ and Persons with Disabilities.
We acknowledge that Stride’s current location is wheelchair accessible via a lobby elevator, but the elevator malfunctions at rare occasions and is typically fixed within two business days. The building Stride is in does not have automatic or button activated doors, including the front door entrance of Stride’s unit. We are actively seeking ways to better improve accessibility and access needs of artists and community members, including access needs for Stride Staff and board of directors.
Job Description
The co-director will work closely with the current co-director, directly reporting to Stride’s board of directors in monthly board meetings, including an annual general meeting every fall. Stride Gallery operates under a non-hierarchical structure, with the oncoming co-director and current co-director working together to oversee gallery programming with Stride’s programming committee. The co-directors work collaboratively to oversee each board committee; fundraising, HR, building and programming. This position includes leading the promotion and communication of gallery programming via the website, social media and advertising, including providing support to the current co-director on financial and budget development of the organization. The new co-director will collaborate with the current co-director on exhibition installation and deinstallation, coordinating with artists, and creating engagement initiatives.
An ideal candidate is a dedicated, community-oriented individual who would like to contribute to the future vision of Stride Gallery. The ideal candidate is someone who advocates for new possibilities in supporting artists and the arts community in an artist-run centre context that includes programming, organizational work, and ongoing conversations with the various communities we serve. The candidate will be supported to explore their vision of pushing these boundaries of programs and community engagement work and will work collaboratively with the current co-director and board of directors to realize these goals.
This position provides an excellent growth opportunity for a motivated artist, curator, writer, or a cultural practitioner with a strong interest in artist-run centres, gallery operations and contemporary art practices. The co-director position is designed to be 5 days/30 hours per week, with a minimum of three days per week primarily on-site at Stride Gallery.
Overview of responsibilities
Support Stride’s commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression, equity and inclusivity in all of its activities and internal structures. Tasks and responsibilities listed below are overviews of both co-directors roles at Stride. Specific splitting of tasks will be collaboratively discussed and agreed upon with each co-director and the board of directors, taking into account personal and professional strengths and weaknesses. Splitting of tasks and responsibilities is reviewed annually at HR check-ins to ensure fairness and excitement for the responsibilities of the role.
Detailed Responsibilities
Administrative:
- Oversee communication with artists and other participants at the gallery alongside the other co-director.
- Collaborating with Stride’s other co-director on writing and editing of grants and grant reports, exhibition essays, etc.
- Contribute to the maintenance of the gallery website and promotional activities, including social media, designing promotional information and managing Stride’s online newsletter.
- Report to the board of directors at monthly board and committee meetings, including the annual general meeting.
- Working together with Stride’s other co-director on maintaining a clean, well-organized, safe working environment, including maintaining gallery premises, exhibitions and office facilities.
- General typing, filling, photocopying and collating as required.
Financial Management:
- Collaboratively develop Stride’s annual operational and programming budgets with support from Stride’s other co-director.
- Process payroll, payments and deposits, including maintain Stride’s financial records with support from a bookkeeper.
- Prepare year-end financial reports for Stride’s annual general meeting, reporting to Stride’s board of directors.
- Responsible for submitting of Stride’s charitable and societal reports and requirements, including leading Stride’s annual year end financial audit.
Public Outreach & Programming:
- Co-develop exhibition programming, engagement and public programs in conjunction with Stride’s other co-director and board of directors through annual call for submissions.
- Collaborate with Stride’s other co-director on the installation and deinstallation of exhibitions.
- Coordinate volunteers for major gallery events and day-to-day support.
- Assist in coordinating the annual gallery fundraiser and casino fundraiser and various fundraising activities.
Any and all other duties as required.
Qualifications:
- Post-secondary education (BFA, MFA, MA Art History/Theory, Curatorial Studies, BDes, MDes) or equivalent work experience in visual arts considered a strong asset.
- Background of volunteer experience in non-for-profit organizations, artist-run centres, public art galleries, or a cultural institution also welcome.
- Experience in writing and reporting for institutional or personal art practice grant applications.
- Excellent research, communication, organizational, computer and overall writing skills.
- Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, Google Suite, Excel Sheets, WordPress.
- Experience with the handling, installation and deinstallation of artwork in diverse media.
- Familiarity with basic power tools to support exhibitions and gallery maintenance.
- Availability to work varied hours including required evenings and/or weekends.
- Strong interest in supporting specifically the local arts ecosystem in Mohkinsstsis (Calgary).
Workplace Expectations:
- Capacity to engage and honour dialogues around reconciliation, inclusion, equity and diversity.
- Flexible, respectful, and thoughtful to co-workers, artists and guests, volunteers, the local arts community and the general public from all backgrounds.
- Knowledge and interest in Canadian artist-run centres and broader contemporary visual culture, with knowledge of Calgary and Treaty 7’s contemporary art community a strong asset.
- Desire to take initiative on researching and developing new projects.
- Streamlining day-to-day operations, including providing a clean and safe workplace is a necessity.
- Strong self-awareness with a willingness to learn and strives to contribute to an overall vision of Stride.
- Deadline driven and thrive in a collaborative work environment, but can take on and manage independent work initiatives and projects.
Apply
Please send in a single pdf to Dan Cardinal McCartney at dan@stride.ab.ca (subject: CO-DIRECTOR APPLICATION) no later than 5pm MT on Saturday, May 31, 2025, including:
- Cover letter
- Work CV (Stride Gallery especially welcomes applicants who are practicing visual artists to also include examples of their exhibitions/residencies/performances, etc. alongside their general work experience)
- One writing example of a maximum of 500 words. Examples can include: previous grant applications, excerpts of curatorial essays/art writing/exhibition or public programming reviews
For questions, applicants can send questions about the position or application process prior to the deadline to Stride Gallery’s Co-Director Dan Cardinal McCartney at dan@stride.ab.ca.
