Programs and Community Outreach Assistant, Onsite Gallery

Onsite Gallery is the flagship professional gallery of OCAD University and an experimental curatorial platform for art, design, and new media. Onsite Gallery is located within the cultural corridor of Downtown Toronto at 199 Richmond St. W. Onsite Gallery presents contemporary, Indigenous, and public art and design to advance knowledge creation and stimulate local and international conversations on the urgent issues of our time.

The gallery’s exhibitions are complemented by vibrant outdoor mural projects, hybrid in‑person and accessible digital public programming, and research engaging Onsite Gallery’s permanent collection. Alongside working with artists and curators of diverse backgrounds reflecting Toronto’s communities, cultural and embodiment contexts, Onsite Gallery promotes engaged citizenship and arts appreciation through powerful and thought‑provoking exhibitions and public events.

Onsite Gallery fosters positive social change and contributes to cultural transformation through increasing public understanding of the value of art and design in contemporary society. Supporting art and design communities, the gallery provides ongoing support and collaboration opportunities for local and international artists, curators, designers, and visual culture researchers, as well as partnering organisations. Onsite Gallery’s annual programming also impacts the OCAD University community comprised of students and faculty alongside the general public by offering innovative learning experiences in arts and culture.

Furthermore, an integral part of the gallery’s goals is to provide wide‑ranging experiential opportunities, such as mentorships, co‑productions, placements, contracts, and partnerships, to stimulate curricular, non‑curricular, and experiential learning and innovative experiences in art, design and curatorial practice.

Onsite Gallery at OCAD University is seeking a Programs and Community Outreach Assistant to play a vital role in supporting Onsite Gallery public programming and outreach efforts along with marketing initiatives.

Reporting to the Programs & Community Coordinator, and working closely with the gallery staff, the Programs and Community Outreach Assistant will play a pivotal supporting role in advancing Onsite Gallery’s public programming, communication strategies and community engagement. The assistant will support the gallery’s in‑person and virtual events through documentation, coordination, promotion and hospitality‑related interaction with artists, curators, guest lecturers and workshop facilitators, event attendees and technicians.

Through the mentorship of Onsite Gallery’s Programs & Community Coordinator, the assistant will be invited to propose and produce live and/or virtual programmes to complement gallery exhibitions and themes. They will support Onsite Gallery’s daily functions by expanding and activating outreach which includes producing research on artist biographies and practices, supporting the implementation of Onsite Gallery accessibility plan, researching exhibition themes, collections and related topics, and promoting relevant news items through the circulation of social‑media and website content designed for public‑wide community engagement.

The ideal candidate for the position of Programs and Community Outreach Assistant will have a background and demonstrated knowledge—through previous employment or education and volunteer experience—in art gallery/museum education and communications within a contemporary art gallery or for‑profit / non‑profit cultural organisation. The candidate is currently enrolled in post‑secondary studies preferably in the field of art history, curatorial practice or museum studies and will return to school in the fall semester.

The candidate will bring excellent communication and organisational skills, general administration experience, as well as the ability to take direction, work independently and with a team. They will have a demonstrated ability to apply critical thinking, a great sense for detail, information accuracy and enthusiasm for writing and researching art and culture.

• Assist with the planning,…