Call for Artists 2026
The goal of our six-month residency is to enable an artist to create new work that advances their art practice while also aligning with the Museum’s mandate. We are currently planning for the spring 2027 launch of the exhibition LULLABY from MELKI Films. This year we are looking for a local musician, music teacher or ethnomusicologist to create a 60 minute, music-based, school group/youth workshop inspired by LULLABY. Contact Carrie-Ann Smith for a description of the exhibition.
The selected artist will also serve as an advisor to the Public Programs and Community Engagement team as they plan the public programs that will be delivered during the run of LULLABY.
Workshops should be appropriate for grades 5 to 9 and meet one or more curriculum outcomes. The workshops should be educational but this will be part of our summer programming so we are hoping that they will be fun and engaging.
Compensation for this six-month residency is $15,000. Ownership of the workshop materials and any original music that may be created will remain with the artist. This program does not include accommodations and is only open for those working in Nova Scotia. They will be paid separately if we choose to offer their program to youth the following year so applicants must be available for 2 or 3 weekday mornings a week in the spring and fall of 2027.
Apply to the Artist in Residence Program
Schedule:
- Application deadline January 30, 2026 for submission to our 2026 Residency Program
- Selection of artist March 6, 2026
- Review project plan and develop an implementation plan with staff April/May 2026
- Project execution April/May to September/October 2026
Compensation:
$15,000 (including artist fee, supplies, travel and stipends for any collaborators)
Criteria for Selection:
- Applicant demonstrates artistic excellence and professionalism. (30)
- Proposed project will appeal to teachers and students in its exploration of the theme. (40)
- Feasibility of the proposed workshop. (20)
- Proposed workshop focuses on an under-represented people/subject. (10)
Submission Requirements:
Please submit the following items by January 30, 2026. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.
- Full contact information
- Proposal: a description of your proposed project
- Brief project plan with a timeline and milestones
- Curriculum vitae
- Work samples (3 to 5 work samples, articles or reviews, whatever best conveys your work)
A short list of up to 3 artists may be interviewed prior to selection.
Email submissions to:
Carrie-Ann Smith, Vice-President, Visitor Experience
Supported by TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment Initiative.
Past Artist-in-Residence Projects
2024 - Long-Distance-Short (working title)
Santiago Guzmán
Santiago holds a BFA in Theatre from Memorial University. He was the inaugural recipient of the John Palmer Award 2022 through the Playwrights Guild of Canada for being a change-maker in the theatre industry for advocacy in the arts in the areas of equity, diversity, and anti-racism.
2024 - Od Dzvezdena Prašina (From Stardust)
Annie Valentina
Annie Valentina holds a BA in Theatre from Dalhousie University. She served as Artistic Associate of Neptune Theatre from 2018 to 2023, and is also a well-regarded director locally and nationally. She was a 2014 Merritt Award nominee for her play Alien.
2023 - Dancing Kmɨtkinu
shalan joudry
shalan is a Mi’kmaw mother and narrative artist working in many mediums. She is a poet, playwright, podcast producer, storyteller and actor, as well as a cultural interpreter.
2022 - Immigrant Workers Center
Tamara Abdul Hadi
Tamara Abdul Hadi has an MFA from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver and has taught photography for multimedia at Concordia and photography intervention courses in Cairo and Beirut.
2021 - Our Immigrant Stories
Aquil Virani
Aquil is an award-winning visual artist, graphic designer and filmmaker who blurs the line between art and activism, often integrating public participation into his socially-conscious art projects.
2019 - An Ocean of Change
Katarina Marinic
Katarina recently graduated with an MFA from NSCAD University in 2019. She has a BFA with a major in photography from NSCAD in 2017, and a diploma in Applied Photography from Sheridan College.
2018 - Refuge Canada
Shauna MacLeod
Shauna is a NSCAD graduate who has been working as a studio potter since 2012. She is one of a handful of ceramic artists working with Nova Scotia red earthenware clay.
2017 - THE “HERE AND ELSEWHERE” BEE
Andrea Tsang Jackson
Andrea is an emerging textile artist who holds a Master’s Degree in Architecture from McGill University and a Master’s Degree in Arts in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her work has been published in Flare, the Chronicle Herald, and The Coast.
2016 - To Those Still At Sea...
Kyle Jackson
Kyle is a multidisciplinary artist who works with paint and interactive sculpture. A graduate of NSCADU with a Degree in Painting, Kyle’s art practice is primarily spent creating and building work to charm and engage the world.