Call for Submissions – Indigenous Artist-in-Residence at McCord Stewart Museum

Montreal, April 29, 2025. – The McCord Stewart Museum, in collaboration with the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the Contemporary Native Art Biennial, is inviting First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists to submit an application for its Artist-in-Residence program.

The Artist-in-Residence program was created in 2012 out of a desire to endow the McCord Stewart Museum’s collections with new meanings by viewing them through the eyes of a contemporary artist. It is a way to rediscover the collections from other perspectives. The Artist-in-Residence program invites artists to take a critical and conceptual look at the Museum’s collections, reflecting on the connections between their artistic practice and the objects and stories they uncover during their research. As part of this research-oriented creative activity, artists are encouraged to communicate their own interpretation of the collection and propose new ways of interpreting history in its many forms.

This call for submissions covers a seven-month residency, from August 4, 2025, to February 27, 2026, during which a First Nations, Inuit or Métis artist will explore the Museum’s collections to find inspiration for a research-creation project. The residency will conclude with the presentation of a solo exhibition at the McCord Stewart Museum in early summer 2026.

This project has received funding from the Conseil des arts de Montréal and support from the Contemporary Native Art Biennial. The Artist-in-Residence will receive a total of $10,000: $4,000 for researching and creating the project and $6,000 in artist fees for the exhibition. The Museum will also cover travel expenses and per diems. The artist will be selected by a jury composed of one member from the Contemporary Native Art Biennial, and two members from the Museum. Although this research residency does not include the use of a studio inside the Museum, it does offer unprecedented access to the collections and comprehensive support from the McCord Stewart Museum’s research and exhibition production teams.

This residency is aimed at artists who meet the following eligibility criteria, set forth by the Conseil des arts de Montréal:

• be a mid-career solo artist (five years of experience), working professionally or recognized by one’s peers and/or Indigenous communities
• belong to a First Nations, Inuit or Métis community
• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• have periods of availability from August 4, 2025, to February 27, 2026
• have access to an art studio or personal space in which to create

The selection criteria are as follows:

• originality of artistic approach
• flexibility and autonomy
• awareness of the McCord Stewart Museum’s collections
• project’s impact on the candidate’s career
• benefits for First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities and for the Museum

Your application should include the following elements:

• an up-do-date CV
• 10 images of your work and/or installations
• a brief biography and artist statement
• a letter of intent describing the proposed research-creation project, its objectives, a timeline for the seven-month residency, how the residency relates to your artistic approach, and the desired results

Submissions must be sent no later than May 26, 2025. Complete the online form: musee-mccord-stewart.ca/baca-2026-en/

For any questions, please contact:
Eve Martineau
Coordinator, Exhibitions
residence-artiste@mccord-stewart.ca