Employment opportunity: Artistic and General Director

Deadline: July 25, 2025

About the organisation

Dazibao is an exhibition center dedicated to the dissemination and outreach of contemporary image-based practices, supporting research, experimentation and critical reflection by valorizing practices rooted in the social issues of today. 

Through rigorous, varied and relevant programming — solo and group exhibitions, film and video programs, artist residencies, publications, public programs, outreach projects — the center investigates the discourses, uses and modes of dissemination of images, raising artistic, historical and social questions that connect with multiple audiences and communities. By bringing together works from local, national and international practices, Dazibao places local art within a more global discourse and exposes the local community to art from elsewhere.

Dazibao is a center dedicated to artists, offering quality accompaniment and attentive support from the conception of a project to its dissemination. Dazibao works to ensure that each collaboration with an artist provides an experience that has a significant impact on the development of their art and the visibility of their practice.

A nonprofit organization, Dazibao is an attentive, open and inclusive space that upholds the principles of equity, parity, diversity and cultural hybridity, affirming that art is a field of knowledge that enables us to explore and rethink our relationship with the world to inhabit it better. Committed to the importance of accessibility to culture, the center's activities are free and open to all. 

Learn more about the mission and the history of the organization here.

The Position

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Artistic and General Director leads Dazibao’s artistic, administrative, and strategic direction. They develop and implement the artistic vision and orientations of the centre, aligned with its mission and values. They are responsible for the overall supervision of programming, including exhibitions, publications, residencies, cultural mediation activities, and special projects. They ensure the coherence, rigor, and high quality of programming, and they contribute to the centre’s reach locally, nationally, and internationally.

Main Responsibilities

Artistic Direction and Programming

· Define the programming’s orientations in line with developments in contemporary image-based practices and develop curatorial initiatives.

· Oversee the implementation of programming and supervise all stages of its realization in close collaboration with the team.

· Lead the organization’s editorial activities, ensure their realization, and contribute to their content.

· Maintain ongoing dialogue with artists and partners involved in the centre's projects.

· Develop meaningful partnerships that contribute to the centre's reach and visibility.

Vision and Leadership

· Develop and implement the centre’s artistic, strategic, and organizational orientations in consultation with the Board of Directors.

· Ensure the programming’s coherence and relevance in alignment with the centre’s mission and supervise its realization.

Governance and Administration

· Oversee the sound administrative and financial management of the organization.

· Prepare and manage annual budgets and ensure rigorous monitoring.

· Write or supervise the writing of grant applications and reports required by funders in close collaboration with the team.

· Manage human resources and supervise staff, collaborators, and contractors.

· Participate in Board meetings, member assemblies, and internal committees.

· Ensure the application of the organization’s policies and compliance with applicable laws.

Development and Visibility

· Strengthen Dazibao’s position within the artistic landscape locally, nationally, and internationally.

· Represent the organization before government bodies and peer groups.

· Identify and develop new partnerships, including internationally.

Required qualifications and skills

· Minimum five years of experience in leading a cultural organization or proven experience managing major projects, demonstrating the ability to oversee financial, human, and material resources.

· In-depth knowledge of current visual arts practices and their related issues, more specifically in contemporary image-based practices.

· Strong understanding of art history, especially photography, video, and film.

· Demonstrated skills in team management, strategic planning, and funding research.

· Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to manage priorities and lead multiple projects simultaneously.

· Excellent communication skills in both French and English, written and spoken, with the ability to write substantive texts in one of the two languages.

· A clear commitment to prioritizing the organization’s mission, activities, and collaborators.

· Desired qualities: leadership, openness, rigor, audacity, attentiveness, diplomacy, ethical sensibility, and ability to manage stress effectively.

Employment Conditions

· Full-time position, 35 hours/week (primarily in-person, with occasional evenings and weekends during events).

· One-year contract, renewable.

· Starting annual salary of $55,000 to $60,000, depending on experience.

· Four-week vacation during the summer and time off during the Holiday season (after one year of employment).

· Start date: Fall 2025.

· Possibility of an annual professional development budget.

· As Dazibao does not offer a group insurance plan, the organization provides a 3.5 % salary supplement and covers 50 % of an RRSP contribution up to $ 1,000.

Application Process

Please send a detailed CV including a list of your most significant accomplishments (curatorial projects, publications, lectures, etc.) and a cover letter outlining your interest and vision for Dazibao (maximum 1,000 words) to: embauche@dazibao.art with the subject line “Artistic and General Director” by July 25, 2025.

Dazibao is committed to diversity and inclusion and strongly encourages applications from individuals who identify as members of a minority group. Applicants who require accommodations at any stage of the hiring process are invited to make their needs known.

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.