National Gallery of Canada Launches Indigenous Art Research Residency with $50K Annual Stipend
Event summary
- National Gallery of Canada (NGC) names Sherry Farrell Racette as inaugural Audain Indigenous Curatorial Scholar in Residence.
- Three-year residency focuses on historical Indigenous art research, beginning later in 2026.
- Fellowship includes $50,000 annual stipend plus travel and research support.
- Research project titled 'Knowledge Repatriation / A Pedagogy of Looking' will culminate in public symposium and publication.
- NGC partners with The Audain Foundation to fund and support the residency.
The big picture
This residency represents a strategic deepening of NGC's commitment to Indigenous-led research and institutional decolonization. As museums worldwide face increasing pressure to address colonial legacies in their collections, NGC's structured approach—combining financial support, institutional access, and public dissemination—sets a precedent for how art institutions might systematically integrate Indigenous perspectives. The $50,000 annual stipend underscores the growing recognition of Indigenous scholarship as critical to the future of cultural heritage institutions.
What we're watching
- Research Impact
- How Farrell Racette's findings will influence NGC's handling of Indigenous collections and whether her methodology becomes a model for other institutions.
- Institutional Transformation
- The pace at which NGC can implement structural changes based on Indigenous-led research and community feedback.
- Funding Continuity
- Whether The Audain Foundation will extend or expand its support beyond this initial three-year commitment.
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