Department and Commission
Economic Development, Culture & Entrepreneurship, CAO Office

Vacancy Type
Internship

Posting Date
August 21, 2026

Application Deadline
August 28, 2026 at 5PM

About The Scholarship
The Dr. Sylvester and Mrs. Pauline Chuang Curatorial Scholarship is a paid internship, designed to support the next generation of curators, art historians, and collections managers, by providing meaningful, hands-on experience within a qualified public art gallery. This program offers emerging professionals the opportunity to engage critically with exhibitions, collections, and curatorial processes while developing their own research voice and professional practice.

Program Overview
Through a combination of mentorship, independent research, and collaborative project work, interns will gain insight into exhibition-making—from concept development and object research to interpretation and public engagement. The selected recipient will undertake a mutually agreed-upon project aligned with the Varley Art Gallery’s mission and curatorial direction, ensuring their work contributes meaningfully to institutional priorities while supporting their own research interests. The scholarship emphasizes rigorous inquiry, creativity, and inclusive approaches to storytelling, encouraging participants to explore diverse perspectives and contribute to accessible and relevant cultural programming.

Term
Annual cycle running September to August

Number of Awards
Maximum of two scholarships awarded per cycle

Duration
Each internship ranges from 4 to 6 months, scheduled within the annual cycle

Scholarship Award
The selected recipients will receive a scholarship of $5,000,



intended to support their participation in The Dr. Sylvester and Mrs. Pauline Chuang Curatorial Scholarship program. The award will be disbursed in scheduled payments over the course of the program. The Scholarship is administered by the Varley-McKay Art Foundation of Markham.

Eligibility Criteria Applicants must:

Be enrolled in a post-graduate program in Art History, Curatorial Studies, Museum Studies, Museum and Cultural Management, or similar program

Reside in Ontario, and be willing to travel to the Varley Art Gallery of Markham to execute duties as required

Be legally entitled to work in Canada

Potential research areas / projects

Gallery interpretation and accessibility

In-gallery animation

Exhibition and collection research

Database management and update

Sustainable exhibition design

Core Behaviours

Service Excellence: Meets or exceeds service standards when interacting with customers in the community and in the organization.

Change & Innovation: Responds positively and professionally to change and helps others through change.

Teamwork & Relationship Building: Interacts with others in an inclusive, collaborative and respectful way that creates effective working relationships.

Communication: Communicates in a clear, professional and respectful way; demonstrates active listening.

Accountable & Results Oriented:



Demonstrates ethical behaviour and accountability, aligns with City values, and abides by relevant policies and legislation.

Management & Leadership: Demonstrates self-management, professionalism and engagement; leads by example.

Core Values
At the City of Markham, our work is guided by a shared set of core values that shape how we serve our community and support one another.

Service Excellence: the consistent delivery of high-quality effective and customer-centric service that exceeds expectations.

Accountability: our obligation to be responsible and accountable for our actions, decisions and performance.

People-Focused: putting people first.

Trust: the confidence we place in each other to act with integrity and fairness.

Innovation: Investing in each other and the way we deliver our programs and services.

We are looking for candidates who bring these values to life through their actions, decisions, and leadership approach.

AI Disclosure
At the City of Markham, we value transparency and fairness in recruitment. While our system (ADP Workforce Now) includes AI-powered features, we do not use AI to screen, assess, or select applicants. All evaluations are conducted by people.

The City of Markham is committed to inclusive, accessible and barrier free employment practices and to creating a workplace that reflects and supports the diversity of the community we serve. Please let us know if you require accommodation and we will work with you to ensure a barrier free hiring process.

Please respect our scent free area by not wearing scented products when visiting the office.

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📌 The Dr. Sylvester and Mrs. Pauline Chuang Curatorial Internship (Ontario)
🏢 City of Markham
📍 Ontario