The New Voices Publishing Fellowship

Shaping the future of Canadian art

The New Voices Publishing Fellowship supports the professional growth of early-career art historians by providing meaningful mentorship and guiding them through the development of an online art book.

The $60,000 fellowship is awarded to one postdoctoral scholar, selected through a competitive adjudication process. Tenable for one year, the fellowship is a unique opportunity—the only in Canada—providing focused time and financial incentive to write a book that will be read widely by researchers and art lovers across the country. The Fellow will join the Art Canada Institute’s incredible community of authors and receive editorial support from ACI editors and mentorship from leading researchers in Canadian art history.

The fellowship is open to emerging scholars with significant knowledge and experience in the study of Canadian art, broadly defined to encompass historical, contemporary, Indigenous, and/or diasporic art practices in Canada. To be eligible for this opportunity, applicants must have completed their PhDs (in art history or a closely related discipline) within the past 7 years. They should also have a body of research that can be written up into a 30,000 to 40,000-word manuscript over the course of 12 months. Please see our full list of criteria to determine your eligibility.

Additional information can be found in our Frequently Asked Questions.

INSIDE THE FELLOWSHIP EXPERIENCE

The 12-month program includes:

• A publishing contract with ACI to produce an online art book
• Mentorship by trailblazing figures in the Canadian art world
• Dedicated editorial support for drafting and refining the Fellow’s manuscript
• Opportunities to present the Fellow’s project to ACI’s community of advisors, scholars, artists, and patrons

Making Canadian art a multi-vocal conversation

The New Voices Publishing Fellowship aligns with ACI’s mission to create accessible, multi-vocal content by supporting new publications on artists and topics that expand the public’s understanding of Canadian art.

Proposals on a wide range of artists, genres, topics, and themes relevant to current scholarship in the discipline are welcome. Eligible projects include (but are not limited to):

• Studies on the life and work of Indigenous and Canadian artists, artist groups, or collectives working in any medium or period.
• Survey studies on significant genres and art practices in Canada, such as craft, sculpture, ceramics, or landscape.
• Survey studies on major themes and critical issues in Canadian art history, such as identity, migration, or the work of women artists.
• Explorations of artistic movements or regional schools.
• Reinterpretations of canonical artists through new critical frameworks.

The fellowship supports the development of manuscripts that fall under ACI’s major series and publishing streams.

Life & Work: Each book in ACI’s Life & Work series offers an accessible, richly illustrated overview of an artist’s life, major works, and impact. Covering historical and contemporary artists working in diverse media and regions across the country, the series brings the stories of Canadian artists to national and international audiences. Titles in the Life & Work series include the following chapters:

• Biography
• Key Works
• Significance & Critical Issues
• Style & Technique
• Sources & Resources

Canadian Cities: Examining art centres across the country, ACI’s Canadian Cities series offers a new lens on regional art histories and their national significance. Each book focuses on a different city, highlighting the artists, institutions, and community builders that have defined its creative identity. To date, ACI has published books on Ottawa, Halifax, and Quebec City. ACI’s books on Canadian cities are structured with the following chapters:

• Preface
• Historical Overview
• Key Artists
• Art Associations, Institutions & Events
• Community Builders
• Sources & Resources

Artist Groups: The Artist Groups series explores the history, influence, and legacy of the most important collectives in Canadian art. From landmark groups like the Group of Seven and Painters Eleven to Indigenous art movements and regional collectives, the books in this new ACI examine how collaboration has shaped Canada’s visual culture. The series highlights shared ideals, collective breakthroughs, and the social and political contexts that brought artists together. Titles about artist groups include the following chapters:

• Overview
• Key Artists
• Significance & Critical Issues
• Styles & Techniques / Materials & Techniques
• Major Exhibitions
• Sources & Resources

Themes in Canadian Art: ACI’s thematic titles delve into the key subjects shaping the country’s art. These books explore how artists have responded to and reflected Canada’s social, political, and cultural landscape through diverse media and perspectives, offering in-depth insights that broaden our understanding of Canadian art beyond individual creators. To date, ACI has published thematic books on War Art and Photography in Canada. We welcome proposals for volumes that explore diverse subjects such as feminism, Indigenous resurgence, and the representation of diasporic identities and histories. The chapter breakdown for books in this series can be adapted according to the topic, but they typically cover:

• Historical Overview
• Key Works or Key Artists
• Genres & Critical Issues
• Materials & Techniques
• Sources & Resources