How to Apply

Application materials

As part of the application process, applicants must submit the following elements by January 16, 2026.

Please submit all components of the application via the online application form.

1. 1. Completed Application Form

2. 2. 2. CV

2. 3. Manuscript Proposal

A 3,500-word proposal outlining the topic and chapter structure (using ACI’s book series as guides) of the applicant’s manuscript project. The proposal must demonstrate how the applicant plans to work with the structure and format of an ACI online art book. The applicant must therefore include the following components in the proposal:

• A working title and note about which ACI series the manuscript would be published under.
• A short abstract (200–250 words) offering an engaging summary of the manuscript’s subject and central argument/narrative.
• An overview (2,000–2,500 words) of the contents of the manuscript, including detailed summaries for each chapter (with examples of possible section headings). The overview must also include a selection of approximately 10 relevant key artworks or key artists that the applicant intends to include in the manuscript, with short summaries that detail the significance of each selection.
• A short discussion (500 words) explaining the significance of the project and demonstrating how the manuscript will build upon or critically intervene within existing art historical scholarship on the topic.

4. 4. Short Essay Questions

Along with a manuscript proposal, the applicant must answer the following short essay questions, which are designed to reflect on the applicant’s lived experience, personal history, education, and expertise. Applicants must prepare short, 300-word responses to the following questions:

• ACI is committed to expanding access to Canadian art history through digital publications and inclusive storytelling. What interests you most about the opportunity to complete a manuscript with ACI? How do your professional objectives align with ACI’s mission and publishing model?
• How do you engage with your subject matter? Outline the methodologies, frameworks, and other theoretical concerns that guide your research and writing practice.
• What ethical considerations are necessary for your work? Please outline how you maintain respectful relationships with the people, communities, and practices that may be impacted by your work.
• The New Voices Publishing Fellowship is tenable for only 12 months, and we expect that the Fellow will be able to complete a full draft of a manuscript (between 30,000 and 40,000 words) within that time. Please describe how you would meet this objective.

5. Written Consent
For projects that propose to engage with the work of a living artist, the applicant must secure written consent from the artist in question, demonstrating that the artist agrees to be the subject of an eventual ACI book. Applications should include documentation of said consent. This requirement applies to projects on living artists only.

5. 6. Letters of Reference

Applicants are required to submit two letters of reference, from referees who have supervised the applicant in a professional or educational environment and can speak to the candidate’s expertise and ability to complete the scope of work and to the potential impact of the project, both for the candidate and the field. Please include the names and email addresses of your referees in the online application form. Referees must submit their letters separately via email to fellowships@aci-iac.ca.

7. 7. Writing Sample

Applicants must submit a writing sample that best reflects their critical voice. The sample should be no longer than 10 pages.

Adjudication Process

Applications will be assessed by a committee of external adjudicators who represent a broad range of expertise in the study of Canadian art history. Adjudicators will consider the following criteria:

1. 1. Relevance and originality

• Is the topic relevant to Canadian art history and aligned with the ACI’s publishing mandate?
• Does the applicant’s project offer a fresh perspective or address a gap in existing writing on Canadian art?

2. Evidence of research and focus

• Is there evidence of rigorous research and a sound conceptual framework?
• Does the proposed manuscript demonstrate critical engagement with existing literature and methodologies?
• Are the objectives of the manuscript well defined?

1. 3. Contribution to the field

• Does the proposed manuscript help to broaden the public’s understanding of a topic or subject in Canadian art?

4. Scope and feasibility

• Is the project accessible and engaging for a general reader?
• Is the project appropriate for ACI’s publication format?
• Can the author realistically complete the manuscript draft within a year?

5. Author expertise and preparedness

• Does the applicant demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the topic?
• Does the applicant’s background and experience support successful completion of the manuscript?
• If the project focuses on the life and work of a single artist (or group of artists): has the applicant demonstrated support for the project from the artist or the artist’s estate/representative?

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview with ACI directors and members of the Fellowship Advisory Committee. Interviews will take place in April 2026.

The selected Fellow will be announced publicly in June 2026, and the fellowship will commence in September 2026.

Banner image: Pitseolak Ashoona, The Eyes of a Happy Woman, c. 1974, coloured felt-tip pen on paper, 66.2 x 51 cm, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. © Dorset Fine Arts.