ICCA Launches 2026 Curatorial Fee Schedule to Support Fair and Sustainable Pay for Indigenous Curators

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The ICCA Launches 2026 Curatorial Fee Schedule to Support Fair and Sustainable Pay for Indigenous Curators

Ottawa, Ontario — August 31st, 2026

The Indigenous Curatorial Collective / Collectif des commissaires autochtones (ICCA) is pleased to release its 2026 Curatorial Compensation Policy, a new national resource created to support fair, transparent and sustainable compensation for independent Indigenous curators.

The policy responds to a longstanding gap in the arts sector. While curators are increasingly recognized as creative leaders, cultural workers and knowledge holders, independent curators continue to negotiate contracts without consistent fee benchmarks or a shared framework that reflects the full scope of their work.

For Indigenous curators, that work often includes cultural protocol, community accountability, relationship-building, mentorship, intergenerational knowledge-sharing and navigating between Indigenous knowledge systems and institutional structures. These responsibilities require significant time, care and expertise, yet they are rarely recognized within conventional compensation models.

“This policy is one way ICCA can make a practical and lasting contribution to the sector while directly supporting Indigenous curators,” said Liz Barron, Director of ICCA. “Our curators carry relationships, knowledge, experience and responsibilities that extend far beyond the delivery of an exhibition. Their work must be recognized and compensated accordingly. This schedule gives curators a tool to help them negotiate with greater clarity and confidence.”

The 2026 Curatorial Compensation Policy provides:

• minimum recommended fees for independent curators;

• project-based fee ranges reflecting experience, scale and complexity;

• adjustments for the duration and scope of a project;

• separate rates for writing, public programming and mentorship;

• guidance for contracts, payment schedules and reimbursable expenses;

• recognition of cultural, community-based and relational labour; and

• a minimum recommended fee floor of $5,000 for any independent curatorial project.

The policy is intended as a starting point for negotiation, not a ceiling. It also provides arts organizations, galleries, museums, funders and project partners with a clear framework for developing more equitable contracts and project budgets.

ICCA recognizes that Indigenous curatorial practice is relational and cumulative. Curators bring established relationships with artists, communities and territories, as well as years of knowledge and experience. Supporting Indigenous curators therefore strengthens the broader cultural ecosystems in which they work.

ICCA extends its sincere thanks to all of the Indigenous curators who shared their experiences, knowledge and perspectives throughout the development of this work. Their contributions were essential to creating a resource grounded in the realities of independent Indigenous curatorial practice.

ICCA also thanks its project partners, Indigenous Protocols and CARFAC National, for their support and collaboration. A very special thank you is extended to the Indigenous Editors Association for its important contribution to bringing this resource to completion.

The 2026 Curatorial Compensation Policy reflects ICCA’s continuing commitment to advocacy, sector development and the creation of meaningful professional resources for First Nations, Inuit and Métis curators.

The 2026 Indigenous Curatorial Fee Schedule can be accessed at the ICCA Virtual Resource Center (VRC).

About the Indigenous Curatorial Collective (ICCA)

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Media contact:

Liz Barron
Director
Indigenous Curatorial Collective / Collectif des commissaires autochtones