The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.
The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.
The Canada Council offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits and the chance to work in a dynamic team passionate about the arts in our sustainable new headquarters in Performance Court, just steps from Parliament Hill.
The Canada Council, a federal Crown corporation, is accountable to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage and is governed by an 11-member Board. The Board consists of a Chair, Vice-Chair and nine other members from across Canada. Along with the Director and CEO, they are appointed by the Governor in Council for fixed terms. The Board meets at least three times a year and is responsible for the organization’s policies, programs, budgets and grant decisions.
The Canada Council reports to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. It submits regular reports to several other government departments in line with schedules and regulations set by legislation and the departments.
Those reports include action plans or updates on meeting the requirements of:
An Annual Public Meeting is held early in each calendar year, usually in our Ottawa offices. Members of the public and the arts community are invited to participate in person, or via our livestream and social media channels.
The Council operates the Canadian Commission for the UNESCO (CCUNESCO). The Commission oversees UNESCO activities in Canada, serving as an independent forum for consultation and reflection on the opportunities to build a peaceful, equitable and a sustainable future. It is managed by a 17-member executive committee composed of representatives of government departments, academics and other experts in education, culture and world heritage. It helps governments, organizations and individual Canadians share information and makes recommendations to the federal government on UNESCO programs and budgets.
The Canada Council Art Bank offers Canadians unique public access to contemporary Canadian visual art through its three programs – art rental, loans to museums and outreach projects. The collection includes more than 17,000 works by over 3,000 Canadian artists, including those from Indigenous and culturally diverse backgrounds. The collection is accessible to all through its website artbank.ca.
The 3,000-square-foot Âjagemô exhibition hall at the Canada Council offices is a display and performance space for contemporary Canadian art. Taking its name from an Algonquin word for “crossroads,” Âjagemô gives Canadians an opportunity to see works from the Art Bank collection and to experience other art events.