Call for Applications: Centre A Art Writing Mentorship 2026

ABOUT THE MENTORSHIP:

Facilitated by program mentor Dr. Yani Kong, this is a four month program for five Asian-identified artists and writers ages 19-29. This summer intensive aims to introduce art writing and criticism to a small cohort of locally based Asian-identified youth through weekly writing, peer reviews, talks, and workshops with visiting professionals, one-on-one consultations, and visits to local galleries.

Participants will develop and practice skills for writing critically about the arts. These skills will be cultivated by reading, researching, and analyzing a selection of popular and academic arts criticism and other forms of arts writing that operates across the disciplines; and by workshopping our own writing and creative projects. 

We’ll cultivate skills towards writing critical reviews and essays; program and gallery notes; and artist, curatorial, and mission statements, and other forms of creative responses. The focus will be to closely examine, unpack, and revise our writing (both individually and with peers) to ensure its substantive and stylistic engagement with the work being represented and/or critiqued, but also to consider writing as a daily or frequent practice that helps us think otherwise with art. Our goal is to become honest, intelligent, and creative communicators about our own and others’ artistic practices. In addition to responding to a range of works, participants will be asked to comment on a selection of artworks and performances across the city, and connect with artists and writers within the program to foster discussion, expression, and community.

PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY:

• Open to Asian-identified youth between the ages of 19-29 residing in Metro Vancouver
• May be a high-school graduate, post-secondary student, or early/emerging arts professional. (Emerging writers described as being unpublished, or having published twice maximum)
• Must be able to commit to the entirety of the program’s duration (16 weeks), including weekly in-person sessions every Saturday (11am-4pm TBC), and one Sunday June 14t
• Have an interest in contemporary art, critical writing, creative writing, and/or curation, passionate about Vancouver’s arts and culture scenes
• Should have strong English reading and writing comprehension
• The ability to provide ONE writing sample (published or unpublished), i.e. essay, article, review, poem, blog post, or other piece of creative or critical writing (maximum 1000 words)
• Be willing to learn, listen, and work alongside a community of BIPOC cultural workers

BENEFITS:

• Hands-on experience working alongside established writers, editors, and curators in a professional setting
• One-on-one mentorship and support from an experienced writer towards the development of one’s writing practice
• The opportunity to connect and collaborate with other emerging writers in Vancouver
• Opportunities for networking and collaboration with publishers, publications, galleries, and arts institutions
• Exclusive access to in-person and online workshops on special topics in art writing 
• The production of two high-quality, peer reviewed pieces of critical and/or creative writing 
• $1,800 participant honorarium at the successful completion of the program

ABOUT THE MENTOR:

Yani Kong is a writer, editor, and scholar of contemporary art in Vancouver, Canada. She has published essays for The Photographer’s Gallery, London, UK; The Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation, Vancouver BC; The Freedman Gallery, Reading, PA, among numerous reviews. Kong holds a Doctorate in Contemporary Art from the School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) at SFU, where she researched reception aesthetics, ethical philosophy, and contemporary art history. As the managing director of the Small Files Media Society she explores digital ecology and sustainable practices in filmmaking and streaming media. Kong is a faculty member at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Culture and Community.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Location: Programming will be conducted both ONLINE (Zoom) and IN-PERSON at Centre A, 205–268 Keefer Street, Vancouver, BC. Accessibility details are listed below in the “About Centre A” section.

Dates: May 3–August 22, 2026 (16 weeks), with virtual and/or in-person workshops occurring every Saturday (11am–4pm TBC), and one Sunday on June 14th.

Commitment: The program will run once a week for 5 hours each Saturday (including a 1 hour lunch break), with additional readings and writing assignments to be completed independently in between sessions (totalling approximately 8-10 hours each week). There will be an additional workshop day on Sunday, June 14th.

Remuneration: Participants will receive an honorarium of $1,800 for successful completion of the program (including attendance at a minimum of 14 of 16 sessions)

HOW TO APPLY:

Deadline to submit: Tuesday March 31, 2026, 11:59 PM PST

Please read eligibility and application criteria carefully. Submit the documents below in a single PDF file by email to info@centrea.org with “Art Writing Mentorship Application 2026” in the subject line.

Your application should include:

• Your contact information 
• A letter of intent (500 words maximum) outlining your background and interest in contemporary art, art writing, art criticism, or curation, as well as your goals for participating in the program
• A curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum)
• One writing sample (1000 words maximum)
• Contact details for one reference
• Any access needs

Successful applicants can expect to hear back by April 15, 2026. Due to the large volume of applications, we are unable to respond to every applicant. 

ABOUT CENTRE A:

Established in 1999, Centre A is the only public art gallery in Canada dedicated to contemporary Asian and Asian diasporic perspectives. We are committed to providing a platform for engaging diverse communities through public access to the arts, creating mentorship opportunities for emerging artists and arts professionals, and stimulating critical dialogue through provocative exhibitions and innovative public programs that complicate understandings of migrant experiences and diasporic communities. In addition to our exhibition space, we house a reading room with a collection of books on transnational Asian art, including the Finlayson Collection of Rare Asian Art Books.

Centre A is located in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, on the second floor of the Sun Wah Centre Mall. The gallery is located on the second floor of a wheelchair-accessible building which has an elevator. Bathrooms are gendered with accessible stalls. Please contact us at info@centrea.org for full details, including any accommodation requests. 

–

This program is generously supported by Canada Council for the Arts and BC Arts Council.