In the wake of the recent resignation of Alicia Dubois, Executive Director of the Royal British Columbia Museum (RBCM) in Victoria, British Columbia, 16 months after being hired, concerns remain about the future of the beloved but troubled institution.
The museum announced Dubois’ resignation five weeks before the scheduled July 29 reopening of its Old City exhibit – a facsimile of a colonial-era Vancouver Island community – whose closure in July 2022 in the name of “decolonizationsparked public outcry and intense criticism of the new chief executive.
“Having laid a solid foundation with the province and partners for the future of the museum, the executive director feels she is no longer best suited for the role,” said Leslie Brown, chair of the board of trustees. museum, in a statement. Dubois “also cited personal reasons relating to the family.”
Brown also praised Dubois – who will remain in his role until an interim chief executive is found – expressing “gratitude” for “prioritizing and advancing organizational cultural transformation” and “engagement with communities on what the future of the museum might look like”.
Dubois, an Indigenous lawyer and former Royal Ontario Museum trustee who has held senior positions in financial services and Indigenous markets at major Canadian banks, was named the museum’s managing director in February 2022, replacing Dan Muzyka, then acting CEO. Former museum executive Jack Lohman resigned in 2021. Former Managing Director of Iziko Museums in Cape Town, South Africa and Director of the Museum of London, Lohman left the RBCM after a report by a diversity and inclusion consultant called the institution “ dysfunctional and toxic workplace characterized by a culture of fear and distrust”.
The report was triggered by the resignation of Lucy Bell, the museum’s former head of Indigenous collections and repatriation, in 2020. In her farewell speechshe cited a racist and anti-Indigenous work culture.
When Dubois was hired last February, hopes were high that her plans to modernize the museum and make it more inclusive would help the 137-year-old institution transition into a new era. The ruling New Democratic Party (NDP) in the provincial government has given him its steadfast support as the face behind plans to build a new museum and collections center for nearly 1 billion Canadian dollars $758 million).
Former NDP leader Carole James, a member of the museum’s board, said at the time of Dubois’ appointment the board was impressed with his cross-cultural expertise and experience in “managing change” within large organizations. complex.
But after public outcry over the cost of the new museum in a post-pandemic recession – and calls from First Nations groups for funds to go to repatriation of artifacts and an aboriginal cultural center – then British Columbia Premier John Horgan abruptly canceled the plans just over a month after he announced them. Instead, he ordered the museum to undertake “community engagement” last June and in January this year, according to a press release from the museum, to launch a “worldwide community engagement” campaign. Province”.
Plans to build a new museum have been put on hold, while a contract to build the new C$205 million ($155 million) Royal British Columbia Museum Collections and Research Building project in Colwood was awarded last February. The 164,000 square foot project, designed by Vancouver firm Michael Green Architecture, is expected to be completed in 2026.
But with half of the 1.2 million Canadian dollars ($910,000) allocated by the provincial government for community engagement already spent, it’s unclear exactly what will have changed when the Old City the exhibit reopens next month beyond ‘context panels’ designed to encourage ‘critical thinking’. Much of the exhibit, including the lounge, hotel, and showcases in Chinatown, could not be removed due to asbestos issues.
In an interview with The arts journalBrown says the reopening of Old City increase the public engagement process by providing opportunities for visitors to express their views. The exhibit’s retro movie theater will now show historical footage showcasing BC’s diverse voices and stories instead of old Hollywood silent films. The exhibition’s former drapery shop will be hollowed out and left as an empty space where the public can “imagine what they want to fill it with”.
“There are huge issues with the building and asbestos is just one of them,” Brown said, also citing the need for seismic upgrades. “At some point we will have to replace him, but no decision has been made.”
In the meantime, she says, “we are focused on revitalizing what we have now and building the new collections and research center. After that, we can think about the current building envelope, although we are actively working on assessments and repairs. »
Despite the departure of two CEOs in just two years, Brown says he’s “optimistic,” citing “a passionate and engaged staff” and four new exhibits, including this month’s. Angkor: Cambodia’s Lost Empire (until January 14, 2024).
“We have incredible collections that we are stewards of,” says Brown. “And I feel a real sense of responsibility to take care of them.” She adds: “Now we have to ask ourselves: ‘What stories do we want our museums to tell?’ »
The museum has the largest collection of BC First Nations archaeological materials in the world. During Dubois’ tenure, some of the museum’s artifacts were returned to local First Nations, including a Bella Coola totem pole that was part of the museum’s collection. for over 100 years.
The RBCM is one of the oldest museums in Canada, founded in 1886, and with more than 7 million objects, including natural history specimens, Aboriginal works and archaeological artifacts, as well as the collection of documents Archives of British Columbia, established in 1894.
