The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) announced yesterday that Jean-François Bélisle will be its new Director and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Interim Director Angela Cassie, who has had a turbulent year at the helm after succeeding to the late Sasha Suda, current director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, last summer. Bélisle assumes the position, a five-year term announced by the Honorable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, on July 17.
Cassie’s departure from the NGC was announced in an article in the The Globe and Mail late last week, who said the management change was expected earlier, around the end of March. The position was first posted in January, according to an article in The Citizen of Ottawa. THE World says she will return to Winnipeg, where she previously held several leadership positions at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Cassie’s tenure at the NGC saw the firing of key staff, including Chief Curator Kitty Scott, Senior Curator of Indigenous Art Greg A. Hill, and Director of Curatorial and Technical Research Stephen Grit.
Bélisle most recently served for seven years as Director General and Chief Curator of the Musée d’art de Joliette (MAJ), a town located about halfway between Montreal and Trois-Rivières, Quebec, just north of Lawrence River and perhaps best known as the birthplace of a former Montreal Canadiens hockey coach. Bélisle oversaw the programming of 16 to 20 temporary exhibitions each year, doubling attendance while developing what the NGC called “a harmonious and motivating team spirit.” He also prioritized outreach through a variety of community projects. he has held senior positions in the visual arts in Canada, the United States, Europe and China.
Notable Bélisle accomplishments include curating the first edition of the Foire d’art Papier (now known as the Plural Contemporary Art Fair) in 2007 in downtown Montreal and organizing the representation official of the visual arts of Montreal at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010. He has also contributed essays and reviews of exhibitions to national and international publications.
“We are delighted to welcome Jean-François to the Museum,” said Françoise Lyon, Chair of the Museum’s Board of Directors, when his appointment was announced. roadmap, transform together. Jean-François’ mandate, focused on art, will continue the transformation of the Museum into a national museum open to all Canadians, regardless of their political, religious or cultural identity”.
“I believe that art can change society and I look forward to working with Museum staff, as well as artists from across the country, to ensure that our institution continues to be a tremendous force for good. said Bélisle upon his appointment as director of the NGC. “I also intend to engage with donors and undertake consultations with Museum partners and other important stakeholders, including various national arts institutions and associations.
“In addition, we will continue to pursue national collaborative projects to ensure that the Museum plays a leadership role in Canadian visual arts from coast to coast,” added Bélisle. “I strongly believe that by working together with museums, galleries and art collectives across the country, together we can make a difference. At the same time, we will continue to pursue international projects to increase the presence of Canadian artists on the international artistic scene”.
The series of reshuffles at the NGC departs somewhat from recent years, with Marc Mayer(2009-19), Pierre Theberge (1998-2008) and Shirley Thompson (1987-1997) all serving for 10 years as directors. British-born Eric Brown, the gallery’s first director, presided for about three decades.
