MMFA hires new curator, months after Black curator resigned

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The Montreal Museum of High-quality Arts has named a brand new curator of Quebec and Canadian modern artwork, 4 months after the girl who beforehand held the place stepped down and mentioned she was employed as an “picture of change” however not supported.

Anne-Marie St-Jean Aubre will take over because the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Curator of Quebec and Canadian Up to date Artwork (1945 to At this time), starting June 12. She replaces eunice bélidor (who doesn’t use capital letters in her title), who resigned in January after lower than two years on the job, saying she was employed to symbolize range however was by no means given the instruments to thrive on the establishment.

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Employed in April 2021, bélidor turned the primary Black curator within the museum’s historical past.

“I believe everybody needs to work in collegiality, studying and sharing information and experiences,” she instructed the Montreal Gazette by electronic mail in March. “It was not my expertise.”

In an interview with the Brooklyn-based on-line arts journal Hyperallergic, bélidor mentioned: “Establishments don’t care about Black workers’ well-being.”

Describing herself as “the Black Lives Matter rent,” she continued: “Establishments don’t need to make adjustments. They simply need it to seem like they’re making adjustments.”

In a March interview with the Gazette, MMFA director Stéphane Aquin denied the museum employed bélidor as a result of she is Black, saying she was employed as a result of she was the most effective candidate.

“We employed her as a result of we believed she was the precise individual for this job,” he mentioned. “We wished her to convey a broad perspective on artwork historical past, to convey a brand new voice and perspective.”

Aquin acknowledged bélidor “was not supported sufficient,” saying: “We’ll see what we are able to do to enhance.”

St-Jean Aubre, who’s white, holds a grasp of arts from Université du Québec à Montréal and a bachelor of effective arts and French literature from the College of Ottawa. She has labored as an artwork critic, unbiased curator and museum curator for greater than 12 years.

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Mary-Dailey Desmarais, chief curator of the MMFA, was not obtainable for an interview about St-Jean Aubre’s hiring.

“The Montreal Museum of High-quality Arts is thrilled to welcome Anne-Marie St-Jean Aubre to its group,” Desmarais mentioned in an announcement. “She has demonstrated an excellent dedication to the development of Quebec and Canadian artists on each a nationwide and worldwide degree. Her in depth information of latest practices, her shut ties with the creative group and her sensitivity to points affecting our society make her a useful asset to our establishment, which aspires to current new views on artwork and provides voice to artists of our time.”

Stephen A. Jarislowsky was equally enthusiastic.

“Canadian museums are the place to indicate Canadians and the world the attractive work of our artists,” he mentioned in an announcement. “The MMFA was in a position to appeal to a brand new curator for the gathering whose information of Canadian artwork is acknowledged as unsurpassed by consultants throughout Canada.”

Earlier than being employed on the MMFA, St-Jean Aubre was curator of latest artwork on the Musée d’artwork de Joliette, the place she highlighted girls artists and artists from numerous cultural backgrounds.

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She has served as a curator on the SBC Gallery of Up to date Artwork, and curator and creative co-director on the Darling Foundry, each in Montreal. She has additionally overseen solo and group exhibitions on the Clark and Diagonale artwork centres, and the Musée d’artwork contemporain des Laurentides in St-Jérôme. Her writings have been printed within the journals Ciel variable and Esse Arts + Opinions.

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