A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR AND CEO

What is happening?
• We are making changes to the Curatorial Affairs division to better achieve the goals that we have outlined in our Strategic Plan.
• We have decided to redefine the position of Executive Director, Curatorial Affairs to focus primarily on curatorial and collection responsibilities and donor relations. The job title will be Chief Curator.
• Effective immediately, the Exhibitions department will report to Alicia Vandermeer, who assumes the role of Chief, Visitor Experience & Exhibitions
• Alicia will continue to lead the Visitor Experience team which includes: Security, Membership & Group Sales and Visitor Services.
• Alicia will report directly to me on Exhibitions, while continuing her reporting relationship with the Chief Business Officer on Visitor Experience.
• Jessica Bright, Interim Head, Exhibition Development and Senior Project Manager and Iain Hoadley, Interim Head, Exhibitions Operations and Senior Project Manager, will report directly to Alicia.
• The process to fill the Chief Curator position is underway. Curators and Curatorial Administration, Conservation and Collections Management, Library and Archives and Publishing will report to the new Chief Curator when s/he is hired. In the meantime, managers in these areas who have been reporting directly to me will continue to do so.

What was the thought process behind this structure and why now?
• In order for us to be successful and grow our audiences, we know that we need to provide our visitors with an excellent art experience – whether it is online, by phone or in-person.
• The departure of Elizabeth Smith earlier this summer created an opportunity to review the existing Curatorial Affairs structure to see if there were ways we could work in a manner that would integrate our visitor experience with our exhibitions planning and operations to meet our strategic goals.
• We believe that separating the content development/curatorial side of exhibitions functions from the exhibition project management/ implementation side will help us do this.
• Alicia has proven to be a highly effective manager and leader, with an integrated sense of the institution. The Exhibitions department will benefit from her leadership skills and I am confident she will succeed in this new role.

How does the new structure support the Strategic Plan?
• We want to design exceptional art experiences that achieve our artistic, audience and financial goals. In order to do this, we need to focus on presenting exhibitions that will meet target audience needs.
• We also want to work better together to provide an excellent art experience for our visitors. The Exhibitions department will have a mandate to improve exhibitions planning and operations to improve the visitor experience and make it simpler to get things done.

How will this affect Exhibitions staff?
• At this stage, there will be no change other than reporting structures – with Iain and Jessica reporting to Alicia. Everyone else in the Exhibitions department will continue to report to the manager they have now.
• Alicia and her team will be working over the next few weeks and months to determine next steps in improving the exhibition planning process and ways in which we can work more effectively and in a more integrated manner.

What will the Chief Curator’s responsibilities be?
• The new Chief Curator will focus the curatorial team’s efforts on developing exhibitions and collections programming – either through partnerships with other leading arts institutions or using our own collection – working closely with colleagues across the institution.
• The Chief Curator will ensure that our commitment to collecting, presenting and preserving the art in our care maintains the highest standards of scholarship and professionalism and aligns with the AGO’s artistic goals.
• The Chief Curator will also work very closely with Kathy Hay and the Development team to cultivate and strengthen relationships with our donors.

What is happening with the hiring process for the Chief Curator?
• We are currently finalizing the job description and will soon begin the search for the ideal candidate.
• In the meantime, managers outside of Exhibitions who have been reporting directly to me will continue to do so. I have support from Christy Thompson, Associate Director, Administration & Corporate Secretary.

Please join me in congratulating Alicia in her new role.

Sincerely,
Matthew