Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born in Saskatoon and went to the University of Saskatchewan for my undergrad. I competed in fencing (foil); I was on the Sask. team and competed nationally. As is obvious for my job, I started as a biology major for my first two years of university. I’m joking about it being obvious of course. But that did set me on a path of eclectic interests and interdisciplinary work. I didn’t think about university galleries as a distinct area, but inadvertently trained myself perfectly for this job. I was involved with artist-run centres in Saskatoon and worked at the former Mendel Art Gallery there, as well as doing independent curating and writing throughout my time as a grad student. I did an MA in Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser and a PhD in Communications in a joint program of Concordia University, UQAM, and Université de Montréal. I worked at the Vancouver Art Gallery before coming to Lethbridge.
How long have you been at ULethbridge and what do you do here?
I’ve been at ULethbridge for 21 years. I run the Art Gallery – bringing in external funding, setting the programming, curating some of the exhibitions, and overall management of the art collection. Normally, I teach Museum Studies courses in the art department, but currently am doing an extra administrative role to support the Faculty of Fine Arts with fundraising, research development, as well as anti-racist initiatives as the director of Research, Equity, Diversity and Development.
What's the best part of your job?
I love the varied nature of my job — it is never dull, that’s for sure. Working with the fabulous, diverse art collection is top of the list. I also enjoy being a mentor. I had amazing mentors throughout my career and it feels great to pass along those skills. Supporting student interns is so rewarding, as they explore working with art collections, curating, public programs, etc. As well, I get to work with artists as they develop projects and engage with audiences. And I love working with the superb team in the Art Gallery.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy walking my dogs or biking around Lethbridge. We got a pandemic puppy and it was quite the challenge to train her, but she’s turning into a lovely dog — even though our senior dog still thinks the puppy was a mistake. I’m an avid reader and currently am part of book club we call “coven” — some witchy books on our list for sure, but mostly it is more novels and short stories by women authors with a focus on the human/nature connection. And my wife and I love to travel, especially to visit museums and art galleries. With my professional connections, I get to go behind the scenes and visit collection storage as well as meet up with artists when I travel.