This appointment is not about my expectations. “It’s about what the future will bring me and what we can achieve together,” emphasized Mr. Bélisle. One of the things I’ve always been very actively working on is the idea of building bridges across the country. [entre les artistes et les institutions]. Ultimately, I hope that this level of collaboration and sharing across the country will result in an even stronger national scene and even greater presence on the international stage. The National Gallery of Canada also plays a role in this.
Jean-François Bélisle is inheriting an institution in turmoil: NGC’s last permanent director, Sasha Suda, made a mid-term decision on a post in the United States in 2022, and the layoffs of key employees have rocked the institution since last fall.
With extensive experience as a curator and director of arts organizations at home and abroad, [M. Bélisle] has demonstrated his ability to provide inclusive and positive leadership. I am pleased that we can put his talent at the service of this important national institution,” said Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez.
Like many cultural institutions in Canada and around the world, the National Gallery of Canada is currently decolonizing its collection and teams. The strategic plan underlying this transformation is far from unanimous, both internally and in the museum world. In addition, NGC is committed to regaining its local and international clientele after long closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this context, Jean-François Bélisle, director of the Musée d’art de Joliette since 2016, takes over as director of one of the most important institutions in the country.
The appointment was accepted with relief and optimism
Former NGC CEO Marc Mayer welcomes the appointment of Mr. Bélisle, whom he sees as a man of the museum, with great relief.
“It’s a breath of fresh air for the museum because it’s been run for four years by people who have never done it before,” commented Mr. Mayer. In any case, he has a lot of work ahead of him, because we have to rethink a museum that is supposed to work the way it’s supposed to.
Charles Hill, former Chief Curator of the Canadian Arts Department at NGC, is also pleased to see someone with experience at the helm of the institution.
I’m very optimistic that he can rebuild what the two former directors destroyed [Mmes Suda et Cassie]argued the retiree, who signed the letter last November denouncing recent layoffs at NGC.
A journey from regional to international
Jean-François Bélisle has been Director General and Chief Curator of the Musée d’art de Joliette since April 2016 and is also Vice President of the Organization of Canadian Art Museum Directors (ODMAC).
ODMAC recognizes his expertise in Quebec, Canadian and international contemporary art by commissioning several exhibitions, most notably for the Arsenal Contemporary Art Foundation in Montreal and Toronto, which he directed.
In Canada, his career also included a stint through the Association of Contemporary Art Galleries (AGAC) in Montreal.
Jean-François Bélisle also gained his experience abroad at the Sotheby’s auction house in Geneva and at UNESCO in Paris.
His time at the Musée d’art de Joliette was marked in particular by a new approach to the financial model of culture and an exhibition that broke with the stereotypes usually associated with Aboriginal issues.
He’s someone with experience in the art world in general and not just in Canada because he has experience elsewhere and that’s very important to understand […]to give us a kind of philosophy about what we do, Marc Mayer also emphasized.
While Sasha Suda struggled with French, Jean-François Bélisle has a perfect command of French and English. According to his profile on the LinkedIn page, he also speaks Italian.