NEWS RELEASE
Audain Art Museum appoints director
For Immediate Release Whistler, British Columbia – February 27, 2018
Jim Moodie, Chair of the Audain Art Museum, announced today that Dr. Curtis Collins has been appointed as Director of the Audain Art Museum effective May 1, 2018, filling the position which was vacated last fall.
“We look forward to welcoming Dr. Collins to Whistler. After a cross-Canada search, in which a number of excellent candidates were interviewed, our Board is very pleased that Curtis has accepted the opportunity to become part of the Whistler community. He brings a wealth of academic knowledge and professional experience, as well as being an outdoor enthusiast.”
Dr. Collins received his PhD in 2002 from the Department of Art History and Communication Studies at McGill University in Montreal. Over the course of his career, Dr. Collins has been a Director/Curator at a number of cultural institutions across the country, including the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton and the Art Gallery of the South Okanagan in Penticton. He has also served as an instructor in art history and curatorial studies at First Nations University of Canada, University of Lethbridge, Trent University, and more recently he served as Director of the Yukon School of Visual Arts.
As an experienced museum professional with extensive knowledge of both European and indigenous North American artistic traditions, Dr. Collins plans to undertake initiatives that will broaden interest in the Audain Art Museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the Museum’s talented staff and look forward to working with a dedicated Board of Trustees on developing this institution into a global destination for the enjoyment of British Columbia art,” said Dr. Collins. “The Museum’s collection offers a brilliant cross-section of aesthetic achievements, from Haida masks to Emily Carr paintings and the conceptual-based photography of Vancouver, while being situated in a remarkable Patkau-designed building that seamlessly merges into the stunning mountainscape.”
In conjunction with the announcement of a new director, the Museum has also recently appointed two new members to the Board of Trustees. The Museum is delighted to be welcoming the support of Tom Gautreau and Stuart Rempel. Tom Gautreau is a Vancouver- based business executive and philanthropist with a passion for collecting art. Stuart Rempel is a Whistler-based marketing and sales professional with over 40 years of product, resort and tourism industry knowledge. The two experienced leaders from diverse backgrounds will join the existing dedicated board members who have been entrusted with continuing the Museum’s vision.
The Audain Art Museum looks forward to an exciting year of opportunity and growth while continuing to enrich the lives of Whistler’s residents and visitors through this incredible gift of art and culture.
About the Audain Art Museum
The Audain Art Museum opened in 2016 and was founded by Vancouver home builder and philanthropist Michael Audain and his wife Yoshiko Karasawa. The 56,000 square foot LEED certified structure is located in Whistler, British Columbia, and was designed by the award- winning architectural firm Patkau Architects.
The Museum’s permanent collection showcases the Art of British Columbia from the late 18th century to present. Anchoring the collection is James Hart’s The Dance Screen (The Scream Too), the most significant contemporary carved cedar Dance Screen in the world. Other highlights include an important collection of 19th and 20th century First Nations masks and works by some of Canada’s most celebrated artists including Emily Carr, E.J. Hughes and the internationally renowned photo-conceptualists Jeff Wall and Stan Douglas.
In addition to the permanent collection the Museum has visiting exhibitions of art from Canada and around the world.
AUDAIN ART MUSEUM
Jim Moodie, Chair T 778.688.8557 [email protected]
Dr. Curtis Collins T 780.862.6314 [email protected]
For hi-res images and media inquiries:
Justine Nichol Marketing and Communications Manager T 604.962.0413 ext. 103 M 604.789.4359 [email protected]