Critical Writing Index

Why Did Canada's Top Art Gallery Push Out a Visionary Curator?

by Jason McBride

The Walrus, August 28, 2024

Toronto: The Walrus, 2024

A detailed description of the circumstances surrounding Wanda Nanibush's ousting from her position as the curator for Indigenous art at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The article takes testimony from Nanibush herself, the AGO's museum director Stephen Jost, and anonymous staffers, artists, committee members and curators to piece together the story. McBride outlines the AGO's decision, prompted by its trustees' discomfort with Nanibush's pro-Palestinian activism, and the effects Nanibush's departure had on the AGO's reputation and relationship with with its Indigenous artists and curators. This article also contains a short biography of Nanibush's life path, and descriptions of the work she did for the AGO.

ITEM 2024.021 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Moving the MuseumWanda Nanibush

Toronto: Tributes + TributariesWanda Nanibush

Moving the MuseumGeorgiana Uhlyarik

IndigenaErla Boyer

Photo of Wanda NanibushRobin Gartner

Indian Church as Church in Yuquot VillageEmily Carr

Land, Spirit, PowerRobert Houle

Land, Spirit, PowerDiana Nemiroff

Land, Spirit, PowerCharlotte Townsend-Gault:

Joane Cardinal-Schubert

Jamelie Hassan

Rebecca Belmore

Norval Morrisseau

Lillian Allen

Jeff Thomas

Sarah Polley

Even Robert Houle

Kerry Swanson

Jason Ryle

Stephan Jost

Sara Angel

Eli Hirtle

Jean-François Bélisle

Jennifer Smith

Nasrin Himada