Critical Writing Index

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

by Jason McBride

The Walrus, August 28, 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 director Stephan 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 Museum – Wanda Nanibush

Toronto: Tributes + Tributaries – Wanda Nanibush

Moving the Museum – Georgiana Uhlyarik

Indigena – Erla Boyer

Photo of Wanda Nanibush – Robin Gartner

Indian Church as Church in Yuquot Village – Emily Carr

Land, Spirit, Power – Robert Houle

Land, Spirit, Power – Diana Nemiroff

Land, Spirit, Power – Charlotte 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