Contemporary Calgary appoints Pierre Arpin as first Director & Chief Executive Officer

Contemporary Calgary set to establish Calgary's first significant public destination for modern and contemporary art.

CALGARY, March 29, 2016 /CNW/ - Contemporary Calgary proudly announces the appointment of its first Director & Chief Executive Officer, Pierre Arpin, following an exhaustive international search. Mr. Arpin brings with him more than 20 years of directorial experience, an extensive curatorial history, and a legacy of operational excellence, financial success and membership growth within multiple international institutions of significant scale.  With his leadership, Contemporary Calgary is well positioned to build on its growing momentum and further realize its vision to establish Calgary's first significant public destination for modern and contemporary art.

"We were overwhelmed by the quality of candidates who were interested in leading our vision for this community," said Elizabeth Carson, who chaired the Search Committee of Contemporary Calgary's Board of Directors. "Pierre brings the perfect combination of bold leadership with extensive directorial experience running significant global visual arts institutions."

This position marks a return to Canada for Mr. Arpin who has spent the last seven years of his career in Australia as the Director of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (Darwin, NT) and General Manager, Collections and Exhibitions Management at the National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia). His previous experience in Canada includes leading the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, and the Art Gallery of Sudbury.  Over his wide-ranging career, Mr. Arpin has also held significant leadership positions at the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ottawa Art Gallery.

"I am thrilled to be returning to Canada and to be joining Contemporary Calgary at this very exciting time," said Mr. Arpin. "Contemporary Calgary has a dynamic, active board and I look forward to working with them, and with the community, to strengthen the presence of modern and contemporary art in this city."

The appointment of Mr. Arpin, who will officially begin his new position on April 5, comes at an exciting time for Contemporary Calgary. Working with the Board of Directors, Mr. Arpin's first task will be to bolster Contemporary Calgary's capacity by hiring senior leadership roles in curation & programming, fundraising, and finance & administration.

"There is an energy and spirit in Calgary to create a global city of choice where we live, build, and connect with loved ones," said Jay Mehr, Contemporary Calgary's Board Chair. "Our movement has tremendous vision, momentum and community support.  And today, our movement now has a leader."

"We'd also like to thank Searchlight Recruitment for their efforts in successfully leading a global search for this role," said Mr. Mehr.  

ABOUT CONTEMPORARY CALGARY

Contemporary Calgary was formed in early 2014 with the vision to further establish Calgary as a global city of choice through exhibitions, distinguished speakers, community outreach and educational programs that expose Calgarians and visitors to the art of our times.

Currently, Calgary is the only major city of its size without a significant public destination for modern and contemporary art. Contemporary Calgary's operational satellite galleries and major fundraising events have since successfully raised funds and awareness to complete early-phase construction to rectify this shortfall, so Contemporary Calgary may provide opportunity for collaborative community partnerships and a hub for Calgarians and visitors of all ages.

Mr. Arpin looks forward to meeting stakeholders, supporters and members of the Contemporary Calgary community at an upcoming public event later this spring. For more information, and to learn more about this and other upcoming events at Contemporary Calgary, please visit www.contemporarycalgary.com.

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SOURCE Contemporary Calgary

Jay Mehr, Board Chair, Contemporary Calgary, 403.648.5840, [email protected]