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Conference 2007: Speaker Biographies
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Bios |
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Jan Allen
Curator of Contemporary Art at the Agnes Etherington Art
Centre
Jan Allen is Curator of Contemporary Art at the Agnes Etherington
Art Centre in Kingston, Ontario, where she has developed and
overseen numerous exhibitions since 1992. Major projects include:
Museopathy (2001), Better Worlds (2002), and Machine Life (2004).
Allen's curatorial focus is on politically charged art, digital
media, and site-responsive projects. She is currently preparing
a major survey of the work of Carole Conde and Karl Beveridge.
Her independent critical writing has been published in C magazine,
Artext, Prefix Photo and Poliester. She is an assistant professor
in the Department of Art at Queen's University. |
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Thierry Arsenault
Online Marketing Specialist, Canadian Heritage Information
Network
Thierry Arsenault, B.B.A., a certified member of l'Institut
du Commerce Électronique du Québec (ICEQ), is an online marketing
specialist for the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN).
He specializes in online marketing, in particular search engine
marketing (SEM). Thierry has over 15 years of experience in
marketing, sales and ebusiness. Prior to joining CHIN, Thierry
successfully doubled Culture.ca's organic traffic, and considerably
increased visits and Internet revenue at Bellzinc.ca and Bell
Canada/Hong Kong Telecom. He has spoken at Museums and the Web,
the Culture.mondo roundtable, and various other events. |
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Hugh Barrett
Education and Volunteer Coordinator, Windsor's Community
Museum
Hugh Massey Barrett attended Algonquin College to study museum
technology. He was employed as the first curator of the Port
Dover Harbour Museum, which was a seasonal position at that
time. Looking for something a little more permanent, he began
working as the assistant curator at the Eva Brook Donly Museum.
Eventually he was hired as curator of the Backhouse Mill and
Historical Museum. Two years of grinding grain, sweeping five
floors of the mill and catching 6-foot fox snakes (or whompers
as they are known in Long Point) was enough and he decided that
it was time for a change. Hugh then enrolled in art history
at Sir George Williams University in Montreal. Before he had
even registered for classes he was hired by the university art
gallery, not for his museum experience but because of his height.
In 1985 he finished his degree and moved to Windsor as the education
and volunteer coordinator at Windsor's Community Museum, a position
he still holds. |
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Laura Berazadi
On-line Content Assistant, Art Gallery of Ontario
Laura Berazadi is a writer, editor and independent curator with
an interest in emerging contemporary art practices. She recently
completed an M.A. in Art History (York University) where the
focus of her research was on virtual exhibitions and curating.
Currently, she works as an editor for Terminus1525, a bilingual
online arts community, and is the Online Content Assistant for
Collection X, a site of online exhibitions that are created
by the public for the public. |
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Helen Booth
Town of Lincoln’s Jordan Historical Museum
Helen has been at the Jordan Historical Museum since 1995, and
has completely restored both that museum's two historic buildings,
established a very successful historic school house field trip
program, and has expanded the museum to a turn-of-the-century
house to accommodate a small exhibit gallery and special room
for the museum's fraktur collection. Prior to this, Helen has
worked in archaeology at Dundurn Castle, Battlefield House and
other sites. She spent 6 weeks volunteering in Dharamsala, India
in 2003, where she acted as advisor for the Tibet Museum, set
up a set of governing policies, and developed an exhibit on
torture devices. |
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Carrie Brooks-Joiner
President, Carrie Brooks-Joiner & Associates
Carrie Brooks-Joiner is the owner of the consulting firm Carrie
Brooks-Joiner & Associates. The firm specializes in management
and research in the non-profit sector. Carrie has been active
in the culture and heritage community for over two decades.
Carrie is the lead consultant and facilitator for the Cultural
Careers Council Ontario Peer Learning Pilot Project. |
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Madeleine Callaghan
Curator, Scarborough Historical Museum, City of Toronto
Culture
Madeleine Callaghan has worked in the museum field and in the
arts for over twenty years. Her areas of expertise in museums
are in developing initiatives that build relationships with
the local communities and in creating innovative techniques
that give voice to and share local stories. Recent achievements
include the Bendale: About Place Project, and the internationally
acclaimed Agincourt: A Community History Project. After completing
undergraduate work at McGill University, she received an M.A.
in Art History from University of Toronto with a specialty in
Decorative Arts. |
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Pam Cain-Hawley
Curator, Fort Frances Museum
Pam Cain-Hawley has been employed by the Town of Fort Frances,
Fort Frances Museum since 1984. Starting as a university student
with a degree in Fine Arts, she applied for the Assistant Curator
position to gain some experience in a related field. Since 1994,
she has been the Curator and is continuing to gain that experience.
Through these years she has seen the role of museums and the
profession change as economics and community standards have
continued to present challenges and opportunities. |
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M. Christine Castle
Consultant and Educator
M. Christine Castle, editor of the e-newsletter Museum Education
Monitor, serves as a consultant and peer reviewer for museums,
galleries, government agencies, and professional associations
across Canada. She holds an M.A. in Teaching, Museum Education
(1981) from the George Washington University in Washington,
D.C., and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Toronto
(2001). Dr. Castle has published and and spoken widely on museum
education and the professional development of museum educators
and has helped to develop real and virtual communities of practice,
including a Peer Learning Circle, in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario.
For more information, please visit http://www.mccastle.com. |
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Rachelle Clayton
Curator, Museum on the Boyne
Rachelle Clayton is the curator of first South Simcoe Pioneer
Museum and now Museum on the Boyne, Alliston Ontario. She has
worked for this museum under the Town of New Tecumseth since
1994. In this position, Rachelle has worked to fund a $158 000
renovation of the museum main building and a $43 000 renovation
of its Pioneer Log Cabin. She has successfully lobbied to return
Museum on the Boyne to the Ministry of Culture Community Museum
Operating Grant list and successfully mothered this small community
museum into the 21st century and to develop its own local importance.
She is an active member of several community organizations including
Simcoe County Art Galleries and Museum, Heritage New Tecumseth
(LACAC), Sir Frederick Banting Educational Committee, Community
Tree Day and Alliston Historical Society. |
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John Dalrymple
Director of Development, Textile Museum of Canada
John Dalrymple's career at the Textile Museum of Canada (TMC)
began in 2001 when he was hired as a Project Manager and Web
Designer. In 2003, John took over the management of the TMC
Development office and in 2005 John assumed overall responsibility
for both Development and Communications. Prior to joining the
TMC John conducted anthropological and archaeological fieldwork
in Belize, Peru and Canada.
John has also played a key role in the strategic growth of the
Museum's online programming and Web development. The Museum
remains a leader among arts organizations in this sector and
has been duly recognized, winning several awards of excellence.
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Madelyn Della Valle
Assistant Curator, Windsor's Community Museum
Madelyn Della Valle received a BA in Anthropology from McGill
and a Masters in Museum Studies from the University of Toronto.
Following contract work in Tasmania, Australia and at the McCord
Museum in Montreal, Madelyn became assistant curator at Windsor’s
Community Museum in 1992 where, among other duties, she curates
exhibitions, including Impronte! Italian Imprints in Windsor.
Madelyn has made presentations at several conferences, including
“Facilitating Research in a Small Museum – A Labour
of Love” at the American Association of Museums 2005 Annual
Meeting. She was the also the chair of the Ontario Museum Association
Conference in Windsor in 1996 and has written several published
articles, including “The Story of a Big Exhibit in a Little
Space”, and “Sherds on the Shelf & Arrowheads
in the Attic: Issues with Archaeological Collections in Smaller
Museums in Ontario”. Currently Madelyn is involved in
editing a book on the Italian community of Windsor. |
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Shelley Falconer
Director of Exhibitions and Programs and the Senior Curator,
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
Shelley Falconer is the Director of Exhibitions and Programs
and the Senior Curator at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection
in Kleinburg. Shelley is also a member of the University of
Toronto's adjunct faculty in Museum Studies. She has contributed,
as a writer and editor, to many exhibitions and new media publications,
including Art2Life: The Canadian Century and the recently published
Stones, Bones and Stitches: Storytelling Through Inuit Art.
Shelley's recent projects include the extensive reinstallation
of the McMichael's permanent collection galleries. |
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Vera Frenkel
Artist
Vera Frenkel is a Toronto-based artist. Addressing the forces
at work in human migration, the learning and unlearning of cultural
memory, and the ever-increasing bureaucratization of experience,
Vera’s installations, videotapes and new media projects
have been shown at the Venice Biennale, documenta IX, MoMA and
London's Freud Museum, among other venues, Her touring project
on the travails of a dysfunctional cultural organization, The
Institute: Or, What We Do for Love, (www.the-national-institute.org/tour)
was installed most recently at the National Gallery of Canada
to mark her Governor General’s Award. Of Memory and Displacement,
a DVD/CD-ROM collection of the artist’s work and writings
is distributed by Vtape in Toronto (info@vtape.org) |
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Jean Foster
Director of Library Services, Windsor Public Library
Jean Foster is Director of Library Services at Windsor Public
Library. This position is responsible for Public, Bibliographic
and Information Technology Services, the Adult Literacy program,
community partnerships and project management for digitization
grants. Windsor Public Library has won numerous awards for innovative
use of technology/ Jean was previously the Director of Information
Services at St. Clair College. Education includes BA (Hons)
English & Latin, MA English and further studies in Computer
Science at the University of Windsor.. Jean is the current President
of Information Windsor Board and participates in the local 211
and "Smart Community" project.s She was the 2005 President of
the Ontario Library Information Technology Association (OLITA)
and has previously served as a director of Ontario Library Association,
Literary Arts Windsor ,ONET and the Hospice of Windsor and Essex
County. |
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Diane Gallinger
Museum Disability Access Specialist
Diane Gallinger of Jordan Heritage Resources is a museum disability
access specialist. She keeps abreast of best practice issues
with contacts in cultural organizations in many nations, and
has received museum access training from British, French and
American museums and support agencies. Here in Canada, she has
spoken or written about museum access topics for the OMA, Ontario's
Ministry of Culture, and the CMA / Department of Canadian Heritage.
This Fall, she will be lecturing for the Ontario Historical
Society. Diane has been an invited speaker abroad for the Museums
Association of Britain and also for MAGDA (Museums and Galleries
Disabilities Association) in London. Last year, she partnered
with Upper Canada Village to do a successful pilot programme
for visitors with vision loss. Diane is a member of Town of
Shelburne's Access Advisory Committee. She is the Founding Chair
of the Dufferin County Museum and Archives. |
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Anne Marie Guchardi
Textile Conservator
Anne Marie Guchardi is a textile conservator in private practice
based in Toronto, Ontario. The scope of her practice ranges
from conducting care and handling seminars to the construction
of mannequines and display mounts. She has completed internships
at the Royal Ontario Museum and Artlab Australia in Adelaide,
South Australia. A former resident of Alliston, Ontario, Anne
Marie serves as a consultant to the Museum on the Boyne. |
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Monique Horth
Deputy Director, Canadian Museums Association
Monique Horth is Deputy Director at the Canadian Museums Association,
the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian
museum community. Ms. Horth leads a team of committed and passionate
professionals that serve over 2000 members and work for the
recognition, growth and stability of the Canadian museum community.
She is responsible for the management of numerous programs and
projects in areas such as professional development, communications
and advocacy.
Before joining the CMA in 2005, Ms. Horth has enjoyed successes
working nationally and internationally in travelling exhibitions
and education for over 15 years. With a Masters Degree in Project
Management, her strength is planning and developing dynamic,
cross-cultural projects and exchanges.
She is currently sits on several advisory committees and boards
including ICOM Canada and the Canadian Fund for International
Understanding through Culture. |
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Anna Hudson
Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual Arts, York
University
Anna Hudson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual
Arts at York University. Formerly, Anna was the Associate Curator
of Canadian Art at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Her research
considers the role of historical art in the present, as seen
across cultural and generational divides. Anna’s teaching
areas include museology and the interrelation of art networks
and institutions, as well as, the art market and the business
of culture. |
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Ian Kerr-Wilson
Curator, Dundurn National Historic Site
Ian Kerr-Wilson has worked in the City of Hamilton museum system
since 1989 in various curatorial and management positions. He
is currently Curator of Dundurn National Historic Site with
additional responsibilities for the Hamilton Military Museum
and the Hamilton and Scourge National Historic Site.
In 2004 and 2007, he worked with municipal staff in Otjiwaronogo
Namibia to develop a community based museum for that community.
Mr. Kerr-Wilson holds a Masters of Museum Studies from the University
of Toronto and a M.A from Queen’s University. |
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Claire Loughheed
Manager, Cultural and Heritage Services, Town of Oakville
Claire Loughheed has over 20 years experience in cultural administration
ranging from teaching in the Royal Ontario Museum’s Creative
Arts program to working as a programs specialist for various
museums in Canada and the U.S. including the Art Gallery of
Hamilton, the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), and the
DeCordova Museum. Trained in technical theatre, Ms. Loughheed
has also worked at the Stratford Festival, the Shaw Festival
and Soulpepper Theatre. In her spare time she writes, enjoys
photography and is happy playing in anything to do with books
or textiles.
She is currently employed by the Town of Oakville in the capacity
of Manager, Culture and Heritage Services. |
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John McAvity
Executive Director, Canadian Museums Association
John has worked for over 30 years in the museum community, and
was the first Executive Director of the Ontario Museum Association.
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Michael McClelland
Principal, E.R.A. Architects
Michael McClelland OAA, FRAIC is a registered architect with
over twenty years of experience. His work covers urban design
and heritage planning in addition to building conservation.
He is also actively involved in the public promotion of Canada's
architectural heritage. He is a founding member of the Canadian
Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP). Michael McClelland
has worked for the Toronto Historical Board, advising on the
preservation of City-owned museums and monuments. In 1999 he
was awarded a certificate of recognition from the Ontario Association
of Architects and the Toronto Society of Architects for his
outstanding contribution to the profession of architecture and
in 2006 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute
of Canada. |
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Micheline McKay
Cultural Consultant, The Advocacy Group
Micheline McKay draws on over 20 years experience in the public
and cultural sectors. Micheline shares her time between Opera.ca,
and her business as a cultural consultant and publisher of The
Arts Advocate newsletter on cultural policy.
Among Micheline’s clients are the Canada Council for the
Arts (stakeholder consultation), Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie
(strategic planning and stakeholder development), the Corporation
of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, The Council for Business
and the Arts in Canada, the Cultural Human Resources Council,
the Directors’ Guild of Canada – Ontario Council,
the Ontario Museum Association, the Film Liaison Industry Committee
(FLIC), TVOntario and the City of Thunder Bay. |
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Kelly McKinley
Richard and Elizabeth Currie Director, Education and Public
Programming, Art Gallery of Ontario
Kelly McKinley, is the Richard and Elizabeth Currie Director,
Education and Public Programming at the Art Gallery of Ontario
in Toronto. Kelly has worked in Education at the AGO in various
capacities over the past 14 years, punctuated by a three year
stint in San Diego, California, as Curator of Education at the
Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego. She has also worked
at Bruce Mau Design in Toronto managing museum design projects
for clients such as Frank Gehry and Puente de Vida, Museum of
Biodiversity in Panama City, and the Museum of Modern Art in
New York. |
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Meredyth Miller
Program Officer, Scarborough Historical Museum, City of
Toronto Culture
Meredyth Miller has worked in the museum and archives fields
for over twenty years. She has a background in historic building
restoration projects, master plan development, innovative community
history projects such as Bendale: About Place, as well as community
outreach and partnership building. In response to community
need she designed the museum’s successful Youth Volunteer
Mentorship Program. Currently she is the museum’s project
lead developing curriculum based learning objects for the Virtual
Museum of Canada’s Agora Research Initiative. Meredyth
has a degree in Anthropology from York University and an O.M.A.
Certificate in Museum Studies. |
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Alicia Mitchell
Education Coordinator, Peel Heritage Complex
Since 2003, Alicia Mitchell has been the Education Coordinator
for the Peel Heritage Complex. Her role at the Complex consists
of all school programming (PHC averages 12 000 students each
year!), public programs for children and adults and seniors
outreach. Alicia is a Dramatic Arts graduate from Mayfield S.S.
Regional Arts Program and has a degree in Anthropology and Fine
Arts from the University of Toronto. She began her career in
the arts as an educator and art instructor. Though she misses
using glitter glue and papier mâché, she now reserves
that joy for her professional educators! |
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Devon Muhic
Youth Mentor Lead, Scarborough Historical Museum, City of
Toronto Culture
Devon is thrilled to be speaking at her very first OMA conference.
A lover of the arts, she has been teaching drama since the age
of 16. Specializing in children's theatre, Devon enjoys coaching,
directing and writing for young performers. She has infused
her passion for theatre into the Youth Mentorship Program at
the Scarborough Historical Museum. Mentored by members of the
arts community, local youth work together to perform a Victorian
melodrama at the museum. Devon graduated with high distinction
from the University of Toronto in 2006 and holds a Bachelor
of Arts Degree in Drama. |
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David O'Hara
Museum Administrator, Fort York National Historic Site
David O’Hara is Museum Administrator for Fort York National
Historic site, which is owned and operated as a museum by the
City of Toronto. A landscape architect and registered professional
planner, David worked for more than twelve years as a park planner
with the City of Toronto prior to his appointment to the fort
in January 2005.
In his role at Fort York, David is coordinating the development
of the full 43-acre site. He is focused on preparing the site
for the commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812,
which will include the completion of various landscape-related
projects and the construction of a new visitor orientation centre.
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Niamh O'Laoghaire
Director, University of Toronto Art Centre
Niamh O'Laoghaire is the Director of the University of Toronto
Art Centre. She is the current President of CAMDO (Canadian
Art Museum Directors Organization) and is on the executive of
UCAGAC (University and College Art Gallery Association of Canada.
She taught extensively in the area of nineteenth and twentieth
century European and Canadian art while a faculty member at
McMaster University. In 1999 she founded her own gallery SCAM
(Saints Cyril And Methodius Contemporary Art Gallery) and has
been Director of the University of Toronto Art Centre since
2001. |
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Lorie Pierce
Founder, Memory-Link Creatives
Lorie Pierce is the Founder of Memory-Link Creatives, which
produces DVDs for Alzheimer care. She was trained at the Reminiscence
Centre in London, England and has worked in programming at the
Peel Heritage Complex and the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.
Lorie has previously presented at The Alzheimer Society of Canada
national conferences in Regina and Toronto, at the Activiation
Professionals of Ontario annual conference in London and the
Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association annual conference in
Niagara Falls. |
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Brian Porter
Senior Director, New Media Resources, Royal Ontario Museum
Brian Porter has been with the Royal Ontario Museum for eight
years after a previous career as a journalist and digital content
producer with Southam Inc., formerly Canada's largest newspaper
publisher before changing to CanWest Global. His mandate is
to drive an integrated strategy for delivering the Museum's
great stories and research through the synergies of several
departments including Information Technology Services, Web Development,
Media Productions, Publications, the Ivey Imaging Centre, Rights
and Reproductions and the ROM’s Digital Gallery. He sits
on the advisory committees of New Media programs at Sheridan
and Centennial colleges and serves on the Intelligent Community
advisory committee of Waterfront Toronto. He is also a literacy
and ESL volunteer tutor with St. Christopher House, a downtown
Toronto social agency. |
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Mac Swackhammer
Curator, Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology
Mac Swackhammer is curator of the Hamilton Museum of Steam and
Technology. A folklorist by training and a museum-worker out
of necessity, Mac's special interest has been industrial folklife
and work technology. He argues strongly for the role of the
museum as a community-development organization. |
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Lynne Teather
Associate Professor, Museum Studies Master Program, Faculty
of Information Studies, University of Toronto
Lynne Teather, Associate Professor at the Museum Studies Masters
Program, Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto,
where she has been teaching since 1980. With over 30 years of
experience in the museum field, she has been involved in the
development of museums and museum associations in Canada and
abroad, and she holds the OMA Award of Merit. Her museum interest
run from the history and theory of museums to their operations,
from new media to working with pluralism and communities, from
building museum studies as a professional study area to envisioning
the future of museums, mindful of global and local dynamics.
Whatever a museums size, type or location in the world, she
holds the belief that it is through critical thinking and reflective
practice that we succeed in connecting museums to their citizens
and thus achieve sustainable and socially meaningful cultural
places. Her most recent publication is The Royal Ontario
Museum: A Prehistory, 1830-1914, Toronto: Canada University
Press, 2005. |
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Gabriele Thomas
Manager, Domestic Interpretation, Upper Canada Village
Gabriele Thomas has been active in the museum field since
1979 when she started as a summer student at the Musée
Beaulne in Coaticook, Quebec. She worked as a guide for Parks
Canada and became very fond of living history interpretation
while at the National Capital Commission's Log Farm. Since
1984, Gabriele has worked at Upper Canada Village, in a variety
of capacities. She's been a site supervisor for the past 7
years, doing everything from managing a highly talented staff
to selling horses, organizing 1860s weddings, funerals and
fall fairs, and
participating in a first tactile tour last fall. |
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Elka Weinstein
Director/Curator, Campbell House
Elka Weinstein holds a Master of Museum Studies and a Ph.D.
in Archaeology, both from the University of Toronto. Her wide
experience of working in heritage and museums includes administration,
teaching, public interpretation, grant writing, evaluation,
exhibition development, and database management. She has worked
at a variety of cultural institutions in Canada including
the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the
Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art and various historic sites
in Ontario and Quebec. She has also worked with a number of
museums in Latin America as a museum education specialist.
She is currently the Director/Curator of Campbell House Museum
in Toronto. |
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Ted Wickson
Archival Consultant
Ted Wickson is a local historian, archivist, documentary photographer
and avid student of Toronto's railway, public transit and waterfront
heritage. He has been an active community speaker and contributor
to local heritage publications for many years. In 1997 Ted completed
a 31-year public affairs career at the Toronto Transit Commission,
where many years were spent as corporate archivist. Ted has
continued in the archival field, holding positions with the
Toronto Port Authority, various community archives, and currently
with General Synod Archives of the National Anglican Church.
He has recently authored two books, Reflections of Toronto
Harbour: 200 years of port activity and A Century of
Moving Canada: public transit 1904-2004. Ted is a seventh
generation Torontonian. |
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Colin Wiginton
Manager, Community Programs, Art Gallery of Ontario
Colin Wiginton is Manager, Community Programs, at the Art Gallery
of Ontario. He holds a B.A. in Art History from Queen's University
(Kingston) and a Masters of Museum Studies from the University
of Toronto, where he focused on the democratization of museum
education through civic arts. Currently he is responsible for
implementing two new initiatives on behalf of "Transformation
AGO." ArtsAccess is an inter-regional outreach program
designed to bring together artists, community members and cultural
organizations through arts education. Collection X is a dynamic,
on-line database that juxtaposes selections from the AGO's collection
with content contributed by the public. |
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Douglas Worts
Cultural and Sustainability Specialist
Douglas Worts, for more than 25 years, has been an innovator
in the development and evaluation of public programs within
museums. Through research, publishing, university teaching and
professional speaking, he has been a agent of change for museums
in Canada and beyond. Over the past decade, his focus has explored
the relationship between culture and global/local sustainability.
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