THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has chosen a new leader, who will be tasked with helping prepare for the transition to its new waterfront space.
The art gallery announced this week that Matthew Hills has been hired as its new executive director, succeeding Sharon Godwin as she steps down. When her retirement plans were announced earlier this year, the gallery said Godwin would remain as waterfront project lead until the move is completed.
Hills, who has worked as the director and curator of the Memorial University's Grenfell Art Gallery in Newfoundland for the past six years, said this is an key time for the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
"I think the real goal for us is realizing the new waterfront space and making sure it engages with community and builds off some of the strong relationships that are already in place," Hills said in an interview on Thursday. "That's not a small move for an institution as big as the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, whether it's bringing over the collection, whether it's making sure our public programs connect to place and space at the waterfront, and are vibrant and respond to the needs of our community and activate it.
"That's all going to be things I'm thinking about in my first 90 days as we set priorities and strategies moving forward. I know there's a lot of people who care about that art gallery in the community and I'm looking forward to connecting with them and moving that work forward into this new space."
The art gallery had received final approval from city council earlier this year, receiving designation as a municipal capital facility, allowing the ground lease to take effect and go forward with construction. The most recent estimate has the new waterfront gallery on track to open in 2025.
Hills mentioned existing education and school programs at the art gallery, saying there is an exciting level of engagement with the community.
He described Thunder Bay is a hidden treasure with its arts community, with the new art gallery having the potential to draw national attention.
"This is going to be a major breakthrough for the Thunder Bay community in terms of profile and draw a lot of attention to the arts practices in Northwestern Ontario, which are world-class and deserve to be presented and elevated in a way that only an art gallery with a purpose-function designed building can do," he said.
Hills is scheduled to start in the role on Sept. 7.
