Today, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, announced the appointment of Jean-François Bélisle as Director and CEO of the National Gallery of Canada for a five-year term, effective July 17, 2023. This appointment is the result of a rigorous, open, transparent, and merit-based Governor in Council selection process.
Since 2016, Mr. Bélisle has served as Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Musée d'art de Joliette (MAJ), one of Canada's most important regional museums with a permanent collection that spans 5,000 years of visual art history. Under his leadership, the MAJ significantly expanded its presence, role, and profile in Canada and abroad, with particular attention to the inclusion of diverse cultural voices. At the core of his directorship was the objective of creating a welcoming forum, both physical and virtual, where art can contribute to the construction of tomorrow's world through art-informed reflections and discussions open to all.
Before joining the MAJ, Mr. Bélisle was Executive Director of Arsenal Contemporary Art, a private art foundation dedicated to helping contemporary Canadian artists reach a wider audience nationally and internationally. Prior to Arsenal, he was Executive Director of the Contemporary Art Galleries Association (AGAC), a not-for-profit organization that represents leading commercial Canadian art galleries and is active in expanding the Canadian art market. During his tenure at AGAC, he developed various national initiatives such as Papier (now Plural), Canada's second largest art fair.
Throughout his career, Mr. Bélisle has held various positions in museums, art publications, international NGOs, auction houses, galleries, and universities in eight countries. He has organized over a hundred highly acclaimed art exhibitions and projects in Canada, the United States, Europe, and China. He holds both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Art History from Concordia University and is fluent in English, French, and Italian.
