StarBuzzOnline.com : Media Release | Art Gallery of Mississauga Announces New Board Members

The Art Gallery of Mississauga is thrilled to announce the appointments of several new members to the Board!

On June 5, 2017, the members of the AGM supported the recommendation of the current Board of Directors to elect four new stellar candidates to the Board, bringing its total to 8.

Welcome new board members!

Catherine Hale, Curator, Creative Campus Galleries, Sheridan Campus

Zainub Verjee, Executive Director of Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG)

David K. Wojcik, President and CEO, Mississauga Board of Trade

Councilor John Kovac, Ward 4 Mississauga (Ex-Officio City Liaison)

"We are all impressed with the enthusiastic acceptance by all of the above to their appointments and look forward to working with them towards advancing the goals and the exciting direction of the AGM - First. New. Next - all of which enhance the cultural fabric of the City of Mississauga and beyond."

- Stan Zigelstein, Board Chair, AGM

"The AGM Board and Staff are delighted to be welcoming these new members who represent the vitality and success of Ontario's professional community. We are excited about our plans to move ahead with new development, community engagement, and exemplary programming in contemporary art. The experience and skills of our new members complement the strengths of our current Board and will assist us as we look to the AGM's future.

These individuals who bring a broad range of business and cultural skills to the board table, represent what is great about Mississauga and Ontario - and how the AGM is situated in this equation. Their desire to support the AGM in their role as board members speaks both for their level of civic engagement and for what the AGM stands for as it approaches its 31st year of excellence in programming and community engagement."

- Mandy Salter, Director/Curator, AGM

CATHERINE HALE returned home to the GTA in Fall 2016 as Curator, Creative Campus Galleries

at Sheridan. In her new role, she is developing a network of galleries and exhibitions for the college. Prior to joining Sheridan, Dr. Hale held curatorial positions at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University and the University of Iowa Museum of Art. She has also curated exhibitions for the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen's University and the Carleton University Art Gallery. Dr. Hale holds a Ph.D. and A.M. in the History of Art and Architecture from Harvard University and an M.A. in Canadian Art History from Carleton University.

ZAINUB VERJEE, Executive Director of Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG) Toronto, is an accomplished leader in the art and culture sector and has shaped culture policy at all levels of government and contributed to the building of cultural institutions and organizations in Canada. As the inaugural Director, Office of Arts and Culture for the City of Mississauga, Zainub's work led to the development of the city's Culture Division and its first Culture Master Plan. As Senior Policy Advisor, Department of Canadian Heritage and Program Officer at the Canada Council for the Arts, she served on cross-sectoral portfolios and developed initiatives in Digital Culture. Zainub was also the Executive Director of Western Front, after being the Co-Director/Founder of InVisible Colours. Among many appointments to Boards, she is proud of her work at the B.C. Arts Board that led to the formation of the B.C. Arts Council, among others. Currently, Zainub sits on the Advisory Board of ArtsBuild Ontario and is the Chairperson of the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre. Her artwork has been shown at the Venice Biennale and Museum of Modern Art, NY and is held in private and public collections (Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada).

DAVID WOJCIK has been an avid music buff since the age of 5, when his parents strapped an accordion on him and sent him off for lessons. David is a busi-ness leader with more than 25 years of finance, sales and management experience, as an entrepreneur and leader of small to mid-sized organizations. Prior to joining the Mississauga Board of Trade (MBOT) as the President and CEO, David was the President and CEO of EKNA Production House. In addition to his volunteer work at the Mississauga Business Enterprise Centre (MBEC) with young entrepreneurs who have a vision of starting a business in the creative space, David loves original works of local art, produced by budding creative minds. He also plays guitar and has embarked on the study of piano.

Born and raised in Mississauga, COUNCILOR JOHN KOVAC grew up in the 'Rathwood' district which stretches through Wards 3 and 4. He attended Sts. Martha and Mary Catholic School and Philip Pocock Secondary School in his early years before completing an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in History and English Literature, with a minor in Cinema Studies from the University of Toronto, St. Michael's College. Professionally, he has worked for a local-area Member of Parliament, has served as political aide to a Member of Provincial Parliament and Cabinet Minister, as well as a government relations representative for a trade union. Elected to City and Regional Council in a by-election in April 2015, John currently sits as Ex-Officio on the Living Arts Centre Board in addition to his role as Chair of Mississauga's Arts, Culture & Heritage Ad-Hoc Committee. John remains focused on the day-to-day tasks of helping run a growing city and region and is devoted to serving the needs of his Ward 4 constituents.

Media Contact: Melanie Lowe, Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Email: agm.communications@mississauga.ca

ABOUT THE ART GALLERY OF MISSISSAUGA

The Art Gallery of Mississauga (AGM) is a public, not-for-profit, art gallery located in the Mississauga Civic Centre, right on Celebration Square and across from Square One Shopping Centre. The AGM is generously supported by the City of Mississauga, the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, private citizens and its members.

First. New. Next.

The AGM provides platforms for exhibitions, collections and experimentation in contemporary culture with a recent focus on artists and cultural producers from Indigenous, newcomer and youth communities. Through a broad range of educational programs, artist projects and other forms of critical dialogue, the AGM seeks to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, foster community, and provide spaces where alternative modes of thought are supported and activated in tangible ways.

The AGM is proud to admit people free of charge, serve communities, and provide positive visual art experiences for all visitors.

Directions to the AGM, as well as transit routes and other information, can be found
on our website.