Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Hires First Curator of Indigenous Arts
Léuli Eshrāghi (photo by Rhett Hammerton)
Léuli Eshrāghi has been named as the first curator of Indigenous arts at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Eshrāghi, a member of the Sāmoan clans Seumanutafa and Tautua, is a Sāmoan, Persian, Cantonese and European author, artist, researcher and curator.
Eshrāghi will organize exhibitions that highlight the work of Indigenous artists from Quebec, Canada and abroad, along with acquiring works for the permanent collection.
The new position also requires research into Indigenous arts, the development of cultural mediation activities for various audiences, and support for the institution's implementation of cultural protocols.
The museum's chief curator, Mary-Dailey Desmarais, cited Eshrāghi's broad experience, which includes curating shows in Canada and Australia, as well as an art practice with exhibitions at international venues.
"A champion of Indigenous artists from Quebec, Canada and abroad, they bring a cross-sectoral and intersectional vision of Indigeneity, which transcends national borders and inspires new ways of looking at art, its history and our time," she said.
Eshrāghi expressed gratitude to local and international communities that will be supported through coming exhibitions, publications and gatherings at the Montreal museum.
"I will fulfill my new responsibilities to the best of my abilities, in order to improve the experience and understanding of contemporary Indigenous artists' practices and their historical contexts," Eshrāghi said.
Eshrāghi holds a postdoctoral fellowship from Concordia University in Montreal, a doctorate in curatorial practice from Monash University in Australia, and a graduate certificate in Indigenous arts management from the University of Melbourne.
The position is funded by Scotiabank and Jarislowsky Fraser, a financial-sector business.
For more information, go here.
Source: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
