National Gallery Acknowledges It Has Work to Do on Equality
Sasha Suda, director of the National Gallery of Canada (courtesy NGC)
The National Gallery of Canada has "a lot of work to do" to become an institution that serves all Canadians equally, says director Sasha Suda.
"We'll be working extremely hard, both in the short and the longer term, to make sure that this institution embraces change now and continues to evolve alongside the country in which we live," Suda says in an interview published recently in the gallery's in-house magazine.
The wide-ranging interview touches on recent crises, including the growing furore over racial inequalities and the devastating coronavirus pandemic, which saw the Ottawa gallery close its doors for four months.
Suda said museums and galleries need to do more to respond to changing times.
"Our sector hasn't evolved quickly enough, however, and our audience is telling us so right now," she says. "It is a particularly challenging time for museums, as they are being asked to step up to meet the new and existing expectations of our audiences.
"As directors and senior managers, our teams are also telling us that the way we run is not democratic – and we must answer this call. It is a fine balance, and I am absolutely privileged to be in this role at a time that requires extraordinary accountability. So, what the future holds is constant change, and we want to be a productive part of that cycle. The future holds creativity."
Suda notes the gallery will try to program and acquire works that spark discourse, and is also working with artists to commission works for the gallery's exterior walls.
There will also be efforts to expand the gallery's digital presence.
"The gallery has been working on finding its digital groove for a long time now, and it will require extraordinary commitment, both financially and also culturally," she says. "This is certainly part of the category we are calling 'the houses that COVID-19 helped to build.' The importance of digital is undisputed today and this work can no longer wait."
Suda predicts the business model of museums, which have hinged increasingly on special exhibitions that draw large crowds, will no longer exist, at least in the short term.
The gallery saw nearly 3,000 visitors during the first four days after reopening July 18 after offering free entry to the first 25,000 visitors.
Source: National Gallery of Canada
