National Gallery 'never met any of the basic employment equity obligations,' says interim director

While a firestorm rages in the art world over the dismissal of four senior staff members at the National Gallery of Canada, the interim director and CEO says she can’t answer questions on the matter for personnel and privacy reasons.

Angela Cassie, formerly the National Gallery’s chief strategy and inclusion officer, was appointed interim director by the board of trustees last June after the departure of Sasha Suda.

Cassie had played senior roles at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg and in developing the National Gallery’s first-ever strategic plan, now in its second year.

The strategic plan calls for greater equity and inclusion at the National Gallery, from the workforce to the building its collections. One of the plan’s five pillars is to build a diverse and collaborate team. New hires “will reflect the diversity of our visitors.”

The overall goal is to to create an environment that is “less hierarchical” and invites the community to collaborate in an equitable and fair way, said Cassie. The National Gallery wants to welcome existing visitors, but also create opportunities for other people to recognize the gallery belongs to all of Canada, choosing voices that have been historically underrepresented, and creating to share those voices directly with visitors, she said.

“As we’re moving forward with acquisitions, we want to continue to build a national collection that representative of all of the communities that we exist to serve.”

Cassie said she couldn’t talk about the dismissals for personnel and privacy reasons, but was happy to talk about the strategic plan.

“The institution never met any of the basic employment equity obligations in terms of representation within the workforce,” she said.

“There was never been a permanent Black or racialized curator within the institution. And most of the representation to date within the institution has been in more junior levels of the organization. So what are the barriers that prevent advancement? That’s something we’re looking at.”

A letter sent to to federal Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez last month, signed by seven former top staff members, said the cumulative effect of restructuring and staff dismissals has created a high degree of internal uncertainty and instability. The four dismissals include chief curator Kitty Scott; senior curator of Indigenous art Greg A. Hill; director of conservation and technical research Stephen Gritt; and Denise Siele, senior manager of communications.

“It is impossible to reconcile these actions with the Gallery’s new strategic plan to ’empower, support and build [a] diverse and collaborative team,'” said the letter.

Cassie has struck her strategic plan “mantra,” but aside from that has had little to say, said Mayer.

“Nothing about abolishing positions central to the functioning of an art museum,” he said.

“What really stung, it was meant to, was when she suggested that my tenure was a dark time of misogyny and white supremacy,” said Mayer in one post, later adding that the National Gallery had spent millions collecting and exhibiting artwork by artists in diverse communities.

The letter to Rodriguez also raised questions about vacancies in key roles. There have been at least 10 dismissals among management ranks at the gallery, most of them during former director Sasha Suda’s three and a half years in office, according to the letter.

“The newest dismissals will impact the security of the artworks, the development of knowledge of the collections and future acquisitions, and the delivery of a world-class exhibition program.”

The letter urged the federal government to hire a permanent director for the National Gallery with proven record as a director of a major art museum “and the ability to re-establish stability and restore the institution’s national and international credibility, while continuing its important mission of inclusivity, which we unreservedly support.”

In his posts, Mayer lauded the contributions made to the National Gallery by the dismissed staff members. Gritt, for example, instigated a subscription project that paid for a period frame to replace the “terrible” frame on the 1770 Benjamin West painting The Death of Wolfe, one of the most famous paintings in the gallery’s collection.

The letter to Rodriguez and Mayer’s posts both allude to money spent on non-disclosure agreements for dismissed non-unionized employees.

“Money spent on nondisclosure agreements for the dismissed non-unionized employees, consultancy firms in the first years of Dr. Suda’s tenure, and the retirement packages for employees who took early retirement in 2022, represent a significant burden for a Crown corporation,” said the letter.

Answering questions from reporters on Wednesday, Rodriguez told reporters the National Gallery is an independent Crown corporation. However, he’s concerned about the work environment.

“But I wrote a letter this morning to the chair of the board of trustees, expressing my sincere concern and asking for a quick response on what solutions the board of trustees is going to put forward,” he said in French.

“What I want is a response from the board of trustees to my letter to know exactly what is going on and to know what solutions they’re proposing to move forwards.”

Cassie said there has been a lot of energy and excitement in response to the National Gallery’s vision.

“We’re hearing and seeing from people who have not historically felt welcomed within this gallery.”

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