About

Hi! I’m Vicky Chainey Gagnon.

My favorite spaces, without a doubt, are those created by artists.

I work as an arts consultant and independent curator. My twenty years of experience in museums and galleries have shaped how I work.

I specialize in project management for art and history museums, cultural organizations, and municipal government. I excel at fund development and grant writing, and can also assist with educational initiatives and collections management. I consider myself fortunate to be a cultural worker and I am committed to principles of diversity, equity and inclusion.

My achievements with cultural organizations and artists include:

  • Innovative exhibitions that are participatory, educational and interactive
  • Developing programming for art galleries and museums
  • Writing and editing successful grant applications
  • Strategies that expand the impact and accessibility of grant programs
  • Mentoring emerging curators

With over twenty years of experience, I offer my expertise and knowledge of best practices to boost artistic and organizational development.

Biography

I have been active in the museum field for twenty years, in English and French, as a curator and cultural manager.

In my practice, I focus on contemporary art and its potential as a form of civic engagement. I believe in the transformative power that museums and galleries have to influence lives, and in the social responsibility of these institutions. It is within this framework that I have directed institutions and built my career in various parts of Canada including Vancouver Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, and the Eastern Townships in Quebec.

As well, I have volunteered my time on art committees, boards, and art council juries to advance the field, and to ensure better conditions for professional artists.

I was guest curator for the Manif d’art 7 – the Biennale de Québec on the theme “Resistance: And Then, We Built New Forms.” My writing has been published in: ETC; Curator: The Museum Journal; RACAR: Canadian Art Review. And I have been a member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) since 2006.

* Cover image: Fiona Annis, “a portion of that which was once everything”. Exhibition documentation from the Campbell River Art Gallery, July 2019. Curated by Vicky Chainey Gagnon. Photo credit: Bluetree Photography.

* Portrait – Photo credit: Ali Roddam.

info@vickychaineygagnon.ca