CV | heidireitmaier

Career Highlights

Deputy Director & Richard and Elizabeth Mayer Chief of Education and Programming

Art Gallery of Ontario

2019 – 2020

Worked as a key member of the leadership team and across all areas including collections, curatorial, digital, communications, contributing to a 3-year and a 10-year strategic plan.
Held specific responsibility for all the public programs, interpretation, artist residencies, education and audience engagement managing a team of 20+ full-time and 100+ part time staff, the management of a 25,000 square foot gallery school and the delivery of all experiences for schools, youth, adults, families, community and children reaching over 350,000 visitors per annum. Led departmental reorganisation with new roles, key promotions. titles and job descriptions to promote equity with the program teams.
Developed core initiatives in lectures, live performance, all-age programming and schools that contributed to exhibitions development, artist’s development and operational transformation.
Developed an internal learning program that delivered educational offerings to staff during pandemic and was instrumental in engaging internal stakeholders in pan-institutional inclusion and diversity courses.
Managed a $2.1M budget with core revenue streams.
Oversaw the delivery of a 3-year $2M Canada Council Digital grant.
Worked closely with the Board of Governors and Education and Community Engagement Committee.

Director and CEO

Museum of Contemporary Art, Toronto

2018 – 2019

Led the charge to open the building after 3 years of closure, working with the MOCA Board, staff, architects, engineers and building crews to ensure the project stayed on budget and opened on time.
Worked closely with political officials at all three levels of government to ensure the museum was instrumental within the local, national and federal development of culture and arts.
Worked closely with the volunteer board, collaborating on strategic plans and outcomes - including staffing, financial, fundraising, board governance and growth, anti-harassment cultural policy and building.
Managed governance committee meetings including nominations, building, marketing, and finance.
Developed a 3-year strategic, program, membership, exhibition and operational plan that proved successful.
Developed a long-term exhibition strategy and 10-year acquisition policy.
Worked with Federal Canada Conservation Institution and developers, architects and other stakeholders to design as well as assess museum grade facilities.
Worked to complete a $18M capital campaign with a fundraising committee and managed to secure over $2.5M in support from key donors and $7M from the government sector.

Dr. Robert N Mayer Director of Public Programs and Learning

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

2012 – 2018

Member of the senior leadership group, working to design and deliver strategic thinking and pan-institutional initiatives.
Led four pan-institutional task teams that contributed to the completion of a $22M construction campaign and secured $4M towards the completion of a new learning space.
Worked with architects, designers, engineers, media and artists for 2 years overseeing the design and execution of this space and a new public commission at the museum.
Secured endowed funding for Under-17 free admission program, a new diversity and inclusion program position, a new community engagement program, a 3 year program of social practice initiatives, a sustained schools program and partnership with Chicago School Board.
Worked on the senior curatorial team to commission annual public art for the MCA plaza.
Transformed the interpretive and visitor research process, and increased the audience for public and live programs by 100%.
Worked with a 4 person task team to secure a 10-year museum accreditation. Collaborated on submission to present the museum’s operational data, educational role, public service role, collections overview, stewardship role, planning and the overall organisational health, and prepared staff for in person interviews.
Served on the task team that researched and initiated a new pan-institutional equity, inclusion and diversity strategy and led a key programming transformation related to decolonization involving the public and board.
Youth and Schools programs were nominated as finalist for the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award in 2017, which was awarded by the National Endowment of the Arts, National Endowment of the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Studies and presented by President Obama, and awarded the American Alliance in Museum Excellence in Education Award in 2018. Won AAM label competition two years running.

Director and Curator of Education and Public Programs

Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver

2008 – 2012

Member of the Senior Management team, shared in the overall leadership and planning of the Gallery.
Worked on the first feasibility study for the new Vancouver Art Gallery with the leadership team, staff, external consultants, board and government stakeholders.
Implemented a three-year strategic public program and learning plan forecasting audience growth and budgets including quantitative and qualitative research.
Developed new administration and production systems, restructured team, hired 6 new staff and reimagined the family, adult and live programs increasing our partnerships with local artists and community groups by 50% and increasing attendance as well as visibility by over 125%.
Developed a new interpretative process with the curatorial team to provide greater access for audiences.

Curator, Public Programs

Tate Britain, London

2001 – 2008

Managed, delivered and grew the adult programming working closely with communications, digital and curatorial, and increasing audiences by 30% and net profits by 20%.
Led the creative and programmatic reimagining of ‘Late at Tate’ working closely with a small task team successfully diverse and increased attendance by 150%.
Secured long-term sponsorship, support and partnerships with the BBC, Channel 4, London School of Economics, Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts, and the Institute of Ideas.
Worked closely with higher educators in leading universities and colleges to deliver programs on diverse topics exploring race, identity, and the decolonization of the museum.
Recruited and supervised freelance staff and managed the AV department.
Contributed to the Interpretation and Education strategy and policy for Tate Gallery and collaborated on key interpretive projects. .
Lectured on all levels as appropriate.

Director of Talks

Institute of Contemporary Arts, London

1995 – 2001

Member of the senior management team working on the overall creative and financial strategy of the institution. Curated all talks programs and oversaw the education program. Developed and maintained long-term corporate partnerships and worked in collaboration with external arts and creative institutions and agencies.

Consultancy Projects

Tate National, London

2007-2008

Developed a feasibility study for Tate Mobile a proposed national nomadic temporary museum. My work included running focus groups with key stakeholders, overseeing a landscape audit, drafting a design brief, writing a request for proposal, shortlisting and invited architects, outlining artistic strategies, the partnership vision, commissioning programs, and developing a business plan. The candidates-in-response included Shigeri Ban, BIG, David Adjaye and Will Alsop Architects and de Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects (dRMM). Collaborated with Caroline Collier of Tate National and Clare Dogherty, currently Artistic Director of the National Theatre Wales and Coventry City of Culture.

Tate Media, London

2006 – 2008

Assisted in the development of the cultural and practical strategies for Tate’s online presence working for Tate Media. Commissioned and produced a series of short films highlighting the collections and involving established and renowned commentators.

BBC, London

2004 – 2005

Produced a series of live events and radio programs and collaborated on a number of artist commissions across the UK with the Public Arts Advisory Group working under the BBC Creative Director Alan Yentob to mark new BBC national initiatives.

Liverpool Biennale and Liverpool City Council, Liverpool

2001 – 2002

Strategic Review on Art and Artists Retention with a focus on recent graduates in Liverpool.

Cap Gemini, London & Geneva

2001 – 2002

Cultural and Creative Strategy development for Life Science Group at CapGemini.

Education

• Getty Leadership Institute, (GLA) Claremont Graduate University, USA, 2016.
• MA in the Social History of Art, University of Leeds, UK, 1990 – 1992.
• Bachelor of Arts Hons. Fine Art, York University, Canada, 1985 – 1989.

Addendum

Curated Exhibitions, Talks, Conferences and Performances (Selected)

Shape of the Museum, ongoing (AGO) 2020 - present
Downtime, Toronto International Festival of Authors and IIan McEwan, Catherine Hernandez, Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, Ken Lum, (AGO) 2020
Think Tank: Conversations about Museums with Lonnie Bunch, Madeleine Grynsztejn, Stefan Kelmar, Anne Goldstein, Anne Pasternak and Thelma Golden, ((MCA Chicago) 2018
Dialogue: The question of Diversity and Museums with Shirin Neshat, Kamel.W. Bell, Junot Diaz and Bill T Jones, (MCA Chicago) 2015
Museum Education with Jackie Terrassa, Angelique Power and Amina Dickerson, (MCA Chicago) 2017
How to Create Space(s) and Engagement in Museum with Chaédria LaBouvier, Anna Cutler, Sandra Jackson-Dumont, Deborah Cullinan, Local Projects, Laura Racowich and Jennifer Scott, (MCA Chicago) 2015
Out There: a conference about museums and communities with Ernesto Pujal, Faheem Maheed, Tom Finkalpearl, Rob Lowe, Sally Tallant, (MCA Chicago) 2014
David Bowie Talks with Todd Haynes, St Vincent, Sandy Powell, Neil Gaimon and Bryan Ferry, (MCA Chicago) 2014
An Autobiography of Our Collection (exhibition co-curated Ian M Thom) and designed by Bricault Design (VAG) September 2011 to April 2012
Vancouver Sustain conference with Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Newton and Helen Mayer Harrison, Arthur Kroker, Anya Gallaccio, and Alexander Rose, (VAG) 2010
Making Space: A Conference on Art, Culture and Publics with Tania Bruguera, Tamsin Dillon, Annabel Vaughan, Michael Maltzan and Karen E. Till, (VAG) 2010
Revolutionaries: a conference to coincide with WACK! Exhibition, with Griselda Pollock, Lorna Simpson, Faith Ringold, Mary Kelly, Bracha, Connie Butler, Bracha Lichtenberg Ettinger, Abigail Solomon-Godeau, Lorraine O’Grady, Judy Chicago amongst others, (VAG) 2008
Late at Tate art, film, performance, music, and talks and new works by Mark Wallinger, Faisal Abdu Allah, Roland Mouret, Mary Quant, Bridget Riley, Yinka Shonibare, Martin Creed, Simon Starling, Fiona Banner, Michael Bracewell, The Arctic Monkeys, The Westminster Police Choir, (Tate Britain) 2003 – 2009
Open Congress: Creativity and the Public Domain in collaboration with Chelsea School of Art and Design and Neil Cummings, (Tate Britain) 2009
Yoko Ono: A Night of Performance with Michael Archer (Tate Britain), 2009
Contested Territories with William Gibson, Barbara Kruger, Thierry du Duve, Vanessa Beecroft, and Gary Hume, (Tate Britain) 2007-2009
The 21st Century Museum’ with Hou Hanru, Thelma Golden, Bart de Bart, Charles Esche, Molly Nesbitt, Irit Rogoff, Jane and Louise Wilson, Martin Creed, Jeremy Deller and Dan Graham, 2007
The Difference Between Humans & Walls, and The Division performance with Nina Beier and Marie Lund, 2007
Globalisation and Terrorism co-curated with DJ Demos and funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council, 2006
The Public Sphere talks series including Okwui Onwezor, Lucy Orta, Nicholas Bourrieu and Martha Rosler, 2004
Innovation and Creativity research project with Tate Collections and the London School of Economics, 2004
Museums, Cities, Gentrification and Art a series of art commissions, radio and live UK programs, (BBC) 2004-2005
Art on the Weekend talks with Jake and Dinos Chapman, Sarah Lucas, Martin Creed, Sue Webster and Tim Noble, (ICA) 1997-2002
Big Talk and Exhibitions: Architecture: Rem Koolhaus, Bjorn Ingels, Zaha Hadid and Future Systems, (ICA) 2001
Arts Cinema conference, Atom Egoyan, Guy Maddin, Mike Leigh and Anthony Minghella, (ICA) 2001
Image of the Word festival with Kyle Kooper, JG Ballard and Salmon Rushdie, (ICA) 2000
The Political in Art with Marlene Dumas, Thelma Golden, Kodwo Eshun and Steve McQueen and (ICA) 1999
Architecture and Futures with David Adjaye, Alice Rawsthorn, Hussein Chalayan, Marc Newson, (ICA) 1999
Inhabiting Technologies in collaboration with Goldsmith College including Akira Asada, Karin Knorr Cetina, Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Libeskind and Geert Lovink, (ICA) 1999
Intellectual Property Rights and Museums demonstrating a new landscape of issues, (ICA) 1997
Latin American Here and Now a week-long festival exploring art and Latin America, (ICA) 1996
Beyond the Artist with Francesco Bonami, Okwui Enwezor, Frances Morris and Matthew Higgs, (ICA) 1996

Publications (Selected)

Learning, Space and Inclusions in the Generative Museum, Anna Cutler (ed) in Tate Learning, forthcoming
The Museum as a new site of practice and production, collected essays, Site Santa Fe publication, forthcoming
Across the Board: How we can create a Generative Museum, in Collected Essays, Site SantaFe publication, 2015
What are you Looking at? Moi? In Occupational Hazard: Recent Writings on British Contemporary Art, Julian Stallabrass, Naomi Siderfin and Duncan McCorquodale, Black Dog Publishing, 2012
Living in the Moment: The Work of Anish Kapoor, Modern, Conde Nast Publication, 2011
In Conversation with Anish Kapoor, in Tate Magazine, Conde Nast Publication, 2007
Are you Still Looking? Sarah Lucas and History, Parragon Press, 2006
Weeds work by Michael Landy, Tate arts and culture, Conde Nast publication, 2003
Less Apparent an essay in BEAT, Anya Gallaccio catalogue: with contributions from Simon Schama and Mary Horlock, Tate publication, 2002
Ain’t Resting on your Laurels, Margaret Harrison catalogue with contributions from Lucy Lippard, Miranda McCuntic and Juliet Steyn, Manchester University Press, 2001

Participant in Public Lectures and Discussions (Selected)

Artists: a Creative Charge to Reshape our Cities with Cara Courage and Gibran Villalobros, for IDS21, Resiliency Conference: Sustainability and Designing for the Future, Toronto, 2021
Interviews of Daniel Kehlmann, Madhur Anand, Samantha Harvey and Maria Tumarkin for Toronto International Festival of Authors, 2021
Shape of the Museum, Anna Cutler, Tate Head of Learning, and Wendy Woon, The Edward John Noble Foundation Deputy Director of Education, AGO Toronto, 2020
Museums and its Publics, Stephan Jost, Josh Basseches, Gaetane Verna and Barbara Fischer, Toronto, 2019
#MeToo&the Arts with Sara Diamond, OCADU, and Sara Angel, Executive Director, Art Canada Institute, Toronto, 2018
Speaking to Canadian Heritage Committee on Museums, Houses of Parliament, Federal Government Ottawa, 2018
Museums and Museum Education: A Radical Practice? With Jorge Rojas, Irina Zadov and Faheem Majeed, MCA Art Institute of Chicago, 2017
History, Race, and Collections interview with Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian, MCA Chicago, 2017
Leadership in Museum Education. Education Forum, SITE Santa Fe, 2017
Learning and Collections aren’t what you think, Museums and their Publics conference, Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Portugal, 2016
Education in the Contemporary Museum discussion with Jason Yoon, Queens Museum, Pablo Helguera Museum of Modern Art, New York and Joanne Lefrak. Site Santa Fe, UNTITLED ART Fair at Basel Art Fair Miami Beach, 2016
Leadership in Museum Education, Education Retreat, SITE Santa Fe, 2015

Advisory Roles (Selected)

LEAN Advisor Group, consultancy and advice across Canada during COVID, 2020
Member of the Large Cultural Institution Committee, Toronto Arts Council, 2019 – present
DigiArts Working Group, city-wide advisory, Digital Canada Council Commission, 2018 – present
Committee on Public Art and Audience, Terra Foundation of American Arts, Chicago, 2015 – 2016
Graduate Advisory Group, on Curatorial Studies Program, School of Art Institute Chicago, 2016
University of Illinois, Chicago Museums and their Future, Chicago, 2015
Advance Advisory Group on the Future of Museum Education, in collaboration with 17 organizations including Site SantaFe, MOMA, New York, Guggenheim, New York, Tate, London, 2014 to present
The Future of Museum Education and Leadership, Bank Street College of Education advisory group, 2015
Public Art Working Group, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, City of Chicago, 2015
Advisory Group, Masters program on Museum Education, School of Art Institute, Chicago, 2014
Advisory Role to Director, organizational and program. development Walker Art Gallery, Minneapolis, 2013
The Western Front, Board of Directors, Vancouver, British. Columbia, 2011-2012
Mining Modern Museum Education, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2010
Public Art and Audience program, Tate Britain, London, 2001 – 2002
Cultural and Creative Strategy development for Life Science Group, Cap Gemini, London & Geneva, 2001 – 2002

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