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After a Canada-wide search that attracted an impressive field of qualified candidates, we are pleased to announce that Dawn Saunders Dahl has been hired as the Museum’s Indigenous Program Manager effective immediately.
Dawn is of Métis (Ojibway, Red River) and European ancestry, and brings to the Museum a wealth of experience as a practicing artist, curator, arts administrator and Indigenous Arts cultural programmer.
Most recently Dawn served as the Associate Director of Indigenous Arts at the Banff Centre, as well as Curator for the Galerie Cite, La Cite Francophone, Edmonton. She has also served as the Arts and Events Coordinator for the Town of Canmore where she established new relationships and programs between the Town and the Stoney Nakoda community. Dawn has served as the Director of The Works Art and Design Festival and was the Public Art Officer (Aboriginal Art Park) with the Edmonton Arts Council. Most recently Dawn completed a community mural project in the new recreation centre located within the Ktunaxa Nation in Windermere, with art collaborator/muralist Jason Botkin. They collected thousands of photographs from the community and selected 90 portraits that were incorporated into the mural.
Dawn will be responsible for leading and facilitating a deepening of the Museum’s relationship with the Stoney Nakoda community, the Stoney Education Authority and Canadian Rockies School Division in support of the Building Bridges: Towards Renewed Relationships with the Indigenous Communities of the Bow River Valley initiative that the Calgary Foundation has so generously funded.
We would like to acknowledge and thank Elder Sykes Powderface from the Stoney Nakoda community for participating on the search committee for this very important role in the Bow River Valley.
Please join us in welcoming Dawn to the Whyte Museum team.