WAG-Qaumajuq Director & CEO to receive award for exceptional service to the arts

Dr. Stephen Borys will be awarded at the 44 Annual Business / Arts Awards

Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 14, 2023: The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq is pleased to announce that Director & CEO Dr. Stephen Borys has been recognized by Business / Arts as an exceptional leader who has made a significant contribution to the arts in Canada.

Dr. Borys will be awarded the 2023 Peter Herrndorf Arts Leadership Award in recognition of his work bringing the Qaumajuq building project from inception to reality. Under his leadership, WAG-Qaumajuq has significantly elevated its role and profile in Canada with particular attention to Indigenous art and artmaking.

The awards ceremony will take place on Monday, October 16, 2023, at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. The ceremony will include stories of inspiration from the community of business and arts leaders from across Canada who champion the arts.

Business / Arts is a national charitable organization that shows the power of partnership between business and the arts.

Quick Facts: 

• WAG-Qaumajuq Director & CEO Dr. Stephen Borys has been recognized by Business / Arts as an exceptional leader who has made a significant contribution to the arts in Canada.
• Dr. Borys will be awarded the 2023 Peter Herrndorf Arts Leadership Award in recognition of his work bringing the Qaumajuq building project from inception to reality.
• Qaumajuq, meaning “it is bright, it is lit” in Inuktitut, opened its doors in March 2021. It is home to the world’s largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art. The new centre is uniquely designed to share space with the Winnipeg Art Gallery, creating a vibrant 185,000-square-foot cultural campus in the heart of downtown Winnipeg.
• At the core of Dr. Borys’ directorship is the goal of advancing a meaningful dialogue with the public and creating a welcoming and inclusive forum where art and culture take center stage with audiences and stakeholders.
• Inspired to reconsider the template for the museum in the 21st century, Borys sees the function and purpose of the “new museum” as far exceeding its physical structure, with a focus on dialogue, exploration, belonging, and reconciliation – at all points using art to make a difference for the better in the community.
• Beyond his work at WAG-Qaumajuq, Dr. Borys is an adjunct professor at the University of Winnipeg’s Cultural Studies and Business Administration Departments. He actively volunteers on national and international arts and culture committees including as a previous board chair of the Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization (CAMDO), board director of the Canadian Museum Association (CMA) and Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD). Notably, he played a vital role in guiding the Canadian Museum Association’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #67 and served as Co-Chair of the CMA’s Museum and Indigenous Issues Council.
• The awards ceremony will take place on Monday, October 16, 2023, at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.
• The ceremony will include stories of inspiration from the community of business and arts leaders from across Canada who champion the arts.
• Business / Arts is a national charitable organization that shows the power of partnership between business and arts.

Quotes: 

“Qaumajuq represents a commitment to both the history and future of Inuit vision and voices, inspired by the landscapes and people of the North. I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring greater attention to the work of Inuit artists and their stunning art currently residing at WAG-Qaumajuq through the 2023 Peter Herrndorf Arts Leadership Award. Throughout this building project, we’ve embraced a model of museum and public space that nurtures understanding and connection through art, guided by Indigenous artists, elders, and Knowledge Keepers, one we hope continues to grow and influence the arts sector. And to be connected through this award with a visionary arts leader and advocate like Peter Herrndorf, someone I knew and admired greatly, is truly an honour.”

— Dr. Stephen Borys, Director & CEO, WAG-Qaumajuq 

“A fierce believer in the power of art to build understanding, Dr. Borys gathered a community of artists, Indigenous advisors, partners, and stakeholders to envision and realize Qaumajuq, where all are welcome and where everyone’s stories are told and heard in a spirit of reconciliation.” 

— Catherine Maksymiuk, Head of Engagement & Advancement, WAG-Qaumajuq  

“Dr. Borys has courageously led the WAG in a bold new direction, implementing numerous and permanent changes to the institution on many levels. He maintains a respectful, ongoing dialogue with the Indigenous Advisory Circle and together, we are reimagining not only what the museum looks like, or how the collection is stored and displayed. We are also thinking through the governance of the institution itself: the mission, the hiring practices, the staffing, and how museum education can be improved for all audiences.”

— Dr. Heather Igloliorte, Tier 1 University Research Chair in Circumpolar Indigenous Arts at Concordia University

Associated Links

44^th Annual Business / Arts Award Celebration
About our Director & CEO 

Stay Connected  

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram #atwag 

-30-  

For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:  

Hanna Waswa
Public Relations Officer
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1295
hwaswa@wag.ca
 

The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq is a cultural advocate using art to connect, inspire, and inform. Playing a dynamic role in the community, we are a place for learning, dialogue, and enjoyment through art. Opened in March 2021, Qaumajuq connects to the WAG on all levels, celebrating the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. The new WAG-Qaumajuq cultural campus is now one of the largest art museums in Canada. To learn more visit wag.ca.

About Business / Arts: Business / Arts is a national charitable organization that champions business investment in the arts and looks to build strong, lasting partnerships between the arts, business and government in Canada. Through targeted programming initiatives and a connected network of art champions, Business / Arts is committed to ensuring the arts are recognized as playing a vital and necessary role socially, culturally and economically across Canada.

Back to Media