AGO appoints Heidi Reitmaier Deputy Director and Chief of Public Programming and Learning

Reitmaier to join the AGO in early 2019 

TORONTO — The AGO is pleased to announce that Heidi Reitmaier has been appointed Deputy Director and Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief,Public Programming and Learning. This position reflects the critical role that programming and public engagement play at the AGO. With over two decades of leadership at prestigious museums in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., the Toronto-born Reitmaier – who is currently Executive Director and CEO of the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA) – begins her tenure in early 2019.

“Heidi is an innovative and bold leader who strongly believes that audiences are at the centre of any art museum’s success,” said Stephan Jost, the AGO’s Michael and Sonja Koerner, Director and CEO. “Heidi’s strategic thinking and proven track record of delivering exciting and diverse programming with contemporary relevance and a global perspective is just what the AGO needs.”

As Executive Director and CEO of MOCA, Reitmaier oversaw the successful completion and re-opening of the new 55,000 square foot contemporary art museum, leading a $25-million capital campaign, a re-imagined artistic program, and the launch of a successful membership program. MOCA re-opened in September to critical praise.

Prior to assuming the helm at MOCA, Reitmaier served as the Dr. Robert N. Mayer Director of Learning and Public Programs at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) for 5 years. She has  previously held positions at the Vancouver Art Gallery and curated Adult Programming at the Tate Gallery in London. An alumni of the Getty Leadership Institute Program, Reitmaier is a sought-after public speaker and has contributed to numerous publications including Art Monthly, Art Forum, Tate Magazine, Women’s Art Magazine, the Women’s Art Library and the BBC. Her work was the recipient of the 2018 Education and Innovation Award from the American Alliance of Museums.

“I’m thrilled to join the AGO, and I look forward to working with the AGO’s talented team,” said Heidi Reitmaier. “I believe that museums are vital in our current times, and it is essential that they remain responsive and relevant to contemporary audiences. Connecting all visitors with extraordinary art and ideas in Toronto, a city of great diversity, is truly a unique opportunity.”

Reitmaier will lead the AGO’s Public Programming and Learning initiatives, working towards strengthening this work on a world stage, building best museum practice, as well as creating even greater opportunities for both existing and future museum audiences. She will work closely with artists, the education and academic communities, and broaden partnerships within the arts and cultural sector around the world.

ABOUT HEIDI REITMAIER 
Heidi Reitmaier is currently the Executive Director and CEO of the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada. She formerly held the position of Dr. Robert N Mayer Director of Learning and Public Programs at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago for over 5 years. Before this, she was the Curator of Education and Public Programs at the Vancouver Art Gallery. She lived in the U.K. for over 18 years working as a Curator of Public Programs at Tate Gallery, London and Director of Talks at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. Reitmaier produced talk radio at the BBC and worked as editor of Make, the magazine of Women’s Art. She has taught critical theory and fine art at Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Portsmouth, Central St Martins University of the Arts and most recently at the School of Art Institute Chicago. She has written for Artforum, Art Monthly, Tate Magazine and Art in America and has published in books and catalogues on the work of Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas, Cathy deMonchaux and Anish Kapoor.

ABOUT THE AGO
Located in Toronto, Canada’s largest city of 6.5 million, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is one of the largest art museums in North America. The AGO’s collection of close to 95,000 works ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art such as Untilled by Pierre Huyghe to European masterpieces such as Peter Paul Rubens’s The Massacre of The Innocents; from the vast collection by the Group of Seven to works by established and emerging Indigenous and Canadian artists; with a photography collection that tracks the impact of the medium with deep holdings of works by artists such as Garry Winogrand and Diane Arbus; and with focused collections in Gothic boxwood miniatures and Western and Central African art. Drawing on this collection—as well as collaborations with museums around the world—the AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, taking special care to showcase diverse and underrepresented artists. A major expansion designed by Frank Gehry in 2008 with lead support from the family of Ken Thomson makes the AGO a highly-photographed architectural landmark. Visit ago.ca to learn more.

The AGO is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Additional operating support is received from the City of Toronto, the Canada Council for the Arts and generous contributions from AGO members, donors and private-sector partners.