Throughout her career, Blair Fornwald has sought to make galleries welcoming spaces that reflect their communities. Now, as the new Director of the MSVU Art Gallery, she plans to listen first, collaborate widely, and build on the gallery’s proud tradition of amplifying women’s voices.
A career built on collaboration and vision
Blair joins MSVU from Winnipeg, Treaty 1 Territory where, since 2020, she served as Director/Curator of the School of Art Gallery at the University of Manitoba. Before that, she held curatorial positions at Regina’s Dunlop Art Gallery, part of the city’s public library system – a role she says gave her invaluable experience programming exhibitions for a broad cross-section of the community.
During her career, Blair has curated more than 40 projects, including nationally touring exhibitions such as Bev Pike’s Grottesque and the large-scale group show Material Girls (co-curated with Jennifer Matotek and Wendy Peart).
An interdisciplinary artist as well as a curator, Blair has presented and performed work across Canada, the United States, and Germany. Her work, both artistic and curatorial, is united by a collaborative impulse and an interest in the aesthetics of failure, the expression of vulnerability, and the use of humour to confront difficult truths, particularly in queer and feminist contexts.
Drawn to MSVU’s mandate
Blair says the MSVU gallery’s mandate – supporting and presenting work by women artists and exploring women as cultural producers and subjects – resonated deeply with her.
“That’s always been a hallmark of my practice,” she says.
She was also intrigued by the opportunity to work within a smaller university and institution, where collaboration can be more direct and relationships more easily built.
Listening first, programming with purpose
One of Blair’s guiding principles is to consider local context and contemporary relevance – always asking, “Why are we exhibiting this work? Why here and why now?”
In her first months in her new role, she plans to focus on listening – meeting students, faculty, artists and community members to understand the gallery’s context and the needs of those it serves. Nimbleness and responsiveness, she believes, are essential to meaningful programming.
Prairie roots, Atlantic connections
Born and raised in rural Saskatchewan, Blair has spent most of her life in the Prairies, but says she feels a strong connection to Atlantic Canada. She notes similarities in sense of humour, ways of relating and the shared experiences of regions with strong identities, resource-based economies, smaller populations, and deep ties to land and water.
“These are communities that have to stick together,” she says.
In addition to leading the gallery, Blair will teach in MSVU’s Cultural Studies program beginning in the winter semester. She sees this as a way to build connections with Halifax’s cultural organizations and to develop curriculum that reflects the vibrancy of the local arts community.
Blair holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Intermedia from the University of Regina and a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Western University.
A welcoming space for all
At the heart of Blair’s approach is a belief that galleries should be welcoming spaces for everyone, not just those already inclined to visit. She strives to create programming that resonates widely while remaining true to the institution’s mandate.
“I’m a really enthusiastic collaborator,” she says. “I like working with artists, other arts institutions, colleagues and people who know the community more intimately than I do – working together to make something greater than any one individual’s contribution.”