Francine Périnet joins the Varley Art Gallery of Markham
Markham, ON – The Town of Markham has appointed Francine Périnet as the new Art Gallery Director of the Varley Art Gallery of Markham.
Ms. Francine Périnet joins the Gallery following more than 16 years as the Director of Oakville Galleries. After Ms Périnet studied History of Art at Université de Montréal, she started her career researching XVIIIth and XIXth century Canadian Art and Architecture. She went on to teach the History of Art, mainly in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Ottawa, where she later became the Department’s Director (1988 - 1992). From 1983 to 1988, she worked at The Canada Council for the Arts as Assistant Head and Program Officer in the Visual Arts Section.
She has a longstanding commitment to art publishing. She worked with Parachute magazine in 1981, was a member of the Board of Directors of Fuse magazine 1995-2002 and has been a member of the Board of Directors and Vice-President of C magazine since 2003.
Ms. Périnet has always been active in the visual arts community. In 1980, she co-founded Artexte, a research and dissemination centre in contemporary art. She acted as the National Spokesperson and President of the Association of the National Not for Profit Artist-Run Centres (ANNPAC) from 1981 to1983. She served as a member of the Contemporary Art Acquisitions Committee for The Art Gallery of Ontario from 1993 to 2006 and also served on the acquisitions committees of The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and The Ottawa Art Gallery. Additionally, she served on committees for the Ontario Association of Art Galleries, the Canadian Museums Association and the Canadian Art Museum Directors Association.
Varley Foundation Board member and Markham Councillor Joe Virgilio said, “Ms. Périnet’s appointment will make a strong contribution to Council’s goal of engaging our community and building a strong cultural presence in Markham.”
Commenting on the appointment, Community and Fire Services Commissioner Brenda Librecz said she is impressed with the depth of Ms. Périnet experience. “She is recognized across Canada for her extensive knowledge of Canadian art history and the contemporary scene.”
John Ryerson, Markham’s Director of Culture, added, “Ms. Périnet will lead the Varley Gallery into its second decade with her energy and passion for art, with the support of the Gallery’s strong and committed staff and Varley-McKay Art Foundation board members. Her first endeavour will be to oversee the Gallery’s premier international exhibition at the Albright Knox Art Gallery (Buffalo) in March 2010.
