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London, ON (Friday, January 28) – The Board of Directors for Museum London is thrilled to announce Julie Bevan as the new Executive Director at Museum London, effective April 4, 2022. Julie takes over from Brian Meehan who has served the Museum and community for more than twenty years, following his retirement at the end of March 2022.
After an extensive national search, Board Chair, Sarah Padfield made the announcement at Museum London earlier today. “We received a lot of interest and a number of very strong applications throughout this process,” noted Padfield, “which speaks to the extremely positive national, provincial and local reputation of Museum London. The search committee was enormously impressed by the high calibre candidates that expressed interest in the Museum. We are very confident that Julie is the leader who can and will continue to build on Museum London’s reputation as one of Canada’s premier art and history museums and a community-focused cultural centre.”
Originally from Niagara, Julie has held various roles in museums and galleries in Calgary, Vancouver and most recently in Nanaimo, British Columbia. As Executive Director of the Nanaimo Art Gallery, Julie led a significant transformation of the Gallery's spaces, artistic programs, capacity, and a holistic re-imagining of its identity and purpose. Most recently, Julie served as the inaugural Manager, Culture & Events at the City of Nanaimo, with responsibilities for stewarding the City’s relationships with the 45+ non-profits it funds to deliver arts, culture and heritage services, including overseeing five major City-owned cultural facilities.
“I am delighted to be joining the team at Museum London,” says Bevan, “it is an honour and tremendous opportunity. Museum London is poised to become increasingly influential, vibrant, and responsive to meet the challenges of our time and the needs of the diverse peoples’ it serves. There is limitless potential to activate and build the museum’s collection, to set artists, stories and ideas from Southwestern Ontario into global dialogue, connect deeply to audiences, and co-create thriving and creative communities.”
A graduate of Carleton University with a Master of Arts from University of British Columbia in Critical and Curatorial Studies, Julie also participated as a fellow at the Getty Leadership Institute, Claremont Graduate University, California. She is an active contributor to the sector and has been engaged with professional organizations including the Canadian Museums Association, BC Museums Association and Canadian Art Museums Directors Organization.
“Museums have a unique capacity to transform lives, to connect us more deeply to our histories and to each other,” notes Bevan, “I am passionate about creating opportunities for artists, making meaning with and for audiences, and about how Museums continue to evolve as accessible and inclusive cultural resources, places for learning, dialogue, inspiration and play. I am eager to join the team at Museum London and to collaborate across the community.”