New Appointments Steer Artistic Direction For SFU Contemporary Arts at Woodward’s
Vancouver – As Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts prepares to relocate to its new home at 149 West Hastings in downtown Vancouver, three arts-savvy staffers have recently joined the project’s team.
Now helping to guide the artistic vision for SFU at Woodward’s are:
* Sabine Bitter: Curator, Audain Gallery
In addition to her teaching duties in SFU Visual Arts, internationally recognized multi-media artist Bitter will curate the Audain Visual Arts Teaching Gallery, opening in Feburary 2010. The new gallery will exhibit contemporary visual arts, and initiate a range of projects in connection with the Audain Visiting Artists program.
* Michael Boucher: Director, Cultural Development & Programming
Boucher is a seasoned director and programmer who has produced several international festivals including the World Stage Festival and International Children’s Festival in Toronto. A native Montrealer, he will serve as the university’s impresario, coordinating cultural events to ensure SFU at Woodward’s is a dynamic player in Vancouver’s arts scene. His first challenge: to oversee the production of the inaugural program, kicking off with Robert Lepage’s The Blue Dragon/Le Dragon Bleu in February, 2010 in the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre.
* Vanessa Richards: Director, Community Engagement
A native Vancouverite who came up through Vancouver’s independent arts and music scene in the 1980s, Richards will help SFU at Woodward’s to fully integrate with the surrounding community through non-academic arts initiatives. An internationally published poet, jazz musician and cultural facilitator, she has earned a reputation both at home and abroad for bold arts initiatives and intercultural collaboration. Richards’ position is funded by a grant from the Vancouver Foundation.
