The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s board of directors has announced the appointment of Nancy Noble as the new director of the gallery.
Noble brings with her 30 years of award-winning experience in Canada’s art and museum sectors. She will join the AGGV in early June.
“I am thrilled that Nancy has agreed to be the next director of the AGGV,” said board president Chris Lawless. “Nancy has extensive experience in the management of art galleries and other cultural institutions and has a proven ability to lead change. With plans for a new AGGV location downtown, it is a huge plus to the gallery that Nancy has experience leading a major building project, as well as proven success in directing capital campaigns.”
Noble comes to the AGGV following six years as director and CEO of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, where she led an international design competition to hire an architectural team for a new gallery to be located on the Halifax waterfront.
Under Noble’s leadership, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia raised $110 million towards a $140-million capital campaign for the new building.
From 2005 through 2016, Noble served as CEO of the Museum of Vancouver, where she made significant changes to the organization through governance, staff reorganization and a new processes for strategic, business and program planning. During her tenure, a collaborative exhibition with the University of British Columbia’s Museum of Anthropology and the Musqueam Cultural Centre, Casnaem, The City Before the City, was named the winner of the Governor General’s history award for excellence in museums.
Noble holds a Master of Arts degree in museum studies from the University of Leicester in England and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from the University of Saskatchewan.
Noble said, “The AGGV job provides an opportunity for me to do what I like best—to work with a great team of board, staff, donors and community to envision a new way forward for the AGGV, building on its existing strengths while working with community to ensure we meet the diversity of perspectives and provide a place for all. The new building provides that opportunity but, as I have always said in Nova Scotia, the building is a means to an end and that end is to be inclusive and responsive and provide great programming through art.”
Noble is highly regarded across the country and a warm welcome awaits her as she returns to British Columbia.
The board also extended thanks to Janyce Ronson, who has served as acting director since April 2021, following the retirement of long-time director Jon Tupper.