The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is pleased to announce the nomination of Clare Annabelle Chiu, Lillian Mauer and Alanis Obomsawin to the Museum’s board of directors. The three new board members will take office in February 2020.

“We are delighted by the arrival on our board of these new members, whose vision and expertise in the world of the arts and of business will enrich our decision-making. Thanks to their nomination, the board has at last achieved gender equality” said Michel de la Chenelière, director of the board.

Alanis Obomsawin
Alanis Obomsawin, a member of the Abenaki Nation, is the first indigenous woman to join the Museum’s board. She is an icon of Canadian film. Her production comprises over 50 titles including such notable documentaries as WeCan’t Make the Same Mistake Twice, WABAN-AKI: People from Where the Sun Rises, Kanehsatake, 270 Years of Resistance, Richard Cardinal: Cry from a Diary of a Métis Child, No Address and Mother of Many Children. In tandem with her films, Obomsawin has had a rich career as an artist, author, storyteller and singer; her music combines traditional songs and original compositions. She has earned innumerable distinctions, including a Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts, the rank of Officer of the Order of Canada and that of Grand Officer of the Order of Quebec, the International Documentary Association’s Pioneer Award, and many other international prizes and honorary doctorates. In 2019, the MMFA hosted an exhibition devoted to her production of prints.

Clare Annabelle Chiu
Clare is Vice-president for development in Warwick Hotels and Resorts, a Paris-headquartered hospitality company with over 50 hotels on 5 continents. She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a M.A. in Economics from Pembroke College at the University of Cambridge. Clare serves on the Board of Directors for the Family Business Faculty at Columbia Business School, the Development Board of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and the Executive Advisory Board at Sabre Hospitality Solutions. She was previously named as a Phocuswright Top 35 Under 35 in the Travel Industry.

Lillian Mauer
Lillian Mauer is an art collector and the founder of Art Speaks, a platform designed to promote discussion about contemporary art. From 1978 to 1990 she ran the Lillian Mauer Contemporary Art Gallery, which presented works by Canadian and American artists. She is a member of the MMFA’s acquisitions committee for international art from 1900 to the present day, in addition to sitting on the art collections committee and the board of directors of the Fleming Museum in Vermont. Mrs Mauer formerly worked with the Tate Modern Museum in London and the Musée d’art contemporain in Montreal. Her involvement with museums in Canada and abroad has strengthened her conviction that art can affect social change.

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Drawing over 1 million visitors annually, the MMFA is one of the most visited museums in Canada and North America. www.mbam.qc.ca