Nathalie Bondil receives Legion of Honor
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) congratulates Nathalie Bondil, its Director General and Chief Curator, who has been decorated with the prestigious Legion of Honor. At a ceremony at the Museum, Franck Riester, the French Culture Minister, presented Ms. Bondil with the rank of Knight of the Legion. The highest national distinction in France, the Legion of Honor celebrates people with outstanding achievements in their field. The Museum is delighted with this honour, which recognizes its Director General’s exceptional accomplishments and her substantial contribution to the world of culture.
During the ceremony, the Culture Minister praised Ms. Bondil’s vitality and vision, “… [she] has put her boundless energy to work for the extraordinary development of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.” He reiterated the importance of her involvement in circulating and promoting artists of the Francophonie on the world stage, through blockbuster exhibitions such as The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk and through partnerships with numerous museums in France. “You have transformed this museum. It is much more than just a place for conservation and exhibition. It truly is an arts complex that is open to all — one that, thanks to you, has developed a unique international presence,” he added.
Touched, Nathalie Bondil said, “I am honored to receive this distinction, in memory of my father, and on behalf of the museum, its remarkable team and this inspiring society that makes me grow every day. This international recognition of a humanist museum as a force for social progress, a corporate citizen and a vector of collective and individual well-being is an additional motivation to build so many other projects.”
From left to right: Sophie Lagoutte, France Consul General in Montreal; Michel de la Chenelière, Chairman of the MMFA's board; Nathalie Bondil, Director General and Chief Curator of the MMFA; Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada; Franck Riester, French Minister of Culture; and Kareen Rispal, Ambassador of France in Canada. Photo © Sébastien Roy
