Stéphane Aquin Named New Director of the MMFA

The MMFA is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Stéphane Aquin as Director. Mr. Aquin currently holds the position of Chief Curator at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., which is part of the Smithsonian Institution and is considered the United States’ national museum of modern and contemporary art. Over the past five years with this institution, he has organized numerous exhibitions, edited several reference books, and participated in international conferences and juries. He will take up his new position in November.

A native of Montreal, who grew up in the United States and Switzerland, Mr. Aquin holds a master’s degree in Art History from the Université de Montréal. After an initial stay at the MMFA, from 1990 to 1992, during which he collaborated on the opening of the Jean-Noël-Desmarais Pavilion, he distinguished himself for several years as an art critic. He rejoined the MMFA team in 1998 as Curator of Contemporary Art, a position he held until his departure for Washington in February 2015. During his second stay at the MMFA, Mr. Aquin organized more than 40 exhibitions of Canadian and international artists, and greatly contributed to the institution’s image of excellence. Building on this experience and that acquired in his role as Chief Curator of the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, one of the great national museums of modern and contemporary art, Stéphane Aquin brings with him outstanding expertise.

The recognition Stéphane Aquin has acquired over the years, thanks in particular to his extensive knowledge, not only of modern and contemporary art, but of art history as a whole and the challenges facing museums today, has made him an important figure in the international museum world. His appointment as Director of the MMFA is therefore the logical continuation of an already impressive career. It is also in keeping with the MMFA’s commitment to pursue its development based on inclusion, diversity and innovation.