By Jon Tupper, AGGV Director
I am very pleased to tell the AGGV Associates about a new addition to our curatorial team. Dr. Heng Wu is joining us as the Gallery’s Curator of Asian Art (Academic).
Heng studied journalism and international business in Shanghai and has a Ph.D. in Museum Studies from the University of Bergen in Norway. She worked previously at the Nanjing Museum, one of the leading museums in China. It has a collection of 420,000 objects and welcomes 3 million visitors annually. While there Heng was the Associate Curator and Deputy Director of its Cultural Exchange Centre. During our interviews, she told us of her passion for museums and their role in society. She spoke about her research into understanding how museums are evolving in their relationship with the public, something that is very close to the hearts of the AGGV staff.
As the position’s title suggests it is a joint appointment with the University of Victoria Fine Arts Department. Basically it means Heng will be teaching a course a year at UVic, using our collection in her lectures. We have a great relationship with the University and this position will allow us to make it even closer.
Please join us in welcoming Heng when you see her at the Gallery!
Original article from the Gallery Associates Happenings newsletter, Dec. 2019-Jan.2020, Vol. 7 No.3, Joan Shimizu, Editor, and Charlene Brown, Editor, Layout & Production.
