Banff Centre appoints Brandy Dahrouge as Director, Visual Arts

BANFF, AB, June 7, 2018 – Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is pleased to announce the promotion of Brandy Dahrouge to Director, Visual Arts, effective immediately. As an arts administrator, educator, artist, and musician, Dahrouge brings over 10 years of experience in visual art and music education and arts program management to the role. As Director, Visual Arts, she will be responsible for leading the vision and implementation of all visual arts programs at Banff Centre, including the overall direction of Walter Phillips Gallery.

“I am honored to take on this role and build upon the legacy of 85 years of  arts practice and learning at Banff Centre,” said Dahrouge. “Through our residency programs, exhibitions, and publications we will continue to develop new creative research and provide a platform for artists to impact the future. I am humbled by the power of this land and the privilege of working within Treaty 7 territory.  I would like to thank the amazing team of dedicated creative professionals working here every day, whose commitment to this place supports all that we do.”

Dahrouge has served as Program Manager of Visual Arts at Banff Centre since 2013, where she has led the design of several visual, digital, and media arts programs that respond to both current and future trends in art practice and curatorial education. Working directly with over 250 visual artists per year, and a host of world-renowned sessional faculty, these programs develop artistic potential and enable professional artists, curators, and arts researchers to realize their unique contribution to society. 

“Brandy has done an exemplary job leading our visual arts programming in various capacities over the years. She has consistently built strong relationships with colleagues, artists, and faculty, and is very well respected for her leadership style and residency design work,” said Howard Jang, Vice President Arts and Leadership at Banff Centre. “Brandy’s dedication and passion for supporting artists make her perfectly suited to lead the design of arts programs that meet the needs of Canadian and international artists in the 21st century.”

Prior to Banff Centre, Dahrouge worked with a number of organizations including University of Calgary, Mount Royal University, and the University of New South Wales. She holds a Master of Fine Arts (Media Arts) from the College of Art & Design, University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with distinction from the University of Calgary, as well as diplomas in classic piano performance and music pedagogy from Red Deer Collage and the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy (Hungary). Dahrouge is currently enrolled in the Cultural Resource Management diploma program at the University of Victoria. She is the recipient of numerous awards for art and community leadership, and is a passionate advocate for supporting artists and education.

Banff Centre has offered innovative and vital visual arts and multi-media programs since 1935, when painter Alfred Crocker (A.C.) Leighton held an outdoor painting class in Banff. Leighton was also integral in developing the painting program at the Institute of Technology and Art, which evolved into The Alberta College of Art and Design. He founded the Alberta Society of Artists and served as its first president.

For more information about Visual Arts programs at Banff Centre, visit banffcentre.ca/visual-and-digital-arts