TORONTO.- Gabrielle Peacock has been appointed Executive Director & CEO of the Gardiner Museum. Currently Director of Partnerships and Development at Soulpepper Theatre and previously CEO of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Ms. Peacock will join the Gardiner in February 2023.

She succeeds Kelvin Browne, following his retirement in January after 9 years of bold leadership and transformational change at the Museum. Chief Curator & Deputy Director, Sequoia Miller, will fill the role of Interim Executive Director prior to Ms. Peacock’s arrival at the Museum.

“I am delighted to welcome Gabrielle Peacock to the Gardiner Museum,” says James Appleyard, Board Chair. “Gabrielle joins the Museum with over 30 years of experience as an arts administrator, fundraiser, community builder, and Canadian art specialist, with a strong record of dynamic organizational growth. Throughout her career, Gabrielle has demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing social justice, gender equity, and community engagement goals. We look forward to welcoming her at this exciting time in the Gardiner’s evolution from a respected specialty museum to a vibrant centre for culture, learning, and community.”

Since 2020, Ms. Peacock has served as Director of Partnerships and Development at Soulpepper Theatre, Toronto’s largest non-profit theatre company, where she spearheaded fundraising efforts during the pandemic and reopening, with an emphasis on equity-driven program funding for BIPOC artistic leadership and training, and female-identifying playwright commissions.

Prior to joining Soulpepper, she was Interim Executive Director of Dress for Success Toronto, Canada’s largest chapter of a global not-for-profit that serves to empower women from underserved communities in their transition from unemployment to economic independence.

Ms. Peacock was Chief Executive Officer of The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa from 2010 - 2015, where she implemented enduring community-focused programming in support of growing diverse audiences, commissioned major public sculpture, and led extensive renovations of the Gallery, including new spaces to support artist-driven residencies, experimentation, and exhibition.

“It is an honour to be appointed Executive Director & CEO of the Gardiner Museum, a dynamic and vibrant cultural destination for all of Toronto, and an important centre for ceramics, internationally,” says Gabrielle Peacock. “I have a deep belief in the capacity of art and cultural institutions to act as catalysts for connectivity and civic engagement, to be a platform to spark conversations on broader societal issues, and contribute measurably to social good. Building on the contributions made by Kelvin Browne, I look forward to working with the Gardiner’s strong curatorial and management team, staff, Board, and community partners at this pivotal moment in the life of our city, post-pandemic.”

Ms. Peacock’s appointment concludes an international search by Boyden Canada.