ONTARIO.- The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) welcomes the appointment of Michael J. Audain to chair its board of directors, as announced earlier today by the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. He also announced the appointment of two new board members - Allan Benoit and Liza Maheu – and the renewal of Mr. Paul R. Baay’s term as an NGC board member for a further four years.

Mr. Audain has served on the NGC’s board of directors since September 9, 2005. Renowned for his leadership in the field of visual arts, he has been widely recognized for his generous support of this federal institution. Mr. Benoit and Ms. Maheu, who are both from Manitoba, will enrich the NGC through their broad experience in visual arts management.

An active supporter of the arts: Michael J. Audain
Michael Audain is Chairman of Polygon Homes Ltd., one of British Columbia’s leading home builders. This company has built over 17,000 homes in Greater Vancouver since he founded it in 1980, and has received numerous awards of distinction for its integrity and building excellence.

Mr. Audain, a fifth generation British Columbian, was educated at the University of British Columbia and did post-graduate work at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is a director and past chairman of the Business Council of British Columbia, a past president of the Urban Development Institute, and a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.

An very active supporter of the arts, Mr. Audain, is Chair of the Vancouver Art Gallery Foundation, the Audain Foundation for the Visual Arts in British Columbia, and the British Columbia Arts Renaissance Fund. He is also a trustee and past president of the Vancouver Art Gallery, serves as a member of the British Columbia Arts Council, a trustee of the National Gallery of Canada, and a director of Business for the Arts.

Mr. Audain was appointed to the Order of British Columbia in recognition of his contribution to the community. He has also been honoured with the Business for the Arts Edmund C. Bovey Award for leadership in the arts, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design, an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Simon Fraser University, and the British Columbia Museums Association Distinguished Service Award.

New members of the NGC Board of Trustees
Mr. Benoit holds Masters’ Degrees in Natural Resources Management and Architecture from the University of Manitoba. He is the owner and Principal of Ahtikaki Consulting Inc., a community development consulting firm for cultural and economic initiatives in Manitoba, and is a Senior Policy Advisor with the Manitoba Metis Federation Inc. Mr. Benoit serves as the Coordinator for the Red River Cart Journey (North American Indigenous Games), the Chairperson for the St. Norbert Parish Metis Council, and a member of the Métis National Museum Steering Committee in Winnipeg.

Ms. Maheu is the Executive Director of La Maison des artistes visuels du Manitoba, a centre for contemporary artists working in Manitoba’s francophone community. She previously worked as the Marketing Director for the Centre culturel franco-manitobain and has been involved with different community activities, including serving on the committee for the Festival du Voyageur and Tourism Riel. Ms. Maheu is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Association des groupes en arts visuels francophone in Ottawa and is the Director of the fondation Les amis des arts visuels du Manitoba.