Jessica Vellenga (photo courtesy of LinkedIn)
Jessica Vellenga has been named as the interim executive director of the Portrait Gallery of Canada. She holds a bachelor of fine arts from McMaster University and is a practicing artist who has worked in a variety of roles, most recently as executive administrator for the Portrait Gallery of Canada, a position she held for two years.
Vellenga replaces Robert Steven, who held the executive director role for two years. Previous to the Portrait Gallery of Canada position, he was CEO of the Art Gallery of Burlington and the executive director and curator of the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie.
The Portrait Gallery of Canada is a virtual gallery that “collects and shares the stories of the individuals and communities that define Canada.” It launched in 2021. Current exhibitions include Whitehorse-based Banghra dancer Gurdeep Pandher in Gurdeep Pandher: A portal to joy, curated by Narendra Pachkhédé; Letitia Fraser's This is My Fabric, curated by Johanna Mizgala; and Raymond April: A Portrait in Time, curated by Diana Nemiroff.
Source: Portrait Gallery of Canada
