Fireside with Lyndon Online: John Hampton
In January of 2021, the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Canada, appointed John G. Hampton as its executive director and CEO. John Hampton, who is a citizen of Chickasaw Nation and grew up in Regina, makes history as the first Indigenous person to run a major public gallery anywhere in Canada.
“The MacKenzie is my hometown gallery, and it has played an integral role in shaping some of my earliest understandings of the role of art and culture in our society,” Hampton said in a statement. “The MacKenzie has an exciting future ahead of it, and I intend to bring a spirit of interdependence, innovation, trust, wonder, and respect as we celebrate the deep art history of this land in tandem with the most innovative practices and conversations happening in Canada and beyond.”
On Tuesday June 1, 2021 John Hampton joined Lyndon J. Linklater for an online fireside conversation.
Bio: John G. Hampton (they/them or he/him) is a curator, artist, and administrator who joined the MacKenzie team in October 2018. They hold a Masters of Visual Studies – Curatorial Studies (2014) from the University of Toronto, a BA in Visual Arts (2009) from the University of Regina, and a diploma in 3D Animation and Game Design from New Media Campus (2004). John is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, the United States, and Canada, and grew up in Regina (1991-2012). John is the former Executive Director of the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba (2016-2018), Artistic Director of Trinity Square Video (2013-2016), and Curator at Neutral Ground Contemporary Art Forum (2010-2013). In addition to their role at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, John holds an adjunct curator appointment at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, and is the co-chair of the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective board of directors