Tara A. Chadwick

With over three decades of experience, the City of Toronto’s Chief Curator, Tara Chadwick, is deeply rooted in art, archaeology, and intercultural learning experiences for residents and visitors of all ages.

As a Canadian-born Indigenous person with roots in Mesoamerica, Africa and Europe, Chadwick seeks to amplify equity-deserving voices while promoting economic development through culture, heritage and art.

The Chief Curator role includes implementing the City’s new Culture Connects Action Plan, developing a knowledge center, increasing public access, and shaping the City’s fine art collection.

Chadwick envisions Toronto Museums expanding as hubs of social wellness, knowledge exchange and economic prosperity, with community driven activities, ongoing research and intergenerational programming across the City.

Tara A. Chadwick will be speaking at the MuseumNext Forecast Summit 2025 :

Indigenous Innovations in Collections and Curatorial practices

So we have identified potentially sensitive items in our collection, now what? Join Tara Chadwick in conversation with Erma Ferrell, Heather George, Jacob Jamieson and Lee An Muntz about emerging innovations, policies and practices related to ethical collections management, acquisition, storage and use.

Across the world, our collective sensibilities are turning toward repairing and rectifying harm that has come to communities through the act of collecting, storing and transferring ownership of community held knowledge. Museums, governments, and scientific institutions are beginning to acknowledge and address these legacies while co-creating alternative processes.

The outcomes of these efforts are iterations of living documents that must have room for continual feedback, flexibility and adaptability.