The Art Gallery of Ontario is Censoring Free Expression
The AGO has silently removed inaugural curator of Indigenous Art, Wanda Nanibush, after she expressed solidarity with Palestinians. Find resources here to learn more.
Letters of Support
Letters of solidarity calling for action and transparency from the AGO.
Private Complaint
The leaked letter of complaint that preceded Wanda Nanibush’s removal.
Press Coverage
See articles in the Globe and Mail, Hyperallergic, and more.
“Nanibush has been a vocal critic of settler-colonialism in Canada and around the world. Her targeting threatens all who are committed to decolonization, and especially Indigenous and Palestinian practitioners at this moment.”
Action Network Letter
Censure of Wanda Nanibush and Silencing of Decolonial Voices at the AGO
Silence from the AGO
Nanibush’s departure from the AGO has been shrouded in mystery, despite the gallery celebrating her many achievements in curating groundbreaking and award-winning exhibitions by First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and international Indigenous artists, and her role in re-organizing the institution’s Indigenous and Canadian art collections as a nation-to-nation agreement.
Her forced resignation from the museum came to light only through the work of audience members and investigative reporters—evidence that museum administration hoped to obscure the conditions of her departure to maintain a façade of reconciliation while quietly silencing the work of Indigenous leaders.
Ongoing Local Actions
Follow @stopartwashing for responses to the museum’s ongoing censorship of Indigenous voices in solidarity with Palestine.
Responses to the AGO & Additional Context