Director,The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery
St. John's, NL
In January 2009, Sheila Perry was appointed as Director of The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery. A native of British Columbia, she studied art history and classics at the University of Alberta, completing her undergraduate degree in 1994. From there she went on to post-graduate work at the University of Leicester in England, receiving her Master of Museum Studies "With Commendation" in 1996. During this period she gained experience in many aspects of museum work by serving as a Curator Intern at Glasgow Museums. She gained international work experience living in Scotland and Japan until returning to Canada, where she pursued a final university degree, receiving her Master of Business Administration from the University of Alberta in 2001.
Sheila also brings to The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery, and The Rooms Corporation, a strong record of service in the museum/gallery field. From 1999 through 2002, she was the Executive Director of the Visual Arts Alberta Association, responsible for operations of the organization and in representing the interests of independent Alberta artists to government and the private sector as well as establishing the VAAA gallery in Edmonton and curating its exhibitions.
In 2002, Sheila was recruited by the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum in Mason City, Iowa, responsible for the operations of this mid-sized regional arts complex. This included financial management, acting as senior curator for all exhibitions and responsibility for all programming, special events and for retention of American Museum Association accreditation. In 2007, Ms. Perry was recruited to serve as the inaugural Superintendent (head) of the City of Calgary’s Public Art Program, which is currently one of the most active public art programs in North America.