Staff puzzled by National Gallery chief curator's sudden exit
Last Updated: Sunday, July 6, 2008 | 3:45 PM ET
CBC News
There's been an upheaval at Canada's National Gallery in Ottawa with the abrupt departure of chief curator David Franklin.
Staff were informed in a terse e-mail on Thursday from gallery director Pierre Théberge that Franklin "is currently on leave," according to a report in the Ottawa Citizen.
No reason was given, nor was there any return date.
National Gallery of Canada director Pierre Théberge, pictured here in June, said chief curator David Franklin is 'on leave' but gave no return date. (CBC)
The report also said employees were shocked by Franklin's departure, expressing the belief that they did not expect him to return.
Franklin's exit throws two major exhibitions into turmoil.
An internationally renowned expert on Italian Renaissance art, Franklin had been co-ordinating the gallery's main summer exhibit for 2009 of Italian Renaissance and Baroque art. He was also the curator of the Caravaggio exhibit slated for 2011 or 2012.
Massive exhibits of this kind are years in the making, requiring international contacts and expertise.
Relations between gallery staff and management have been rocky since a two-month strike in 2001.
Franklin, who also served as deputy director, was considered a popular manager who provided doughnuts during the strike. He often replaced Théberge, his boss, at public events or conducting interviews with the media.
It was widely believed that the two men were not close colleagues.
Théberge's five-year term ended last December but was extended for a year by the federal government.
Théberge's e-mail said Franklin would be temporarily replaced by Mayo Graham, who has been the National Gallery's director of outreach and international relations for the past 10 years.
Graham is also a former director of the Ottawa Art Gallery.
Share Tools
Whitney Houston's final song Celebrate debuts by Jessica Wong May. 23, 2012 2:46 PM It seems fitting that Whitney Houston's final release is an upbeat and uplifting duet in which she passes the torch to a younger singer with vocal powerhouse potential. In the high energy song Celebrate, from the upcoming film Sparkle, Houston duets with singer and former American Idol Jordin Sparks.
Top News Headlines
- Prince Charles and Camilla jet home after 4-day visit
- Prince Charles and his wife Camilla boarded a jet Wednesday night to head home to London after a four-day Canadian tour that included stops in New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. more »
- How a CP strike affects Canada's supply chain
- When engineers and other workers at Canadian Pacific Railway walked off the job early Wednesday, they set off a strike that could affect coal mines, farms, auto manufacturing plants and maybe even the local Canadian Tire. more »
- John Baird to champion religious freedom in U.S. speech
- Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird will be the main speaker at a Washington, D.C., event celebrating religious freedom, but the event sponsor's hardline stance on same-sex marriage and homosexuality is at odds with Baird's support for gay rights around the world. more »
- Brian Stewart: Ready of not, it is Afghanistan's turn to carry the fight
- The decision to withdraw NATO troops from Afghanistan by 2014 is a daring gamble, Brian Stewart writes. But it is time to aim for "good enough" and leave the fighting to the Afghans. more »
Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines
- Security breach alleged in making of bin Laden raid film
- A House committee chairman charged Wednesday in Washington that the CIA and Defence Department jeopardized national security by co-operating too closely with filmmakers producing a movie on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. more »
- Tom Wesselmann celebrated in new Montreal exhibit
- With Beyond Pop Art: Tom Wesselmann, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is trying to give the reserved, modest American art icon the attention he deserves. more »
- Mario Bros. creator gets Spain's Asturias Award
- Japan's Shigeru Miyamoto, considered the father of the modern video game, has been awarded Spain's Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities. more »
- David Cronenberg exhibit planned at TIFF
- With Canadian director David Cronenberg drawing attention at Cannes with the upcoming release of Cosmopolis, the TIFF Group is getting ready to celebrate his film career with a new exhibition. more »
Q Blog
Stephen Merchant stands up for himself May. 23, 2012 4:44 PM The comic best known for collaborating with Ricky Gervais on hit TV shows "The Office" and "Extras," talks to Jian about recently returning to his stand-up comedy roots, whether there are taboos in comedy, and more.
CBC Books
The problem with modern motherhood May. 23, 2012 5:26 PM French writer Elisabeth Badinter has written a controversial new book about modern motherhood. It in she argues that parenting methods like attachment parenting undermine women. She explains why to Day 6.
- Canadian Everest victim warned by guide to turn back
- Prince Charles and Camilla jet home after 4-day visit
- Canadian Pacific Railway strike leads to 2,000 layoffs
- Outhouse bear attack survivor was grabbed from 'throne'
- Disgraced RCMP officer transferred to B.C.
- Canadian climber describes Everest as 'a morgue'
- Tsunami debris could bring shoes with human remains
- Mom can't leave Canada with children, or stay either
- Calcium supplement use may raise heart attack risk
