National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec | Management justifies the dismissal of its curator

The general director of the National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec (MNBAQ), Jean-Luc Murray, testified last Friday before the Administrative Labor Tribunal of Quebec (TAT). He defended his decision to dismiss the curator of modern art, Anne-Marie Bouchard, whom he accused of having “lacked rigor”.

In its dismissal letter, the MNBAQ management accuses Ms. Bouchard of having used the signature of the Museum’s general director without his consent when writing a loan letter for three additional works by the artist Kent Monkman, which she wanted to add to the Générations exhibition, of which she was the curator.

Said letter was never sent to the Sobey Foundation, the originator of the exhibition, and ultimately, the three works were never added to the exhibition, given the complexity of their transportation. Halifax to Quebec, we learned. Despite this, the general director said Friday that “the bond of trust with Ms. Bouchard had been shaken.”

During her initial testimony, she reported a tense work climate at the museum, the appearance of favoritism on the part of a director and numerous circumventions of the collective agreement.

During his testimony, general director Jean-Luc Murray explained to judge Caroline Gagnon that the choice of the work which was to appear on the poster of the Générations exhibition had been the subject of heated discussions with Anne-Marie Bouchard a few months ago.

Ms. Bouchard’s team wanted a work by Kent Monkman to be featured (as in the other exhibitions on the Générations tour), while Mr. Murray, advised by the museum’s communications team, had chosen another artist, member of the Group of Seven, J. E. H. MacDonald, considered less divisive.

“I was confronted in front of everyone, I found it awkward to say the least. “I have been accused of lacking courage, so I felt like adding Monkman’s works, at the last minute, was a power grab in response to our meeting,” the executive director submitted as assumption.

In an email from Anne-Marie Bouchard addressed to the members of her team after this meeting (read aloud by the MNBAQ’s lawyer, Me Serge Belleau), the curator and commissioner of the Générations exhibition expresses her concern by regarding the choice of management, but supports the arguments of Mr. Murray, who had obtained the approval of the Sobey Foundation to change the photo.

The Museum’s management did not stick to the reasons given by management in Ms. Bouchard’s dismissal letter to justify her departure.

Jean-Luc Murray thus mentioned a poor performance by Ms. Bouchard before an acquisition committee for the Museum’s works in November 2022. Anne-Marie Bouchard would have disappointed with her “lack of depth, rigor and preparation” even if all her recommendations (for the acquisition of works) were followed.

During the exhibition of the Canadian impressionist painter Helen McNicoll, “loans [of works] would not have been secured”, according to her testimony.

Finally, the Museum accuses her of having collaborated on a catalog of the McMichael Gallery without having informed it – a text that Ms. Bouchard signed as a specialist of the MNBAQ.

Earlier today, the Museum was busy putting into evidence a series of email exchanges between the registrar, Isolda Gavidia, and her immediate supervisor – and spouse, we learned at the first hearing – Guillaume Savard , noting the signature of the general director, Jean-Luc Murray, in the famous loan letter prepared by Anne-Marie Bouchard.

Ms. Bouchard’s lawyer, Me Jennifer Nadeau, deplored the fact that despite all the exchanges mentioning Mr. Murray’s signature, no one asked to speak to Ms. Bouchard. Especially since a sample letter with the signature of Mr. Murray had been sent (by mistake) by Ms. Gavidia to Anne-Marie Bouchard. An error that she admitted during her testimony.

Following the cancellation of the loan project, Jean-Luc Murray did not insist on meeting Ms. Bouchard either. Instead, he chose this moment to trigger an internal investigation. “The fact that she did not wish to give more information about her loan project justified an investigation,” he argued. Ms. Bouchard is expected to give her detailed version of the case during her next testimony.

Parallel to the debate surrounding this document bearing the signature of Jean-Luc Murray, Anne-Marie Bouchard must still prove to Judge Gagnon that she was fired in retaliation for her union activities. She had broached the subject in April, but the discussion quickly turned to the reasons for her departure.

Towards the end of last Friday’s hearing, the director of the human resources department, called Talents and Culture at the MNBAQ, Nadia Béland, who also represents the MNBAQ in this matter, began her testimony by affirming that union relations with Ms. Bouchard were “very good”, setting the table for the future.

The Museum also presented the report from an external firm which investigated the grievance of alleged psychological harassment by Guillaume Savard against Anne-Marie Bouchard. The report concluded that there was no harassment. The MNBAQ also argued that it was willing to find another manager than Mr. Savard for individual union meetings with Ms. Bouchard.

Ms. Béland finally took the time to explain to the Court that the romantic relationship – and authority – between Guillaume Savard and Isolda Gavidia had been taken seriously and that mitigation measures had been taken by the MNBAQ and communicated to employees of the services concerned. No complaints have been made against the executive or his employee since.

The next hearing will take place on June 17. At least two more hearings will be necessary to conclude the case.