For the first time in more than 20 years, there will be a new person heading up Museum London.
Niagara-native Julie Bevan was announced as the museum’s new executive director by the board of directors on Friday.
Bevan will officially take over the position from Brian Meehan on April 4. Meehan, who has held the museum’s top job since April 1999, will retire at the end of March. A nationwide search for his replacement had been ongoing since he announced his planned departure last spring.
“We received a lot of interest and a number of very strong applications throughout this process,” said Board Chair Sarah Padfield. “It speaks to the extremely positive national, provincial and local reputation of Museum London. The search committee was enormously impressed by the high calibre candidates that expressed interest in the Museum. We are very confident that Julie is the leader who can and will continue to build on Museum London’s reputation as one of Canada’s premier art and history museums and a community-focused cultural centre.”
Bevan served as the inaugural manager of culture and events for the City of Nanaimo, British Columbia. Prior to that she was the executive director of the Nanaimo Art Gallery and has held a variety of roles in museums and galleries in Calgary and Vancouver. Bevan is a graduate of Carleton University and has a Masters of Arts from the University of British Columbia.
“I am delighted to be joining the team at Museum London,” Bevan said. “It is an honour and tremendous opportunity. Museum London is poised to become increasingly influential, vibrant, and responsive to meet the challenges of our time and the needs of the diverse peoples’ it serves. There is limitless potential to activate and build the museum’s collection, to set artists, stories and ideas from Southwestern Ontario into global dialogue, connect deeply to audiences, and co-create thriving and creative communities.”
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