Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Sheila Spence as Director, Administration and Development.

Spence fills one of two new director positions: one in Programming; and a Director, Administration and Development. These two individuals will work as a team to maintain Plug In ICA’s vision and to guide its upcoming initiatives.

Spence holds a Masters of Art degree in Leadership from Royal Roads University and has over 15 years of experience in arts management with extensive history in the areas of artistic and financial development, program design, management, and delivery.  She is well respected in the arts community for her skills as a team leader and experience in organizational change management.

Prior to joining the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in 2012, Spence was Executive Director of Martha Street Studio (Manitoba Printmakers’ Association). Under her direction the organization became a vibrant hub for programming to both the artists’ community and to broader community groups.  She built a diversified revenue base and oversaw a series of capital upgrades that transformed the building. At the 2014 Mayor’s Luncheon For the Arts, Martha Street Studio was nominated for a Winnipeg Arts Council Award in the category of Arts Champion for “investing in and creating a fully accessible space”.

In announcing the appointment, Noam Gonick, President of the Plug In ICA Board of Directors, stated, “Sheila Spence has a long history with Plug In, both as a photographer and a member of the artist’s collective “Average Good Looks” whose conversation-generating “Homophobia is Killing Us” billboard Plug In exhibited in Osborne Village in the early ’90s.  Her great strides behind the scenes at the WAG, as Director of Martha Street Studio and in the exhibitions tier of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights make Spence a natural fit for taking our Institute of Contemporary Art into the future.”

Spence says, “for over 40 years Plug In ICA has led the artists’ community in Winnipeg, in Canada, and beyond.  From Arthur Street to Portage Avenue Plug In ICA has presented, disseminated, challenged, incubated, and nurtured contemporary art on the prairies.  I look forward to working with Plug In ICA’s staff, Board of Directors, members, and community stakeholders to build a foundation that will sustain another 40 plus years of innovation from Plug In ICA.”

Spence begins as Director, Administration and Development on August 18. Acting Director, Heather Laser will continue into September to assist with the transition.

About Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art

Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is a laboratory for research and a centre for the presentation of art that confronts ideas and issues affecting contemporary society. Over the past forty years Plug In ICA has grown to serve local, national, and international audiences with a variety of programs and activities. Our activities encompass visual culture in the broadest sense including: film and video, architecture, new media, popular and material culture, design and literature. Plug In ICA organizes six to ten exhibitions each year, publishes through our imprint Plug In Editions, and tours contemporary art in all media.