Tuesday, March 22, 2011

'Human Rights' Mauseoleum Loses Another Official

From the Winnipeg Free Press:
VICTORIA Dickenson, chief knowledge officer at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, is leaving her post to head up the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinberg, Ont.
Dickenson headed up a team of researchers and exhibit designers who were working on programming for the CMHR, which is scheduled to finish construction in 2012 and open in 2013. Her new job sees her heading up one of the most famous, and most troubled, galleries in Canada.

"My goal in coming to the McMichael is to make the institution stronger to reach our local communities, the tourists... and the visitors that we reach virtually, so that more people can experience what an outstanding institution the McMichael is."

Angela Cassie, director of communications for the CMHR, said the museum is still working on a plan to manage content development in the wake of Dickenson's departure. "Victoria made a tremendous contribution in her 18 months with the CMHR, laying a museological foundation upon which we can grow and further develop our inaugural exhibits. We thank her for this contribution and wish her well as she takes on a new challenge."

Last month, the museum parted ways with its chief operating officer. Patrick O'Reilly left the museum Feb. 28 after nearly two-and-a-half years as the COO...
Sounds like Vicky and Pat could be taking the fall for the Holodomor kerfuffle. (Also--things must be really bad at the CHRC if a gig with the notoriously fractious McMichael seems more appealing.)

Update: Al the Fish draws our attention to this, an '07 article in the 'Peg Free Press about the fundraising efforts of 'Peg motel tycoon, Leo Ledohowski. According to the article, Ledohowski took it upon himself to raise mucho dinero from the Ukrainian community--which he did. I don't know if Ledohowski and the others thought that in so doing they were buying the Holodomor a spot as a permant exhibit inside the edifice (along with the Holocaust and the genocide of Aborignals). I do know that that community has been relentless in pushing for permanent exhibit status (because, understandably, they don't want their genocide to be accorded second class status and get lost in the shuffle in the risibly-named "Mass Atrocity zone"). I also know that only a few days ago someone with the same last name as the tycoon was appointed to the mausoleum's board of trustees.

As I commented to Al: Something really smells here. Why isn't anyone in the mainstream media looking into this stuff?

3 comments:

Al the Fish said...

Look for a familiar name in this old article:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
historic/32624034.html

scaramouche said...

The plot sickens--Ukrainian tycoon raises Ukrainian shekels for the mausoleum, which may or may not buy the Holodomor a permanent exhibit there. Mausoleum (in a bid to placate tycoon and Ukie community?), appoints someone with tycoon's last name (his daughter?)to the mausoleum's board of trustees.

Something really smells here. Why isn't anyone in the mainstream media looking into this stuff?

Al the Fish said...

The Winnipeg Free Press is the more progressive (read Liberal) of the 2 Winnipeg papers. Do not know why the SUN isn't shining a light on the subject. (advertising $?)