Jean-François Bélisle

Jean-François Bélisle (born 1975) is the director and CEO of the National Gallery of Canada, appointed in 2023. When he was appointed, La Presse newspaper in Montreal praised his "broad expertise, his contagious dynamism and his knowledge of the Canadian museum environment".

Career Bélisle, the son of Micheline and J. Denis Bélisle, diplomats received his Bachelor of Arts (2004) and Master of Arts degrees (2007) in art history from Concordia University in Montreal. Starting in the mid-1990s, he worked at the Sotheby's auction house in Geneva, and at the Iegor auction house in Montreal. He also worked at the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Canadian Art Research Institute in Montreal, at UNESCO in Paris, at the Prince of Asturias Foundation in Oviedo, Spain, as well as at the McCord Museum and at ‘’Ciel variable’’ magazine.

From 2007 till 2011, a private art foundation with venues in Montreal (2011), Toronto (2013) and New York (2017) dedicated to helping contemporary Canadian artists reach a wider audience, then served as its executive director till 2016.

From 2016 till 2023, Bélisle served as executive director and chief curator of the Musée d’art de Joliette (MAJ) in Joliette, Quebec, northeast of Montreal. With his help, the MAJ expanded its presence, role, and profile in Canada and abroad, and was more inclusive, giving more space through exhibitions to indigenous people, and examining, through contemporary interventions, the way a historical collection of bronze sculptures represented Indigenous people. He also has contributed articles to many catalogues on contemporary Canadian artists.

In 2023, Bélisle was appointed CEO of the National Gallery of Canada.

In 2023, he was elected president of the Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization;

Controversy The controversy at the National Gallery of Canada, as with other institutions, is over decolonization. The previous director of the gallery, Sasha Suda, tried to change the gallery into one that was more inclusive of the art, experiences and thinking of Indigenous, Black and other minorities. That meant firing curators and resignations as well as tensions with major collectors, which led to disruption of the museum and a public outcry. Bélisle's plan is to make "diversity" part of the existing program. According to Bélisle, its pursuit will be delivered through the gallery's choices in acquiring and exhibiting art rather than through corporate pronouncements.

We want the gallery to remain a place where the collections, the exhibitions and the experiences we facilitate are the vehicle for diversity, dialogue and inclusiveness,” Bélisle told MPs. “We’re going to make sure that artwork – rather than corporate policies – does the talking.