Trail blazing curator has big plans for retirement

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The first Aboriginal art curator in this country, the highly acclaimed Tom Hill, became one of the Governor General's laureates last month when it was announced he had been selected to receive the annual award in the category of Visual and Media Arts.

For more than 20 years Hill has been director of the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brampton, a job he still enjoys so much that he wants to remain associated in a volunteer capacity after he retires in a couple of years.

Hill, 60, a Konadaha Seneca who lives in Ohsweken, has fulfilled many roles creating and curating art over his lifetime, and he remains a committed doer in the arts scene.

After a stint at the Ontario College of Art, Hill obtained a certificate in museum studies from the Ontario Museums Association. He became the catalyst behind the Indians of Canada Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal. Later, he picked up an honourary doctorate from Wilfred Laurier University. He lectures, writes and is active on boards and committees. When he has time, he makes art.

The autonomy and broad scope of his work at the Woodland Cultural Centre puts it near the top of his list in terms of personal and job satisfaction.

"I've been very comfortable here, because it has given me a lot more flexibility in moving and doing the different kind of things that I am interested in." Repatriation of Indigenous artifacts was a major one.

Hill added that working on repatriation issues was time he donated over three years, in addition to his regular curatorial duties, "but it was something that had to be done. I was able to do it.

"Plus, as the director of a museum and as a curator, I'm able to put my own personal viewpoint forward in terms of the exhibitions, of what I would say is a priority, what I would like to see completed, what I would see done. That has given me a great deal of satisfaction, to see these exhibitions completed."

Because the majority of Hill's contributions have been attached to his role asadministrator, we asked him whether any of his talents or abilities had so far been overlooked.

"Although they recognized it here, when I received the (Governor General's) award" said Hill, "I think if anything has been least recognized (it) has been my ability to produce art-to actually make art. And I can understand that because as the curator ... you can't be the patient and be the doctor too. Here I am now taking the role of the curator, and so I can't do my own art and then I'd curate the show and then put my art in the show. You know, you can't do that ... I've let my own art career go by the wayside."

But that could change when Hill retires. "I've lined up so many things I want to do when I retire, I don't feel I'm going to have enough time to do them."

Hill suggested that "if there was any kind of regret" it might be that he had sidelined his own art, but he quickly added that the work he took on "had to be done."

When Tom Hill started, there were no other Aboriginal curators in Canada.

"Now there are many other curators who are doing by far ... intellectually and research and scholarly theses, that go beyond my few feeble steps when I started very, very early."

Since Hill's career started, the public's perception of what Aboriginal art is and is not has radically changed.

Early on, the public stereotyped Indians as primitives who "couldn't produce art," he said. "Insults and systemic racism" were the norm then, as Hill tried to get Indian art recognized for its intrinsic value and not as mere clever craft.

Even Hill's father had opposed his setting his sights on a career in the arts, because he associated that with "blanket-wrapped sellers of tourist art." Hill discovered that was the Canadian perception, all right, when he first tried to get his work accepted as art without cultural tags attached to it.

In a statement released by the Canada Council, Hill hammered home the challenge he had faced: "I was tired of working outsde modernism, of being the 'authentic' Indian artist making anthropology or tourist mementos while white artists made serious art."

Now he added, "But all of that has changed for the better, and it's great that there are so many people doing it now and going forward with an agenda that ... I had a part in starting."

Today, he said, with few exceptions, if anyone wants to make serious art in any part of Canada, "they can do it and it will be recognized as such."

Hill said attitudes have changed as more Aboriginal artists have surged forward and demanded to be recognized. His own part in bringing about this shift occurred through "writing about it," producing catalogues that educate and inform, and going around knocking on doors.

"I can remember being refused by the Art Gallery of Ontario-refused an exhibition." Supposedly that was because "Indians do not produce art," said Hill. Even when he got an exhibition called Beyond History into the Vancouver Art Gallery, "I can tell you that not all the curators were convinced that what I was presenting was, indeed, art." Their view had been that Indians "should stay in the craft world where they belong."

Hill said when he used to hear those kinds of remarks he did not confront people, and found if he did they became even more resistant, but they made him even more determined "there was going to be some changes made."

Today, those he knew that were in the vanguard of relegating Indigenous inspiration to a narrow niche market have changed their views, Hill pointed out. "So that makes me feel very good."

Now Hill is looking forward to passing the "budgets, work plans, strategic plans" of running a museum to someone else.

"I'm certainly letting people know, and there are a number of people in Canada who now certainly have the education that can do a good job here. Of course, there's the lap-over that would occur, and I would love them to be able to come even early to experience that. And I'm allowing peole the opportunity to try out this position ... the next couple of years."

The museum board will make the actual decision about a replacement. Hill said, "I'm just giving a whole bunch of people an opportunity in terms of succession." By the time he is ready to go, there will be a number of people who "know what the job is about" who can then apply if they are interested, he said.

The Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts are decided by an independent peer jury. Nominees must have created an "outstanding body of work and made a significant contribution o the development of the visual or media arts over a significant period of time," the Canada Council release states.

The jury said about Hill, "Tom Hill's many contributions to the art of Canada's Aboriginal peoples and to building bridges between Aboriginal artists and the broader Canadian community are without equal.

"As a curator, writer, lecturer, art historian, cultural policy-maker and volunteer, he has played a crucial role that has been insightful and visionary. Hill's tireless devotion reflects a generous spirit. His determined quest to find balance has served the arts well and inspired untold numbers of artists in several fields."