Jayne Wilkinson named Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Art

Searchlight Partners is delighted to have partnered with Canadian Art to recruit this senior position.

Debra Rother, Publisher of Canadian Art, announced that Jayne Wilkinson has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Art.

“Jayne’s background in contemporary art and her broad experience in writing, publishing and curating will ensure that we continue to be a strong voice for art and culture in Canada,” says Rother. “She brings a commitment to diverse practices and an enthusiastic spirit to all her work, embodying the vision and values of our organization.”

Wilkinson’s mandate will be to expand Canadian Art’s readership and broaden its local, national and international coverage of diverse art practices through intelligent, accessible writing, and enhance stakeholder relationships across the country.

“I am honoured to be appointed Editor-in-Chief and to continue to work with the exceptional team we have at Canadian Art,” Wilkinson says. “It’s a true privilege to be at the helm of such a long-standing publication and I look forward to continuing our commitment to smart, engaged art writing from critical perspectives.”

Before coming to Canadian Art as Managing Editor in 2018, Wilkinson served as Editor/Publisher at Prefix Photo, Director/Curator at Prefix ICA and held positions at the Blackwood Gallery (UTM), Vancouver Art Gallery and Emily Carr University of Art and Design. She has contributed art criticism to a variety of print, online and peer-reviewed publications, and has lectured on topics related to contemporary art and culture at national and international conferences. She holds a BA in Art History from the University of Guelph and an MA in Art History and Critical Theory from the University of British Columbia. Wilkinson succeeds previous Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher David Balzer, whose work significantly reshaped the vision and direction of the organization.

Wilkinson will assume the role immediately.