Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Forest City Gallery Director Accepts New Position Forest City Gallery Director, Matthew Kyba, accepts new position with The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington LONDON, ON, February 11, 2020 — Matthew Kyba, Director of Forest City Gallery (FCG), will be departing London’s Artist Run Centre (ARC) with the acceptance of his new position as Curator at The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington in Bowmanville, Ontario. In a year marked by institutional and personal success, the move to a focused curatorial role is a good one for Kyba, who will leave behind a lasting impression on the programming of FCG, their public initiatives, and on the larger community of London, Ontario. Over his two years acting as Director, Kyba worked incredibly hard to ensure Forest City Gallery’s stability, always prioritizing ambitions for growth and adherence to the ARC’s mandate of supporting emerging artists and remaining current in contemporary Canadian arts practices. Originally hailing from Toronto, Kyba completed his undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Film and Media and his Master of Fine Arts in Criticism and Curatorial Practice from OCAD University. As a founder and curator of Bunker 2, a non-profit art space dedicated to showing emerging practices and inspired by the ever-precarious Toronto real estate market, Kyba’s dedication to continuing conversations around contemporary arts practices made him a great fit for the role of Director when hired in 2017. With Forest City Gallery, Kyba was able to foster these conversations and engage meaningfully with the London arts community and the city as a whole. While with FCG, Kyba instituted and supported meaningful and varied programming, building partnerships with community organizations, and encouraging dialogue with London’s educational institutions for the bettered future of the Forest City’s art community. Under his direction, the gallery’s Public Library initiative took form and FCG saw the successful implementation of their Artist Residency in collaboration with Bealart and TAP Centre for Creativity. Kyba’s influence on programming at Forest City Gallery will be celebrated well into the 2021–22 year and many ongoing projects born of his bright ideas are currently in the works. Kyba worked hard to be Director, administrator, and marketer for the Gallery, fostering a sense of community, collaboration, and dedication to the space and the city, ensuring its future successes. Kyba’s presence will be dearly missed among regular Gallery patrons and those who know it only in passing, but FCG is certain of his success in all future endeavours and looks forward to watching him flourish in his new role. The Hiring Committee and FCG’s Board of Directors looks forward to the recruitment process and and invites qualified applicants to apply by visiting this application page between February 12th and February 28th, 2020. --- About the Organization: Forest City Gallery is London’s artist-run centre. Encompassing a diverse community of artists, FCG emphasizes creative interplay and the fostering of relationships between artists at all stages of their careers, with a particular emphasis on supporting emerging practices. Founded on the principles of artistic autonomy and a celebration of its regional context, FCG is committed to extending the discourse between established and experimental art forms. FCG advances relevant contemporary practices in visual/media arts, performance, literature, and music among local, regional, national, and international arts communities. For more information: Alexandra Jaworiwsky Forest City Gallery, Board President board@forestcitygallery.com Matthew Kyba Forest City Gallery, Gallery Director info@forestcitygallery.com