McMichael head Thomas Smart steps down

The CEO of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, housing major works from the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson, has resigned suddenly.

Thomas Smart, also executive director, arrived at the Kleinburg, Ont., gallery in July 2006 from Pittsburgh, where he was head of collections and exhibitions at the Frick Art and Historical Center.

"I am honoured to have been its [McMichael's] leader through the significant accomplishments of the past four years and I am confident that this is the right time to begin an orderly transition in leadership," Smart said in a release late Friday.

"The current momentum, the strength of the people and the programs in place all make me confident that the McMichael has a great future."

Peter Ross, McMichael's director of development, marketing and communications, has been appointed interim CEO.  

Smart, who has also worked at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and New Brunswick's Beaverbrook Art Gallery, will leave at the start of October.

The resignation comes as the gallery is on an even keel and profitable, and has caused a stir in Canada's art world.

The 53-year-old London, Ont., native expanded the gallery's mission, introducing a program of contemporary First Nations art and growing its membership by 66 per cent during his four-year tenure.

"We thank Tom for his dedicated service and contribution to the gallery and wish him well in his future endeavours," said Upkar Arora of McMichael's board of trustees. "Under his watch, the organization has flourished and achieved many successes." 

Arora told the Globe and Mail he believes Smart's departure is connected to the fact he "felt he had accomplished a lot … and it was time for a change."

In an interview with The Toronto Star, the trustee denied there were any major disagreements between Smart and the board.

Arora says it's "business as usual" at the gallery, which was turned over to the Ontario government 45 years ago by its founders, Robert and Signe McMichael, both of whom have died.

The gallery, northwest of Toronto, holds Canada's largest collection of works by the Group of Seven, as well as works by other important Canadian artists, including Emily Carr, Jean-Paul Lemieux and David Milne.