Virginia Stephen has an MA in Visual and Performing Arts Education and undergraduate degrees in both Art History and Arts Education and is a graduate of the Getty Museum Leadership Institute. She has over 35 years of experience as an arts educator, museum educator and senior arts administrator. Stephen began her career as a visual art teacher in Ontario and British Columbia secondary schools. She was Deputy Director (Head of Programs – Exhibitions Education and Public Programs, Curator) and Curator of Education at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Executive Director of the Edmonton Art Gallery and Executive Director of Liberal Studies (Visual Art, Residential Interiors, Writing, Humanities), Faculty Of Extension at the University of Alberta. She is a creativity facilitator for the Leadership Development Program at The Banff Centre.
The Art Gallery of Alberta respectfully acknowledges that we are located in Treaty 6 Territory and Region 4 of the Metis Nation of Alberta. We respect this as the traditional and contemporary land of diverse Indigenous Peoples including the Plains Cree, Woodland Cree, Beaver Cree, Nitsitapi/Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Anishinaabe/Saulteaux/Ojibwe and Dene Peoples. We also acknowledge the many Indigenous, Inuit and Métis people who make Alberta their home today.