Jean MacPherson

Background

About Jean MacPherson

With over 20 years of experience as a senior arts leader and strategic management professional, Jean specializes in leveraging arts, digital media, and cultural partnerships to design innovative models that drive positive systems change, reform structures, and advance equity justice. Currently, Jean is the Supervisor of Arts and Culture at the Town of Canmore, where she leads a team responsible for public art and placemaking, sector support and innovation, and cultural initiatives. Before joining the Town of Canmore, Jean co-led the Moving Mountains initiative, a collaborative effort across the Bow Valley to foster positive change in the areas of Truth and Reconciliation, Health and Wellness, Environment, and Economy. Jean implemented a co-leadership model for the initiative and helped secure seed funding for the first-ever Indigenous-led Cultural Pop-Up Center in Banff National Park. In 2020/21, Jean led the research, design, outreach, and business model development for ArtsPond's DigitalASO, a national cross-disciplinary digital arts services alliance dedicated to making creative practices more equitable and accessible. With 14 years of experience at Banff Centre, Jean produced and managed over 100 digital media art programs and production residencies. In 2019, she produced Banff Centre's "Art, Culture and Digital Transformation Summit", a hybrid, cross-sectoral conference exploring the evolving practices and environments of the arts sector in a digital world. Jean currently serves on various Bow Valley arts and culture committees and boards, and is a regular contributor to regional, provincial, and national assessment committees for arts impact and innovation funding. “I’m passionate about the transformative power of art and digital media to inspire cultural innovation, advance equity justice, and create lasting social impact. Let’s connect and explore how we can make meaningful change together!”