Jacqui Usiskin

Jacqui Usiskin (she/her) joined the Blackwood as Curatorial Assistant / Collections Archivist in late 2020. As part of this role, Jacqui supports the research and development of programs and publications, leads experiential learning initiatives in collaboration with faculty, coordinates marketing and communications, provides student mentorship, and manages the Blackwood’s permanent art collection, loans program, and archives. Previously, she held the positions of Special Projects Coordinator at the Yukon Arts Centre, Curatorial Research Fellow at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, as well as internships at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Border Crossings. Jacqui completed her Masters of Studies with Distinction in History of Art and Visual Culture at the University of Oxford, where she researched the relationship between image and thought through contemporary video installation. Her writing has been published in the Moving Image Review and Art Journal, and she has presented her research at CREAM (Centre for Research and Education in Arts and Media), University of Westminster, and at the 2017 UAAC-AAUC Conference (Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity). Most recently, Jacqui curated The Whole World in Our Hands, the Blackwood’s 2024 fall program, which extended as an exhibition in public spaces on UTM campus, forum, and film program. Through curatorial inquiry, Jacqui endeavours to nurture community engagement, challenge hegemonic narratives, and cultivate spaces for transdisciplinary and pedagogical dialogue about artistic practice.