SK Arts hires 1st Indigenous CEO in its over 75-year history

One of the oldest public arts funders in North America hired its first Indigenous chief executive officer late last year.

Lisa Bird-Wilson, who is Red River Métis, and Cree with ties to George Gordon First Nation, said she's happy to make history at SK Arts. 

SK Arts, a provincially funded organization that provides grants, programs and services to artists and art communities in Saskatchewan, was established in 1948.

"I'm pretty humbled by the concept and also a part of me says, 'Isn't it time?'" said Bird-Wilson.

Bird-Wilson, whose novel Probably Ruby was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award in 2022, started her new position on Nov. 18, 2024. She previously worked at the Gabriel Dumont Institute for 25 years, ending her career there as the CEO.

"I have a long experience with community-based grassroots types of service delivery so that also is what attracted me to Sask Arts," said Bird-Wilson.

She said she wants to ensure the organization has better representation from artists, arts communities and cultures that were underrepresented in the past.

That will take outreach to communities and listening and learning to find out what it is artists need from the organization, she said.

'I'm excited and quite impressed about the ways that there have been shifts within this organization towards inclusion," said Bird-Wilson.

Bird-Wilson said there's an opportunity for SK Arts to build on its recent work. 

Musician and actor Aren Okemaysim, who received an Indigenous performing arts grant in 2021, said having an Indigenous CEO at SK Arts is a big win not only for Indigenous people but for the arts community as a whole because it's important that people with Indigenous backgrounds are included in leadership roles.

Okeymasim, who is from Beardy's and Okemasis Cree Nation and lives in Saskatoon, called the organization "a pillar in the arts community" and said the grant helped him create his band OKIMAW's self-titled debut album.

"When the album finally came out, it got a lot of radio attention across Canada and mostly community radio," said Okemaysim.

Then he was able to book gigs and travel across Saskatchewan to play with his band.

Ian Rea, chair of the SK Arts board of directors, said hiring Bird-Wilson's hiring is important because they want to represent the entire province's arts community.

"Indigenous people have been underrepresented so it's really just an appreciation and recognition of that and a desire to have our organization reflect our community," said Rea.

"I think we can only grow and do better. I think we've made a lot of progress, but we have a long way to go."