ART – New executive director appointed from within to lead Kamloops gallery

The Kamloops Art Gallery has a new executive director with a familiar face.

Emily Hope has worked with the Kamloops Art Gallery for 13 years, serving as the education and public programs director from 2014 to 2024 and the interim executive director since January 2025.

“After an extensive national search that attracted candidates from across the country, we ultimately found the right person was already leading from within,” said Richard Marken, board president of the Kamloops Art Gallery.

“Emily has shown exceptional dedication and steady leadership throughout her time as interim executive director. Her deep understanding of the gallery, her integrity, and her commitment to both our mission and our community make her the ideal choice to guide the Kamloops Art Gallery into its next chapter.”

Hope is a volunteer board member with the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society, Kamloops Museum and Archives Community Outreach Committee, and the newly formed Caribbean Society of Kamloops.

“Art is for everybody,” said Hope. “This simple sentence is the foundation of my philosophy. It has fuelled my work as an arts educator and will continue to inform and guide my leadership as executive director.”