John Hampton grew up in Regina and after a short stint in Toronto and Brandon running galleries, he snuck back home to become Executive Director in January 2022.

Founded in 1939 with a bequest from Norman Mackenzie and opening in 1953, the gallery has a rich history including the being the first in Canada to have an indigenous curator.

In 2020, an equity statement was created to anticipate future cultural movements and ensure history is preserved.

We were given a very interesting tour of exhibitions and findings of artists. In particular, a visiting artist found an artifact in the Mackenzie vault, owned by the University, that has a rich history tracing back to India ... and MacKenzie had no right to! The prime minister of India made multiple statements about the artifact being returned, and the exchange of ideas, culture, and artifacts lead to a new exhibition.