Deconstruct: Gallery and Museum Engagement (GAME) Conference Saskatoon, SK, June 4-6, 2026
Written by Margo Smith, GAME Scribe
The 2026 GAME Conference was held on Treaty 6 land, encompassing the lands of the Cree, Dakota, Nakota, Saulteaux, and the homeland of the Metis Nation. We are deeply grateful to have gathered and learned on this land, and for the knowledge and teachings generously shared by Indigenous teachers and educators throughout the conference.
Day One
Land-Based Welcome with Lyndon Linklater (Remai Modern)
We began the conference with a land-based welcome session and riverwalk led by Knowledge Keeper Lyndon Linklater, who performed a smudge and spoke to us about Treaty 6 Territory and Truth and Reconciliation. A representative from the Meewasin Valley Authority introduced us to a map of the Saskatchewan watershed and the world-class conservation work being done in the area.
Keynote Address by Michelle Jacques (Remai Modern)
We moved from the waterfront into the Remai Modern where Michelle Jacques delivered a keynote address on interpretive planning. She defined interpretation as the space between the artwork and the visitor.
The work of interpretation creates the conditions where many different people can locate themselves in that space. There is a myth of the “general visitor” who comes to museums. In reality, individuals encounter museums through layered identities and lived experiences (intersectionality). Therefore our goal should not be to imagine one visitor, or even many visitors, but to create many ways into artworks.
Interpretation is never neutral; it demonstrates to visitors the values of the institution. In fact, interpretation is one of the primary ways institutional values are communicated. Interpretation shapes who sees themselves in institutional narratives and who has to do additional labour to locate themselves in the conversation. This means that interpretation is foundational to exhibit design, not supplementary or something that can be added at the end of the process.
Presentation by Jen Budney (Ukrainian Museum of Canada)
Jen Budney spoke about museums, fragile democracy, and public value. Museums create both private value (personal enrichment) and public value (engaging citizens in ways that promote justice, truth, equity, etc.). Jen spoke about the role of museums through the lens of the founding of the (at the time) Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Museum in the political climate of 1936. In many ways this climate is similar to that of today.
In this light, Jen discussed the need to rethink the rules of museums. She acknowledged that museum educators (primarily women) are often marginalized within institutions. Jen highlighted the importance of directors who value the role of education and centre it in the museums’ work. The recent renewal of the exhibits at the Ukrainian Museum served as a successful example of this. The team worked together to openly engage in the kind of difficult conversations that are essential to the role of museums in democracies.
Day Two
“Forecast” Exhibition Tour and Discussion (Remai Modern)
The team at Remai Modern gave us a tour of the first exhibition they have done that had a dedicated interpretive plan. “Forecast” explores experiences of weather and climate anxiety. Three key elements emerged from the interpretive planning for this exhibition: wearable costumes representing weather phenomena like acid rain and tornadoes, an audio station with interviews of people about their experiences of climate, and an interactive felt map designed after a well-known local weatherman’s map.
Interpretive Planning Presentation by Jenny Ryan (Remai Modern)
Jenny Ryan described interpretation as finding different entry points so everyone can access a story. Interpretation encourages longer and deeper looking, increased meaning-making and connections, and more memorable experiences. Basic interpretation consists of labels, audio guides, and traditional programs. Intermediate interpretation includes key messaging, visitor-friendly texts, and in-gallery activations/interactives. More advanced interpretation involves inviting community involvement.
In interpretive planning, it is important to know your audience and prioritise their needs over your own. Gallery text and experiences are filtered through visitors’ prior knowledge and experiences. Jenny emphasised that there will never be one right way to engage with art. The goal is to offer many pathways into the story.
Nicolle Nugent (Mackenzie Art Gallery)
Nicole Nugent described interpretation as a creative practice. She shared with us the Mackenzie Method, an interpretive methodology used at the Mackenzie Art Gallery. This method is constructivist and rooted in what visitors bring into the gallery, challenging the role of the “expert”. The Mackenzie Method is as follows:
- Experience the Artwork Together
- First Impressions (What is the first word that comes to mind when you look at this work? Note: this format challenges the common focus on what a visitor “sees”.) 3. Analysis (What did the artist do to make us think of those words?)
- Interpretation (what do you think is important to this artist?, If this work were the cover of a book, what would that story be about?, If it was a map, what would the landscape look like?, etc.)
- Context (Asking visitors what they want to know about the artist, providing context, etc.) 6. Synthesis (What will you remember or take away? How has your thinking changed by this conversation or your experience of the artwork?)
Nicolle noted that there are limitations to this method, such as in exploring works that deal with stories of residential schools, where specific knowledge should be shared.
Presentation by Lyndon Linklater at Wanuskewin Heritage Park
After this, we headed to Wanuskewin, where Lyndon Linklater shared with us the background and importance of this site. The site is home to many significant sites, such as a medicine wheel, bison jump and petroglyphs. Recently, bison have been reintroduced at Wanuskewin. Wanuskewin is in the process of getting UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.
Presentation by Tarah Hogue (Remai Modern)
At Wanuskewin, Tarah Hogue spoke to us about Metis and Indigenous curatorial practices. Tarah discussed how colonialism and capitalism has shaped the way museums categorise and think of “objects”, especially those forcibly removed from Indigenous peoples. She shared how objects and belongings have a life force. They hold history and memory.
In Tarah’s curatorial practice, art is not seen as separate from education, performance, storytelling, dance, etc. She described an exhibition she curated that included inviting visitors to sit and share tea in the gallery. After the presentation, the group reflected on the importance of this kind of approach for Truth and Reconciliation. We discussed institutional barriers and the challenges of implementing these types of practices in galleries.
Tarah left us with a prompt to think about how museums can create and sustain the conditions in which knowledge, relationships and cultural practices can gather and renew themselves. The group discussed: going to communities and meeting people where they are (rather than having them come to us), building trust, addressing the intimidating style of many gallery buildings, and the process of repatriating stolen belongings.
Participatory Workshop 1: Step Back in Time Walk
Participants walked around Wanuskewin and learned about the bison and traditional hunting practices. Bison jumps were used to hunt bison, which involved roles like the calf runner, the waving woman, and the hunters at the bottom of the jump. Participants learned how the bison were processed and what all of the animal parts were used for.
Participatory Workshop 2: How to Build an Interpretive Plan with Jenny Ryan Participants worked through a hypothetical interpretive plan in groups. This process began with gathering information on the exhibit’s artist(s), big ideas and themes, museum goals, and
strategic alignment. From there, engagement ideas were brainstormed. Areas of focus included: physical space set up, text, audio, handouts, in-gallery experiences and activations, and related programs and events.
Day Three
Case Studies
There were three case study presentations on unique projects and practices. The presenters generously shared the successes, challenges, and learnings of these projects with the group.
- Case Study #1: Building relationships while living in a decolonizing mindset with Kimberly Bird (Remai Modern)
- Case Study #2: “In the Rhubarb” with Between Pheasants Contemporary: Towards an Experimental Curatorial Methodology for Rural Exhibitions with Alexander Rondeau (Dunlop Art Gallery)
- Case Study #3: AWE in the Schools and Community: Waawiiantong Forever with Julie Rae Tucker (Art Windsor- Essex)
Hot Topics Discussion
The conference closed with a Hot Topics discussion on pressing questions, challenges, and ideas museum engagement workers are facing. The discussions ranged across cross-departmental collaboration, meeting revenue targets, challenging colonial systems, building relationships, approaches to AI, and youth programming.