Melissa Smith

Melissa Smith

Board of Directors and Curatorial Committee

Melissa Smith is the Assistant Curator of Access and Learning at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Her responsibilities include developing inclusive public programs for adults and providing accessibility recommendations. She is motivated by a sustained commitment to exploring the unique relationship between art and audiences. Smith was awarded the Royal Ontario Museum Visitor Engagement Award in 2014, and one of Smith’s AGO programs was awarded the 2016 People’s Choice for Quality Improvement by the City of Toronto Long Term Care Homes and Services. 

She holds a Master of Arts in Art History from Western University and a Master of Museum Studies from The University of Toronto. She is also a Sessional Instructor in the Inclusive Design Graduate Program at Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU) and sits on the Board of Directors at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre.

She is passionate about facilitating relationships with art, breaking down perceived barriers to art, promoting art as a method of improving health and well-being, encouraging multiple voices and perspectives, and connecting art to relevant and contemporary issues.  Melissa is dedicated to contributing to a more inclusive art world that reflects different lived experiences and cultures. She brings her inclusive design, programming, curatorial, and community outreach experience as well as a strong belief in co-creation and “nothing for us without us” ideal.