Zainub Verjee

Best known for her leadership in arts and culture in Canada, Zainub Verjee (b. 1956, Nairobi, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist, curator and writer who helped establish the BC Arts Council, In Visible Colours, Vancouver Asian Heritage Month and the Racial Equity Office in the Canada Council for the Arts. She is an advocate of artists’ rights and labour. Verjee immigrated to Canada in the 1970s where she began her career in the Vancouver arts community. She was the Executive Director of Western Front and has held positions at the Canada Council for the Arts, Department of Canadian Heritage and the City of Mississauga. Currently, Verjee is the Executive Director of the Galeries Ontario/Ontario Galleries. Verjee is the recipient of the 2020 Governor General’s Award in Visual Arts for her outstanding contribution.