Naomi JohnsonCA
Naomi Johnson, Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) Bear clan from Six Nations, has worked in the arts for over seventeen years as a curator, arts administrator, professional artist, and community arts facilitator. She served as Artistic Director for seven years and then as Co-Executive Director (2018) of the Woodland Cultural Centre, where she curated and programmed annual exhibitions and performance art events. In June 2019, Johnson accepted the position of Associate Director for imagineNATIVE - the world’s largest Indigenous media arts festival. Enjoying the unique and rewarding opportunity to be mentored by then-outgoing Executive Director Jason Ryle. In June 2020, she assumed her role as Executive Director of imagineNATIVE, guiding the organization through two+ tumultuous years of navigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson continues to serve as the administrative lead for imagineNATIVE, whose mission is to showcase, promote, and celebrate Indigenous filmmakers and media artists globally. In 2023, she received the Toronto Arts Foundation - Margo Bindhardt and Rita Davies Award, an award celebrating an individual artist, creator, or administrator who has demonstrated creative cultural leadership in developing arts and culture in Toronto.
