Toronto’s Gallery TPW, the artist-run nonprofit founded by the Toronto Photographers Workshop in 1980, has named Brian Sholis as its new executive director. Sholis will be responsible for creating a long-term vision for TPW; overseeing the artistic program led by curator Kim Simon; and fostering increased local, national, and international collaborations. He succeeds founding director Gary Hall, who has stepped down after nearly four decades.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Brian as TPW continues to explore the programming possibilities of its new home on St. Helens,” Sophie Hackett, president of the board of directors, said. “The impressive scope of his skills and experience will be important assets as he helps us build on the gallery’s recent accomplishments and move in new directions. We’re excited for people to get to know him.”

Sholis has more than fifteen years of experience in the cultural sector. He has worked as a curator and programmer for museums; an editor and author of books, magazines, and online texts; and a professor, visiting critic, grant panelist, and prize juror. He comes to Gallery TPW from the Cincinnati Art Museum, where he was curator of photography. His exhibitions there included “Kentucky Renaissance: The Lexington Camera Club and Its Community, 1954–1974” (2016–17), “Field Guide: Photographs by Jochen Lempert” (2015–16), and “Eyes on the Street” (2014–15). Previously, he served as an editor at the Aperture Foundation in New York and as an editor at artforum.com.

“Gallery TPW has a distinguished history and an ambitious interdisciplinary program,” Sholis said. “I am delighted to join the city’s vibrant arts community and contribute to it by building upon Gary Hall’s legacy. The gallery’s experimental approach to exhibitions is accompanied by rich and ongoing conversations about the circulation of images and their influence on contemporary culture. These approaches and ideas have also been essential to my work and interests. I look forward to fostering further experimentation and building our local and international reputation.”