Dominique Fontaine occupies an essential place in the contemporary art landscape, in Canada and internationally. A curator, researcher, and arts administrator, she has devoted her career to creating spaces where artists, ideas, and audiences can meet, dialogue, and transform each other. Her work, guided by a deeply humanistic vision, highlights the stories, aesthetics, and experiences that enrich our societies.
Driven by an unwavering conviction about the role of art in understanding the world, Dominique Fontaine has developed a curatorial practice that is distinguished by its sensitivity, rigor and commitment to the plurality of voices. Her particular attention to Black visuality and the often marginalized stories of art in Canada contributes to renewing perspectives and opening up essential paths in the field of visual arts.
With a master's degree in museology from the University of Montreal, as well as degrees in arts administration and visual arts from the University of Ottawa, she also pursued specialized training in exhibition curation at the De Appel art center in Amsterdam, recognized for its experimental curatorial approach. This combination of expertise nourishes a curatorial vision rooted in research, listening and innovation.
His projects, from the Toronto Biennial to the DAK'ART and Thessaloniki biennials, including major exhibitions such as Here We Are Here: Black Canadian Contemporary Art or Sovereign imaginaries, demonstrate a rare ability to create powerful stories that are rooted in history while being resolutely focused on the future. She is also co-director and co-author of the book Making History: Visual Arts and Blackness in Canada (2023), now an essential resource in the field of studies on the arts and black diasporas.
Dominique Fontaine plays an active role in several international organizations, including the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC), the International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art (IKT), and the International Association of Art Critics (AICA-Canada). Her rigor and expertise have led her to sit on leading juries, including that of the French Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, the 2021 Sobey Art Prize and the 2024 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts and Media Arts.
Its influence goes well beyond exhibitions. She has spent more than fifteen years working with the Canada Arts Presentation Fund at Canadian Heritage, where she currently works as a senior program analyst in digital citizenship. Through her constant commitment, she contributes to strengthening cultural ecosystems and supporting initiatives that shape the artistic life of the country.
She also shares her knowledge and experience with the university community. She is appointed Scholar‑in-Residence at Concordia University for 2025—2026, where she supports the new generation of curators and researchers. She also taught at UQAM, where she shared her expertise in curating as a field of research and practice. Her pedagogical approach, rooted in sharing, listening and critical thinking, inspires and mobilizes.
In 2021, the Black History Month Roundtable and the City of Montreal recognized her exceptional contribution by naming her as the winner of Black History Month. This distinction reflects the profound and lasting impact of her work, which continues to inspire, connect, and transform.