Currently based in Guelph, Ontario, Emily Laurent Henderson is a Kalaaleq (Greenlandic Inuk) and Settler curator and writer. A 2020 University of British Columbia graduate in Anthropology, Emily’s work and writing centres Inuit and Indigenous self-determination in the arts. Her writing has appeared in titles such as the Inuit Art Quarterly, Azure, Studio Magazine, and more. Her debut collection of poetry, "Hold Steady my Vision", was published in 2024 by Publication Studio Guelph.

When Emily Henderson got her first museum job—working in a gift shop—she thought it was the first step towards her dream of being a museum curator. And she was right - only her dream was so much closer to being realised than she expected. She thought it might take decades, but six years later, she's an Associate Curator of Indigenous Art at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection with a once in a lifetime exhibition opening tomorrow.

"I applied for jobs I was in no way qualified for," Emily laughs, revealing her unconventional early career strategy. Her fearless approach opened doors at the Inuit Art Quarterly, Indigenous Curatorial Collective, and Art Gallery of Ontario before landing at the McMichael, where she's currently preparing to open "Worlds on Paper," an exhibition featuring 215 drawings by 40 Kinngait (formerly Cape Dorset) artists.

The groundbreaking show explores how Inuit artists documented their rapidly changing world between 1959-1990—a period of profound transition as communities were moved from semi-nomadic existence to permanent settlements. What makes this exhibition possible is the recent digitisation of all 90,000 drawings, creating unprecedented access to works that were often filtered out by Southern tastes and editorial committees.

Henderson shares how Indigenous sovereignty in the arts (giving Indigenous people control over their own representation) is the "crux" of everything she does. She elaborates on what Indigenous sovereignty can look like in institutions that were built to further colonize.

For aspiring curators, Emily offers practical wisdom: apply widely regardless of qualifications, seek publishing opportunities, and embrace mentorship. Her journey proves there's no single path to curatorial work—just the courage to start somewhere and grow through continuous learning.

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