From January to April 2017, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) presented Isaac Julien: Other Destinies, organized by former Managing Director of ROM Contemporary Culture, Ann Webb, and Dr. Silvia Forni, Former Curator of African Arts and Cultures. The exhibition featured two multi-screen projections, WESTERN UNION: Small Boats (2007) and True North (2004) by filmmaker and installation artist Isaac Julien KBE RA. The films addressed issues such as diaspora and identity in a visually engaging and thoughtful manner.

Photo credit: Isaac Julien Studio

The 2015 exhibition Douglas Coupland: everywhere is anywhere is anything is everything, a collaboration between the ROM and MOCCA in Toronto, featured over 100 works across various media. Originally curated by Daina Augaitis, Chief Curator and Associate Director, Vancouver Art Gallery, it was the first major survey of Coupland’s art, exploring Canadian identity, technology and popular culture in the 21st century.

The Reel Artists Film Festival was founded and curated by Ann Webb. A feature program of the Canadian Art Foundation for 10 years and North America’s only film festival devoted to documentaries about visual art and artists, the Festival presented more than 80 films with special introduction and Q&A sessions with directors, filmmakers and artists. An opening night screening and gala launched each annual Festival attracting media attention and a devoted audience.

In 2016, he Vancouver Art Gallery announced the appointment of Ann Webb as Associate Director, Director of Engagement and Strategic Initiatives overseeing engagement, programs, and strategic initiatives. She contributed her expertise to the Gallery from 2016 to 2020.  

Ann Webb, director of the ROM’s Contemporary Culture department, revitalized the museum by connecting historical collections with contemporary art. Her initiatives, including a Douglas Coupland exhibition and collaborations with Toronto artists Sara Angelucci and Bill Burns, made the ROM more relevant, collaborative, and engaged with contemporary culture.

Art collectors Ann Webb and Marshall Webb discuss their 35‑year art‑collecting journey.

Several accomplished art collectors, including Ann and Marshall Webb, offer advice on building a successful art collection.