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The Board of Directors of the National accessArts Centre (NaAC) announces the departure of its founding President and CEO, Jung-Suk (JS) Ryu.

The Board of Directors of the National accessArts Centre (NaAC) announces the departure of its founding President and CEO, Jung-Suk (JS) Ryu, effective December 29, 2023.

JS was first appointed as Executive Director of the In-Definite Arts Society in 2017. Since that time, he has been relentless in developing the organization into a nationally-recognized arts and culture institution, and led the process that amalgamated the Society with its sister organizations Momo Movement and Artistic Expressions – ultimately leading to the creation of the National accessArts Centre (NaAC) in 2020.

Several notable accomplishments during his tenure include:

  • The launch of Canada’s first multidisciplinary disability arts organization, adding to the organization’s visual arts focus to now provide programs in music, dance, literary arts, digital media, film, and theatre.
  • The growth of the organization, from $900K to $2.5M+ in annual revenues, including a three-year sponsorship agreement with the TD Ready Commitment, and a two-year funding agreement with the Canada Arts Training Fund.
  • The creation of the NaAC Won Lee Community Arts Hub in Toronto.
  • The launch of a new partnership with Global Affairs Canada, leading to the acquisition of 13 works from the NaAC artist community, and the exhibition and presentation of works in more than 12 regions around the world – including the NaAC’s participation in COP26 and COP28.
  • And laying the groundwork for the NaAC accessible learning campus in Calgary, with a multimillion dollar commitment from the City of Calgary to revitalize the old Scouts Hall.

Through these and other milestones, the NaAC doubled down on its commitment to position its artists as bona fide artists. By the end of 2023, the organization will have connected its artist community to $1M+ in artist fees, commissioning, and presentation opportunities.

The Board of Directors will work closely with JS and the NaAC management team to determine a seamless leadership transition, and will be updating our community and stakeholders as this work gets underway.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank JS for his years of service, and for his unwavering vision, passion, and dedication to the NaAC community.

Ron Hoffmann
Chair, Board of Directors
National accessArts Centre

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