The National accessArts Centre (NaAC) is announcing the departure of Karly Mortimer, who most recently served as co-CEO, effective immediately. Ms. Mortimer joined the NaAC in 2018, first appointed as the organization’s Director, Artist and Program Development and later becoming Vice President, Artist and Program Development.

Ms. Mortimer was respected for her leadership and expertise in program planning and design. During her tenure, she launched a number of groundbreaking initiatives that were innovative in the Canadian disability arts sector, and also oversaw the growth of the NaAC’s multidisciplinary arts programs when the organization expanded its mandate in 2020. She was a sought-after thought leader in the disability arts – and broader arts – ecosystem.

Several milestones during her tenure include the acquisition of several NaAC artists’ works by Global Affairs Canada, announced in 2021; the commitment to compensate NaAC artists with industry standard rates beginning in 2019; and the launch of new programs during her tenure including Indigenous programming, music, performing arts,  as well as film and digital media. She curated many thoughtful exhibitions locally, nationally, and internationally including “My Imagination Is So Many Things” Tokyo (2021) and “Intense Difference of Its Own: 60 Years of Korean-Canadian Diplomatic Relations” Seoul & Ottawa (2023).

Through all of these accomplishments, Ms. Mortimer was always seen as approachable and accessible to the NaAC’s growing community of artists. She will be missed by the NaAC community, and the organization extends its best wishes to Karly for the future.