BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Frantz Voltaire
Chairman
Frantz Voltaire is the director of CIDIHCA, le Centre International de Documentation et d'Information Haïtienne, Caribéenne et Afro-canadienne (the International Centre of Haitian, Caribbean and Afro-Canadian Documentation and Information) a non-profit organization founded in Montreal in 1983. A retired professor and expert in Haitian history and the Africanness of the Americas and Caribbean, he taught sociology, political science, and social sciences in different universities (Quebec-Canada, Haiti, Chile and Mexico, among others). He has produced or collaborated on several works and documentaries about Haiti including ‘Protoprens se pam’ (1999) about the bicentenary of the town of Port-au-Prince and ‘Les Chemins de la mémoire’.
The CIDIHCA is one of those rare Francophone, Afro-Canadian reference organizations working in the field of research, arts and culture in Quebec’s metropolis.
Africanist and eminent educator, Frantz Voltaire is also an historian, political scientist, author and filmmaker who enjoys close relationships with many Afro-Canadian organizations. For example, he was a member in 1984 of the first board of directors of the well-renowned Festival Vues d’Afrique which was first conceived in his own offices. He was also chairman of the board of directors of the Nyata-Nyata dance troupe… and there have been plenty more besides.
When combined with his intellectual rigour and commitment, everything he brings to the table makes him the right man at the right time. His contribution to the leadership and governance of the Afromuseum will be considerable.
Mariama Sow
Vice-President
Visionnaire sociale et amoureuse des chiffres, Mariama Sow est certifiée CPA, CMA, membre de l’Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Canada. Après avoir travaillé pendant de nombreuses années pour une institution financière, elle s'est tournée vers le monde du commerce de détail et, plus récemment, vers le secteur des télécommunications. Son travail bénévole auprès de diverses communautés et groupes à travers le pays témoigne de façon éloquente de sa détermination à les voir prospérer économiquement. Elle est la fondatrice de la plateforme Unknown Gems, qui fait la promotion des entrepreneurs et des entreprises issues des communautés noires du Canada. Elle a également joué un rôle clé au sein du REPAF (Réseau des Entrepreneurs et Professionnels Africains) en tant que VP Finance et membre du conseil d'administration de 2016 et 2017.
Elle est prête à mettre ses précieuses compétences, tant professionnelles que personnelles, au service du conseil d'administration de l'Afromusée
Jean-François Leclerc
Secretary
A consultant in museology and history, Jean-François Leclerc holds a Master’s degree in History and Museology. From 1996 to 2018, he ran the Centre d'histoire de Montréal (Montreal Historical Centre), the city’s institutional museum that he repositioned as the MEM, Centre des mémoires montréalaises (Memories of Montreal Centre). Jean-François Leclerc is a museologist recognised not only in Quebec but, also, abroad for his vision of the museum’s social role. He has introduced many innovative projects driven by the concept of ‘museology for the people’, namely, projects that are rooted in the value and importance of oral history and in the participation of the city’s population, including its immigrant communities.
Jean-François hopes that his long and successful commitment to the contemporary museum as a mobile, open, intercultural and community institution, will enrich the impact of the Afromuseum.
Claude Gagnon
Treasurer
Diplômé en administration des affaires et en planification financière, Claude Gagnon a dirigé sa propre agence-conseil en services financiers pendant de nombreuses années avant de se lancer dans l'économie sociale. Président et fondateur des Amis du parc La Fontaine, il a siégé à de nombreux conseils d'administration d'organismes à but non lucratif actifs dans les domaines de l'art et de la vie culturelle montréalaise. Il équilibre sa vie professionnelle entre la gestion administrative et l'avancement de projets artistiques.
Claude est un humaniste, un peintre, un cinéaste et un gestionnaire profondément impliqué dans sa communauté. Sa devise est : « La durée d'une vie de célibataire est incertaine, mais c'est à nous de lui donner largeur et profondeur ».
Zab Maboungou
Administrator
Zab Maboungou, Compagne de l'Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec, fondatrice de la réputée Zab Maboungou / Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata, artiste de scène, chorégraphe, professeur de philosophie et auteur du livre Heya… Danse ! - Historique, poétique et didactique de la danse africaine, s'illustre sur tous les fronts de l'action artistique et culturelle. Sa technique de mouvement, le lokéto, est novatrice et a gagné les faveurs de ceux qui veulent parfaire leur compréhension de la danse.
Nyata Nyata est la lauréate du premier Prix de la diversité culturelle en danse du Conseil des arts de Montréal.
Son itinéraire unique marie l’esthétique avec une grande puissance poétique.
Nikita Chigoho
Secrétaire-adjointe
Two of Nikita Chigoho’s passions are entrepreneurship and Africa. She completed her studies in statistics in April 2020 and recently launched a beauty business based on natural products from Africa. Her keen interest in afro descendant communities led to her volunteering her time and skills to numerous organizations within the Montreal’s black community, such as the DESTA Black Youth Network (from 2017 and 2019) and the Réseau des Entrepreneurs et Professionnels Africains (REPAF)(Network of African Entrepreneurs and Professionals).
Nikita Chigoho is always looking for learning opportunities and new knowledge that will give her more tools with which to better serve her community. In order to effectively fulfil her mandate as part of the Afromuseum’s board of directors, Nikita undertook training at the Montreal Volunteer Bureau so as to be able to efficiently and productively participate at board meetings.
Guy Mushagalusa
Founder et administrateur
Founder and president of the AfroMuseum – and, as of now, managing director – Guy Mushagalusa Chigoho is a gallery owner and passionate collector of African art. A recognized African art expert, he has 25 years of diverse experience working in the cultural milieu. His innovative ideas and staging of events showcasing the value of Africa’s cultural inheritance have earned him an enviable reputation.
In 2014, spurred on by the conviction that art is a powerful education tool that can bring people together and create awareness of social issues, Guy Mushagalusa Chigoho created Espace Mushagalusa, an art gallery and meeting space that welcomes and fosters cultural diversity. Since then, he has put on more than 75 events that include exhibitions, shows, literary evenings, conferences and thematic workshops.
Guy Mushagalusa Chigoho will bring to the table not only his practical experience of managing a cultural space but, also, the spirit and dynamism that has become Espace Mushagalusa‘s distinctive trademark
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