Interview with Carol Kehoe, President of Art Sales and Rental Society
By Rebecca Martin-Warr
I met Carol in October 2024. She came into Teichert Gallery and purchased a small work by Andrea Pottyondy Stoffer that she told me later was sent to her niece living in Vancouver. While paying for the work, she asked if we were a non-profit organization raising money for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and were we looking for volunteers. I told her yes and then volunteer Board member Margaret-Anne Bennett joined the conversation, learning as much about Carol as she could to discuss with her colleagues.
Carol joined us as a volunteer, was later nominated to the Board of Directors and proceeded to assist in organizing our 50th Year Anniversary celebrations with volunteer Bobbi Boudreau. She was elected President of ASAR in June 2025.
What kind of background and experience do you bring to your role as Chair of the Board of Directors?
I started working in media in the 1980s, with my last full-time employment as Director of Marketing for The London Free Press, which had more than 100,000 subscribers at that time. I began working in arts management in the late-1990s, in marketing and development roles for a regional theatre and museum, as well as the local art council and an Ontario provincial granting program. I got great experience at Museum London as president of its volunteer committee, which also had an art rental service, and then later as president/chair of the Museum London Board of Directors.
My short bio reads: “A life-long learner, with a strong creative, artistic nature, Carol has demonstrated experience in relationship and operations management across the public and private sectors, having held senior marketing and development positions in several professional arts organizations, most recently as Director of Marketing at Symphony Nova Scotia, as executive director of Tafelmusik and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. She spent eight years as an instructor in the Arts Management Diploma Program at Western University. She has a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Arts in journalism from Western University and is the 2016 recipient of Work in Culture’s Robert Johnston Award, awarded to an individual who has demonstrated strength in nurturing and supporting people through their careers.”
I retired in 2024 and am happily busier than ever!
As Chair, what do you see as the key responsibilities of the role, and what are the joys and challenges that the role brings?
So, a good board chair serves as the primary leader of governance, guiding the organization's strategic vision while ensuring legal and financial accountability. There are meetings to organize and administrative responsibilities to attend to.
What this really means, though, is working with and supporting the staff who operate the gallery day to day and listening to the wise counsel of my peer board members and volunteers.
Executive Director Andrea Smith and Principal Gallery Assistant Rebecca Martin-Warr make my job easy because they run the gallery smoothly and professionally. I’ve loved getting to know my fellow board members, each who brings a special talent or skill to the table, and without whom we couldn’t have made it through the pandemic and be thriving five years later.
Being involved, even in a small way, with the AGNS is also a real treat. I’m so impressed with how our provincial gallery – a leader in the arts community – despite all challenges it faces, rises above the fray to present excellent exhibitions and programming.
Challenges are just opportunities for growth and change, and I’m so pleased to be working with a group of people who think the same way!
What made you interested in Teichert Gallery?
My sincere belief that visual art – all art forms for that matter – are crucial to the health and wellbeing of a community and its citizens. They inspire individuals and capture a community’s unique history, values, and local stories, giving all of us a distinct sense of place. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is a gem in this province and when I learned Teichert was a vehicle that rents and/or sells works to support about 150 local artists AND raises money for the acquisition fund at AGNS, it was a no-brainer for me. I appreciate learning from the artists, living with the beauty they create (yes, I’ve rented and now own a few pieces) and working with the many passionate and dedicated volunteers at ASAR.
What are you most proud of since you began your term as Chair?
The amazing work the staff and volunteers accomplish. We set out a strategy for growth in 2025 and we’re working the five-year plan because of everyone’s genuine effort. The special 100th Anniversary exhibition of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour in September 2025, supported by community leader Advocate Printing and Media, was also a highlight for me.
What is/are upcoming project(s) you are excited about?
I’m still excited about our 50th Anniversary year! We started in January publishing in-depth articles about ASAR and Teichert, highlighting our artists in profiles, partnering with other groups on exhibitions, and hosting artist demonstrations. This year will culminate in a closing reception in early December when we’ll announce a special donation to AGNS in recognition of this celebratory year.
What is something you wish people knew about volunteering with Teichert Gallery's Board of Directors or with the gallery in general?
That you don’t have to know a lot about art or artists. Sometimes getting involved in arts organizations like ours is intimidating for people who think they need to be well-versed in the art sector. Instead, our organizations need people with all kinds of skills who genuinely appreciate art as a part of the community. If you want to give back to our community in a meaningful way, ours is a fun opportunity: it’s not onerous or difficult. Check us out!
Rebecca Martin-Warr is Principal Gallery Assistant at Teichert Gallery
Pictured work: The Bedsitting Room by Kit Clarke