Areas of Expertise

Karen Duffek’s research and curatorial practice focuses on the history of MOA’s Northwest Coast Indigenous collections and their connections to contemporary communities, cultural practices, artists, art markets and museums

Research Interests

Karen’s particular curatorial responsibility is for MOA’s Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka’wakw and Haida collections and community relationships. Documenting historical objects with descendants and originating community members is a passion, as is working with contemporary art and artists across cultural and disciplinary borders. In recent and current exhibition and publication projects, Karen has continued to work with 19^th-century Northwest Coast art and contemporary Indigenous knowledge holders, as well as examining the relationships between Northwest Coast art, modernity and modernisms in the early-to-mid 20^th century.

karen.duffek@ubc.ca