VANCOUVER.- Montreal businessman and philanthropist Stephen Jarislowsky and his wife Gail through the Jarislowsky Foundation have established a $2 million endowment to support the Chief Curator position at Whistler’s Audain Art Museum.

Darrin Martens will now be known as the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chief Curator. Mr. Martens has been with the Museum for just over a year, and was previously the Director/Curator of the Burnaby Art Gallery and the Nisga’a Museum.

“The Jarislowskys have done so much to support arts and culture throughout Canada, so it is wonderful that they decided to endow this position which will allow us to pursue excellent curatorial programs at our Museum,” says chairman Michael Audain. “We are very grateful for this gift which brings the endowment fund over half way to our $25 million goal.”

Stephen and Gail have endowed numerous university and cultural organization chairs in Canada, including The Stephen A. Jarislowsky Dance Studio in Vancouver, the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art at Concordia University in Montreal, the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Canadian Art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal and The Gail & Stephen A. Jarislowsky Outstanding Artist Program at the Banff Centre in Banff, Alberta. Mr. Jarislowsky is Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Montreal-based investment management firm Jarislowsky Fraser Limited and is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec.