David Balzer

David Balzer: A Multidisciplinary Chronicler of Art, Culture, and Language

David Balzer is an associate professor of communications and media at Canadian Mennonite University and Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Art Magazine, Canada’s leading publication for critical art discourse. With a career spanning academia, radio broadcasting, and cultural criticism, Balzer has established himself as a nuanced interpreter of how art intersects with technology, language, and public life. His work combines rigorous academic research with accessible storytelling, often exploring the tension between sacred and secular expressions in contemporary society.

Career Trajectory: From Radio Waves to Cultural Criticism

• Early Career in Broadcast Media (1998–2009): Balzer co-hosted GodTalk on 680 CJOB, blending theological discussion with cultural analysis. His 11-year tenure included interviewing diverse voices about faith in public life, laying groundwork for his later research on religious language.
• Academic Transition (2009–Present): Joined Canadian Mennonite University, developing courses on media theory and documentary practice. Pioneered research into vernacular religious expressions through projects like The Oh My God Project.
• Cultural Criticism (2014–Present): Authored the influential Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else, translated into multiple languages. Became Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Art in 2015, reshaping its focus on institutional critique and emerging artists.

Defining Works: Three Pillars of Critical Inquiry

Digging into a popular, often unthinking use of God's name (Faith Today, 2025)

This 29-minute audio documentary represents the culmination of Balzer’s 18-year ethnographic study into the phrase “Oh my God.” Through street interviews and expert analysis, Balzer maps how a once-taboo expression became secularized while retaining spiritual resonance. Linguist Sali Tagliamonte contextualizes its post-WWII evolution, while theologian Gordon Matties examines its biblical roots. Balzer’s innovative methodology combines audio journalism with academic research, creating an accessible bridge between theological scholarship and popular culture. The project’s impact lies in its demonstration of how mundane language reveals societal negotiations about sacred space in secular contexts.

Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else (Coach House Books, 2014)

Balzer’s seminal book traces the rise of curation from museum practice to ubiquitous cultural metaphor. Through case studies ranging from Art Basel to Instagram, he argues that curation has become a neoliberal tool for assigning value in attention economies. The work gained international recognition for predicting the “curator economy” boom, influencing later critiques of algorithmic content sorting. Its lasting contribution is framing curation as both artistic practice and ideological battleground, particularly in analyzing how institutions like the Venice Biennale legitimize cultural capital.

Consuming visual art is conspicuously, if oddly, social (Momus, 2016)

In this essay, Balzer deconstructs the performative aspects of art viewership, arguing that gallery spaces facilitate “social choreography” as much as aesthetic experience. He analyzes how institutions like the Guggenheim Bilbao design visitor flow to create shared cultural rituals. The piece exemplifies Balzer’s ability to merge phenomenological observation with institutional critique, later informing his teaching on museum studies. Its enduring relevance appears in contemporary debates about virtual reality exhibitions and their impact on communal art experiences.

Pitching Recommendations: Aligning with Balzer’s Evolving Focus

1. Propose Stories Exploring Vernacular Spirituality

Balzer’s Oh My God Project demonstrates sustained interest in how sacred language permeates secular spaces. Successful pitches might examine:
- The resurgence of religious iconography in protest art
- Podcasts blending theological discourse with pop culture analysis
- AI’s impact on spiritual practices (e.g., algorithmic prayer apps)
Example: His analysis of wedding vow trends in Faith Today shows how he connects ritual language to broader cultural shifts.

2. Highlight Institutional Critique in Art Ecosystems

As Canadian Art’s editor, Balzer prioritizes investigations into:
- Museum labor practices and unionization efforts
- Decolonization of permanent collections
- Blockchain’s impact on art authentication
Avoid market-focused pitches about auction records or celebrity collectors. His 2023 editorial “Museums as Contested Space” exemplifies this focus on structural critique over commercial trends.

3. Leverage Interdisciplinary Research Methodologies

Balzer values projects combining academic rigor with public engagement:
- Anthropological studies of art viewer behavior
- Historical analyses of failed cultural movements
- Multimedia projects bridging criticism and creation
His documentary work demonstrates preference for mixed-media storytelling that challenges traditional journalistic formats.

Awards and Recognition

National Post Best Art Book (2014)

Curationism was named to the National Post’s annual list of influential art books, recognizing its prescient analysis of cultural value systems. The selection committee noted its “rare ability to make critical theory resonate beyond academia,” particularly in contextualizing the rise of influencer culture. This accolade cemented Balzer’s reputation as a public intellectual capable of translating complex ideas for broad audiences.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Grant (2018–2021)

Balzer secured major funding for The Oh My God Project, enabling cross-Canada fieldwork interviewing diverse communities about religious language. The grant’s competitive nature—a 14% approval rate—underscores the project’s scholarly merit and innovative blending of ethnography with audio documentary practice.

Canadian Art Foundation Editorial Leadership Award (2020)

This peer-nominated honor recognized Balzer’s transformation of Canadian Art into a platform for Indigenous and immigrant voices. Under his editorship, the magazine increased coverage of Inuit printmaking by 300% and launched its first multilingual issue focusing on diasporic artists.