ABOUT MAR

Here at the Museum of Addiction & Recovery, we celebrate the stories, art, and lived experiences of people in addition or addiction recovery. The museum exhibits in 3 different ways:

- Collections based exhibitions  

- Art Exhibitions 

- Partner Exhibitions

Danielle Megaffin (Curator & Founder)

Creating this museum helped heal me. It is my hope that it provides a platform to help others as well. 

CORE VALUES

ethics

We tell authentic stories that counter the reductive and entrenched dehumanizing stigma of addiction. We reject the dominant discourse promulgated by institutions of power – a discursive which has been normalized and accepted as truth- by destabilizing, depathologizing, and contextualizing individuals’ experiences of addiction. We challenge societal stereotypes of “the addict” by presenting the beautiful, full and vitally important lives of individuals.  

We utilize an inclusive diversity and intersectionality framework to guide all curatorial choices.When working with individuals we use the core principles of trauma and violence-informed care: safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and a capacity-building approach which promotes resilience.

All exhibitions are designed using a trauma-informed approach to minimize harm to museum visitors, staff, and volunteers.

Funding

While we are not a registered charity, we do not seek to make a profit. Our purpose is sustainability, ensuring the museum can continue its mission to support non-profits, charities, and recovery-focused activities while providing a platform for artists in recovery.

Every dollar we receive is reinvested into the museum to keep it running, curate exhibitions, and expand outreach to communities affected by addiction. We sustain ourselves through sponsorships, donations, merchandise sales, and art sales - ensuring that we can continue to provide a meaningful and lasting platform for artists and those in recovery. This is an ethical project built on sustainability, not financial gain. Our goal is simple: to create a lasting space where recovery stories can be shared through art and conversation.

Through exhibitions, collaborations, and community support, the Museum of Addiction and Recovery remains dedicated to fostering empathy, reducing stigma, and creating meaningful connections between artists, audiences, and those in recovery.

inclusivity

MAR believes museums are not neutral. The museum engages in activist practices and is committed to the ongoing advocacy of Transgender rights, LGBTQIA2S+ rights, disability rights, Black Lives Matter, Indigenous Land Back claims, and decolonisation. MAR is committed to working from a strong foundational framework of intersectionality and diversity, which is rooted in anti-racist and anti-oppressive perspectives in all its decisions.

commercial art sales

At the request of artists, we will sell original artwork or digital art prints of their work, with the majority of proceeds going directly to them. We retain only a small industry-standard fee to cover exhibition and operational costs, ensuring the museum remains sustainable while continuing to uplift artists in recovery.

SUPPORT

HEALING

RECOGNITION

SUPPORT HEALING RECOGNITION

CURATORIAL PROCESS

01/ RESEARCH

All curatorial research is undertaken according to the principles of ethical research, including: Informed Consent, confidentiality, integrity, and beneficience.

02/ COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

MAR uses the methodology of participatory action research which ensures exhibitions about  communities are made with their collaboration, with a focus on their empowerment, and to encourage political action.

03/ CREATIVE DIALOGUE

Help create a greater depth of understanding and compassion between the public and anyone who struggles with substance use disorder.

 

DANNI

With MAR, Danielle Megaffin has combined her two passions - museums and helping to destigmatize addiction. She hopes the museum will help educate people about addiction and help to humanize anyone struggling with addiction. 

Born in Nova Scotia, Canada, Danielle Megaffin is a PhD Candidate in the School of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester in England. She has over 17 years experience in the museum sector and has worked at museums around the world from the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, Canada) to the Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney, Australia).

Danielle’s museum work focuses on the ethical display of human rights in museums. Her work is trauma and violence-informed, people-centered and socially engaged. She believes museums should benefit the communities they represent while also advocating for social change. Danielle’s current doctoral research examines the ethical development of museum exhibitions on genocide in Canada.

In 2022, Danielle was awarded the Steve Simons Bursary from Event Communications for her research in developing an ethical framework for museums developing exhibits on settler colonial genocide in Canada. In 2023, Danielle was the recipient of the John C. Carter Award in Museum Studies for the student who will one day lead change and innovation in the museum, gallery, and heritage field.

Danielle currently lives in England but makes her way home to Canada as much as possible.