The Making of a Museum

Reviews / Votes

"Judith Nasby draws on her forty-five-year experience as curator and director of the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre (now the Art Gallery of Guelph) to tell the story of the museum's evolution, which drew initially from the art collections of regional educational institutions that introduced fine arts to rural Ontario in the early 1900s. Lively vignettes illustrate Nasby's interactions with artists, donors, gallerists, tobacco magnates, and civic leaders to present a fascinating 'who's who' of individuals and events that shaped today's museum, making this book a fascinating read as well as an insightful narrative documenting how the Art Gallery of Guelph achieved its distinctive character and national stature." Marion E. Jackson, Wayne State University "Chronicling a century of cultural engagement with a focus on Guelph's growing artistic community, Judith Nasby weaves personal recollections with reflections on her journey: building a collection, creating an exhibition, publication, and education program, and profiling Indigenous and Canadian art. The Making of a Museum is as much a portrait of Guelph's art centre as it is the story of the development of generations of contemporary artists in Canada. With this book, Nasby focuses attention and research on Guelph's active and engaged artistic communities." Georgiana Uhlyarik, curator of Canadian art "The Making of a Museum is a timely account of the creation and growth of a mid-sized Canadian university art museum. The themes are broadly conceived around cultures of display, yet this is not a study of abstract museology. Judith Nasby interweaves her story with personal anecdotes that tell the tale of the art institution, while revealing the passion and behind-the-scenes manoeuvres that have sustained it. The end result is something quite rare and unexpected - the story of a university art gallery brought to life by a narrator who has dedicated her career to the art museum." Carmen Robertson, Carleton University