Have you ever wondered how an art gallery’s collection works behind the scenes? Where does the artwork come from? Who decides what ends up in the collection?
When determining what kinds of artwork we should accept, the gallery has a few priorities. Artists of local, regional and national significance are essential to the collection and showcase the diversity of talent in Oxford County and beyond.
Artworks might be gifted by the artists themselves, donated by collectors, bequeathed or, in some cases, purchased by the gallery. But to become a permanent part of the collection, artworks must go through the acquisition process where they are assessed, researched and voted on by the collections committee.
This summer, I have had the privilege of assessing donated works and writing justifications for the committee. It has been an amazing experience to be so close to some exceptional works by Canadian artists.
These factors determine the quality of the work and whether it requires professional conservation before it is displayed. Assessing the artwork has been my favourite part of the job, and I have learned a lot about identifying different art mediums and their potential issues.
The next step is the research and justification for the committee. The artist, date, medium and size are noted, and the history of the artist and their work is written up. The justification consists of an artist biography, the relevance of the artwork to the gallery’s collection, a description of the aesthetic qualities of the work and all the information gained from the assessment. The justification is presented at committee meetings alongside the artwork and helps the committee decide if the work should be added to the collection.
Working with the collection has been the highlight of my time at the gallery and has given me many new skills, as well as a deeper knowledge of the art collecting process.
Brynn Murphy is the curatorial and collections assistant at the Woodstock Art Gallery. The Woodstock Art Gallery gratefully acknowledges the youth employment funding from Young Canada Works for this position.
