Passionate Collectors

Building a great university art collection happens in many ways. Collecting art is an act of passion, from the individual to the institution. The University of Alberta Museums Art Collection (UAMAC) has been shaped by the personal passion and collective visions of donors, artists, curators, and the community.

The collection has developed primarily through donations, including class gifts, art donated by visiting artists, and the generosity of individual donors. Some works of art have been purchased, through grants and funds raised or donated specifically for this purpose. Additionally, UAMAC has collected works of art from MFA students at the University of Alberta. While this practice no longer exists, it has allowed UAMAC to collect early works of art from some of the university’s best-known alumni artists. Additions to the collection are carefully considered and guided by an approved Acquisition Strategy. The current strategy supports the university’s signature areas of research and expanding representation of diversity and gender.