Brock University Fine Arts Collection fonds, 1966-2019, n.d.

The Fine Arts Collection at Brock University was established in 1967 and consists of paintings, prints, photographic works, small-scale and major sculptures. The collection was initially managed by a sub-committee of the Brock University Faculty Board and was known as the Faculty Board Committee on Fine Arts. In addition to overseeing the art collection, the committee organized all arts activities on campus including theatre, art exhibitions and musical performances. These events took place in the Thistle Theatre, later known as the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. The lobby became known as The Gallery. For a short time, the University sponsored an artist-in-residence around 1970, but this practice was not continued. Many of the early acquisitions were donations and purchases that were subsidized with Wintario grants. The first two decades of the collection saw a focus on acquiring contemporary Canadian art, including emerging, Indigenous, and Inuit artists. In the late 1980s, the work of the Committee was redefined and it was determined that it would focus on tasks and policies concerning only the visual arts at Brock. Exhibitions were now designed to be educational instead of extra-curricular and the representation on the committee was more diverse. Members included faculty, student representatives, community artists and professional staff. The Committee would now be an advisory committee. The Office of the Registrar informally tracked the circulation of art across campus, while the committee dealt with issues concerning the state of the permanent collection. A survey of the art collection was conducted by students in 1987. The students photographed and labeled every piece of art they could find across campus. A follow-up survey by students in 1990 identified more works as well as issues to be addressed such as conservation, cleaning, and upgrading frames. The Advisory Committee was dismantled in 1999 and a part-time Collections Coordinator was hired to manage the collection and plan and implement exhibitions in the Gallery.Fonds contains material related to the Fine Arts Collection at Brock University. The bulk of the material consists of individual files for each item, such as a painting or sculpture, in the collection. The files are sorted by the artist’s surname and contain documentation about the item including acquisitions forms, condition forms, photographs, and appraisals. The original order of the files has been retained. Material about the work of the Fine Arts Committee is also included and contains meeting minutes and correspondence. Additional administrative material such as insurance information and forms are included