Melanie Townsend (1968 - December 19, 2018,

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

, Canada) was a Canadian curator and writer on contemporary art, Head of Exhibitions at

Museum London Museum London is an art and history museum located in London, Ontario, Canada. It is located near the forks of the Thames River. It started its operations in 1940 with London Public Library and amalgamated with London Regional Art Gallery and Lon ...

, and President of the Ontario Association of Art Galleries.

Biography

Townsend was born and raised in

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

. She attended Kennedy Collegiate Secondary School and earned an Honours bachelor's degree from Western University in 1991. She received a master's degree in history from the University of Windsor in 1994. During her undergraduate studies, she worked as a collections assistant with

Windsor's Community Museum Windsor Community Museum is a historical museum located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada which displays artifacts from Windsor. It is located at François Baby House, built in 1812 by François Baby, a prominent French-Canadian (which is now designat ...

, later working at the Art Gallery of Windsor as its Curatorial Assistant/Coordinator. From 1998 to 2004, Townsend worked as Curator of the

Walter Phillips Gallery The Walter Phillips Gallery (WPG) is a contemporary art gallery in Banff, Alberta. It was established in 1976 as a part of The Banff Centre in Banff National Park. History and mission Walter J. Phillips was a printmaker and painter, from the ...

The Banff Centre Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...

and helped establish the Banff International Curatorial Institute. She was instrumental in partnering with Plugin Gallery in 2001 for the

49th Venice Biennale The 49th Venice Biennale, held in 2001, was an exhibition of international contemporary art, with 65 participating nations. The Venice Biennale takes place biennially in Venice, Italy. Prizewinners of the 49th Biennale included: Richard Serra a ...

, which featured the work of

Janet Cardiff Janet Cardiff (born March 15, 1957) is a Canadian artist who works chiefly with sound and sound installations, often in collaboration with her husband and partner George Bures Miller. Cardiff first gained international recognition in the art worl ...

and George Bures Miller. She was on the board of the Calgary artist-run centre TRUCK, and served as its President. Townsend was Secretary, Vice President, and President of the Ontario Association of Art Galleries, between 2010 and 2016. In 2004, she was appointed Curator of Contemporary Art, at

and in 2005, its Head of Exhibitions and Collections.

Exhibition history

At the Walter Phillips Gallery: Sentient Circuitry (2002) featuring the work of

Norman White Norman White (born January 7, 1938, San Antonio Texas) Canadian New Media artist considered to be a pioneer in the use of electronic technology and robotics in art. Life White was born in San Antonio Texas in 1938. He grew up in and around Bosto ...

Ken Rinaldo Kenneth E. Rinaldo (born 1958) is an American neo-conceptual artist and arts educator, known for his interactive robotics, 3D animation, and BioArt installations. His works include Autopoiesis (2000), and Augmented Fish Reality (2004), a fish-dr ...

and

Reva Stone Reva Stone (born 1944) is a Canadian artist known for her digital artworks. Stone's work explores how technology changes the relationship between humans and our surroundings, and how those relationships have the potential to shape our future. She ...

;

Roy Kiyooka Roy Kenzie Kiyooka (January 18, 1926January 8, 1994) was a Canadian painter, poet, photographer, arts teacher, and multi-media artist. Biography A Nisei, or a second generation Japanese Canadian, Roy Kenzie Kiyooka was born in Moose Jaw, Saskat ...

: Accidental Tourist (2004) and Campsites (2005). At Museum London:

Garry Neill Kennedy Garry Neill Kennedy, (6 November 1935 – 8 August 2021) was a Canadian conceptual artist and educator from Halifax, Nova Scotia. In the mid-1970s, he created works that investigated the processes and materials of painting. In the first decade o ...

: Superstar Shadow (2006);

Wyn Geleynse Wyn Geleynse (born 1947) is a pioneer film and video projection artist whose career spans a period of over 40 years. Career Wyn Geleynse was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and he and his parents emigrated from Rotterdam to London, Ontario, ...

: A Man Trying to Explain Pictures (2006); Gardens of a Colonial Present: Ron Benner (2008);

Jamelie Hassan Jamelie Hassan (born 1948) is a Canadian multidisciplinary artist, lecturer, writer and independent curator. Early life and education Hassan was born in London, Ontario, to a Lebanese immigrant family and grew up in an Arabic speaking household ...

: At the Far Edge of Words (2009);Exhibition announcement Jamelie Hassan
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Kim Adams Kim Adams (born 17 December 1951) is a Canadian sculptor who is known for his assemblages combining prefabricated elements, often parts of cars or other machine-made structures. His visual style is influenced by industrial design, architecture a ...

: One for the Road (2013);

Kim Ondaatje Kim Ondaatje (born Betty Jane Kimbark; born October 2, 1928) is a Canadian Painting, painter, photographer, and documentary film, documentary Filmmaking, filmmaker. Biography Early life and training Born in Toronto, Ontario, Ondaatje studie ...

(2013); and

Colette Urban Constance "Colette" Joyce Urban (January 29, 1952 – June 16, 2013) was a Canadian/American artist known for performance art, sculpture and installation. Her work questioned social conventions, gender roles, and the relationship between spectat ...

: Incognito (2014).

Writing

Townsend edited and wrote key works within the field of museology and curatorial studies including: ''The Paradise Institute'' (2001); ''The Edge of Everything: Reflection on Curatorial Practice'' (2002); ''Beyond the Box: Diverging Curatorial Practices'' (2003).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Melanie 1968 births 2018 deaths Canadian art curators Canadian women curators