Janet Barnes, is a British curator and former

museum director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

. She was the chief executive officer of

York Museums Trust York Museums Trust (YMT) is the charity responsible for operating some key museums and galleries in York, England. The trust was founded in 2002 to run York's museums on behalf of the City of York Council. It has seen an increase in annual foo ...

from its founding in 2002 to 2015.

Career

Barnes was the Honorary Curator of the

Turner Museum of Glass The Turner Museum of Glass is housed in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield, in England. It is in the Sir Robert Hadfield Building with the entrance from Portobello Street. It contains examples fr ...

at the

University of Sheffield , mottoeng = To discover the causes of things , established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions: – Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield , type = Pu ...

from 1979 to 1999. During her time in Sheffield she had a variety of curatorial and management roles in Sheffield Galleries and Museums, including opening the

Ruskin Gallery The Ruskin Gallery is a gallery within the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield, England. It houses a collection of minerals, paintings, ornithological prints, drawings, manuscripts and architectural plaster casts assembled by John Ruskin. It first ...

and Ruskin Craft Gallery, which housed the educational collection of

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and pol ...

. Barnes was the Director of the

Crafts Council The Crafts Council is the national development agency for contemporary craft in the United Kingdom, and is funded by Arts Council England. History The Crafts Advisory Committee was formed in 1971 to advise the Minister for the Arts, David Eccles ...

from 1999 to 2002 and, from 2005 until 2013, was the chairperson of Arts Council England in Yorkshire and a member of the National Council. She is a member of the

National Heritage Memorial Fund The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) was set up in 1980 to save the most outstanding parts of the British national heritage, in memory of those who have given their lives for the UK. It replaced the National Land Fund which had fulfilled the ...

committee and a member of the Humanities External Advisory Board for

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

. Barnes was the CEO of York Museums Trust from its founding in 2002 to November 2015. She was succeeded in the role by Reyahn King. Barnes is a Director of John Ruskin's educational charity the

Guild of St George The Guild of St George is a charitable Education Trust, based in England but with a worldwide membership, which tries to uphold the values and put into practice the ideas of its founder, John Ruskin (1819–1900). History Ruskin, a Victorian ...

, a Trustee of the Anthony Shaw Collection Trust and a member of the Challenge Committee for the DCMS Museum Review.

Awards

Barnes has been awarded three honorary doctorates for work in the Museums and Arts: from the

(2000), Sheffield Hallam University (2001), and the University of York (2013). Barnes was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in the

2014 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2014 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...

for services to museums.

Publications

*Barnes, J. 1982. ''Percy Horton, 1897-1970, artist & absolutist''. Sheffield: Graves Art Gallery. *Barnes, J. 1984. ''J.G. Graves : Sheffield businessman, art collector and benefactor''. Sheffield: Graves Art Gallery. *Barnes, J. 1985. ''Ruskin in Sheffield: The Ruskin Gallery, Collection of the Guild of St. George, Sheffield''. Sheffield. *Barnes, J. 1986. ''The decorative paintings of Harry E Allen, (1894-1958)''. Sheffield: Sheffield Arts Department.

References

External links

Janet Barnes receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of York, 12 February 2013.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Janet Living people British curators People from Sheffield York Museums Trust people Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Year of birth missing (living people) British women curators Women museum directors