Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery

The Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery is located at the University of Victoria in Saanich, British Columbia. The museum is home to the University of Victoria Art Collections, which contains in excess of 30,000 art objects ranging from ancient Chinese artifacts to works by well-known contemporary artists. Rotating exhibitions in the Maltwood’s three gallery spaces offer a glimpse into the University of Victoria’s acquisitions and holdings, in addition to showcasing works by local and Canadian artists.

General History

The Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery is named in memory of husband and wife John and Katharine Maltwood, who were major benefactors to the University of Victoria. The Maltwoods' original donation ranged from Chinese ceramics to textiles, rugs, seventeenth century English furniture, Canadian painting, and Katharine Maltwood's own sculptural works, paintings, and drawings. Acquired by the University of Victoria in 1964, the collection moved to its current home in the University Centre in 1978, amalgamating with the original University of Victoria Art Collection founded in 1953.
Since 1978, the Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery has expanded its collection through donations from various benefactors. Michael C. Williams donated the largest gift, which facilitated the collection’s growth to an excess of 30,000 works. Currently, the Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery exhibits in three distinct gallery spaces: the Maltwood Art Gallery, located in the University Centre at the University of Victoria; the McPherson Gallery, located in the University of Victoria’s McPherson Library; and the Legacy Art Gallery and Café, located in downtown Victoria, British Columbia.

Collections History

The Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery acquires most of the works in its collection through donations from a variety of benefactors. The two largest benefactors to the University of Victoria Art Collections are John & Katharine Maltwood and Michael C. Williams.

The Maltwood Collection

The Maltwood Collection is a subcategory of works owned by the University of Victoria Art Collections. The original Maltwood collection was owned by John and Katharine Maltwood, global travellers who accumulated various items relating to their spiritual interests. These pieces were displayed in their Victoria home, alongside Katharine’s own works. The collection adheres to the couple’s ideology of having nothing in their home that was not useful or beautiful. Upon moving to Victoria, the Maltwoods decided to develop a museum to house their art, with the aim of one day donating it to the city. They purchased a former restaurant in the Royal Oak area of Victoria, British Columbia. Serving as a gallery and home, it was called The Thatch. The couple’s collection consisted of household items from various artistic periods, such as English Gothic furniture, furniture from the Tudor and Stuart periods, Oriental and Persian antique rugs and Oriental silk hanging scrolls, paintings from Paris, London, and Peiping, modern oil and watercolour paintings, Chinese and Middle Eastern ceramics and figurines, and Moslem pottery and metalwork, in addition to Katharine Maltwood’s own works, writings, and journals. A library of art books referencing the Maltwoods' holdings accompanied the collection.
The Maltwood Collection was generously donated to the University of Victoria Art Collections in 1964. It resided at The Thatch until 1977 when it moved to its current location in the University Centre at the University of Victoria. The Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery currently conserves the art objects from the donation, while the University of Victoria’s Special Collections conserves the Maltwoods’ personal letters, journals, and books, including Katharine’s writing.

The Michael C. Williams Collection

Upon his passing in 2000, Michael Collard Williams bequeathed most of his estate to the University of Victoria. Valued at $17 million, the donation marks the University of Victoria’s largest gift to date. The Williams Collection is made up of over 1100 art objects such as drawings, paintings, and sculptures that include contemporary and historical West Coast art, Aboriginal art, and antique works.
Michael C. Williams moved to British Columbia in 1950, eventually settling in Victoria in 1958. In 1977, his attention was drawn to the city’s heritage, resulting in many building restoration projects in the downtown area. His first urban renewal was the Maynard Court area on Johnson Street, followed by the 1890s era Grand Central Hotel and Victoria Box and Paper Complex, for which he was given the North American Award of Merit from New York’s Downtown Research and Development Centre. The Swans Hotel and Brew Pub is perhaps one of his better-known restorations, a beautiful street-side hotel that once served as a seed and fertilizer warehouse.
The University of Victoria received many of these properties through the Williams bequest. The Legacy Art Gallery and Café, located at 630 Yates St. in Victoria, was just one of these properties. The Legacy Gallery is a monument to Williams’s life and generosity, hosting rotating exhibits that draw from his collection and other University of Victoria Art Collections holdings. The Legacy Gallery also exhibits local and Canadian artists. The Swans Hotel and Brew Pub is another property owned by the University of Victoria. The "Art Hotel" was opened in 1987 as Williams’s own exhibition space. The hotel still displays many works from the Williams collection year round in its many suites and public areas.

Exhibits

The Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery has exhibited a wide range of works in its three gallery locations: The Maltwood Art Museum and Gallery, The Legacy Café and Art Gallery, and The McPherson Library Gallery.