Melanie Townsend was Head of Exhibitions and Collections at Museum London for fourteen years, making innumerable contributions to the institution. She was known for her insightful and original curatorial work, and her deliciously dry sense of humour. She was an industrious, down-to-earth, and no-nonsense individual who developed some of Museum London’s most popular and critically-acclaimed programs.

Before coming to London, Townsend worked at the Art Gallery of Windsor and in Alberta at the Walter Phillips Gallery at the Banff Centre. In July of 2004 she was appointed Curator of Contemporary Art at Museum London, becoming Head of Exhibitions and Collections the next year.

Melanie Townsend also supported Museum London’s large material culture collection, acknowledging the importance of programming that honoured local history. Recognizing instances where gaps in Museum London’s holdings could be filled, she donated several items of her own.

Biography Courtesy of Museum London

SOURCES

“In Remembrance of Melanie Townsend.” Museum London. January 2, 2019. Accessed January 28. 2019. http://museumlondon.ca/news/2019/in-remembrance-of-melanie-townsend.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES

Belanger, Joe. “Former Museum London curator honoured with scholarship, celebration of life.” The London Free Press, January 23, 2019.  Accessed January 28. 2019. https://lfpress.com/entertainment/local-arts/former-museum-london-curator-honoured-with-scholarship-celebration-of-life.

“Melanie Townsend.” Windsor Star, December 28, 2018. Accessed January 28. 2019. http://windsorstar.remembering.ca/obituary/melanie-townsend-1071919676.