Lessons of the backlist: A curatorial and editorial analysis of the Vancouver Art Gallery's catalogues 1967–2022

The Vancouver Art Gallery is a cultural heritage institution that organizes and presents art exhibitions, presents public programming and publishes art catalogues, among other activities. This report examines the Gallery's publishing activities to showcase and analyze the relationship between curating and editing at the institution and includes a glossary of related art and publishing terms that helps create a shared environment between the two disciplines. The different themes, formats and styles of publication throughout the institution's history and their significance are also studied. Through the years, the Gallery's publications have served as means to uphold its mission and values; build and maintain relationships with local artistic communities; and engage with the Gallery's diverse audiences. Publishing, then, is an endeavor that advances the Gallery's—and any other institution's—vision for both the present and future.