Art History professor shortlisted for prestigious Donner Prize

By Caitlin Kealey

Ruth Phillips has made a short list of four for the Donner Prize. Phillips, an art history professor, is also the Canada Research Chair in Modern Culture.

The Donner Prize has been awarded annually since 1998 to recognize excellence and innovation in public policy writing in Canada. . The Donner Canadian Foundation seeks to broaden policy debates, increase general awareness of the importance of policy decision-making, and make an original and meaningful contribution to policy discourse.

Museum Pieces: Toward the Indigenization of Canadian Museums by Ruth B. Phillips (McGill-Queen’s University Press)

Museum Pieces asks readers to think about the role museums play in Canadian society. It examines the past 30 years and sheds light on the great change that has occurred within our museums to better reflect our pluralist society through better collaboration with Aboriginal groups and others.

“I wrote this book for two reasons –because the history of confrontation, negotiation and innovation that has occurred is in danger of being taken for granted or even forgotten,” said Phillips. “I also think what we have evolved is a major Canadian contribution and deserves to be celebrated. Our approaches are acknowledged and copied internationally.”

“I’m tremendously honoured by being shortlisted, and I hope that it will help the book gain a wider readership and thus create a greater awareness of what Canadian museums have achieved.”

Phillips wasn’t the only Carleton faculty member to be shortlisted for the prize.  Christopher Worswick, a professor in the Department of Economics also made the list

The 2011/2012 shortlisted titles were chosen from a field of 58 submissions. The winner will receive $50,000, with $7,500 awarded to the other nominated titles.

The winner of this year’s Donner Prize will be announced at an awards ceremony in Toronto on Tuesday, May 1, 2012. The ceremony will be hosted by Don Newman, chairman of Canada 2020.