Mactaggart Art Collection
The Mactaggart Art Collection is composed of more than 1,000 rare works of art, including textiles, costumes, paintings, handscrolls, albums, engravings, and other artifacts from ancient and modern East Asia. It was generously donated to the University of Alberta in 2005 by Edmonton philanthropists Drs. Sandy and Cécile Mactaggart. The collection furthers our knowledge of East Asian cultures, and informs the research of students and scholars world-wide.
The Mactaggart's began collecting and documenting Asian art in the early 1960s. Over the next 40 years, they put together one of the world's finest privately-held collections of East Asian art. In 2005, the Mactaggart Art Collection became the largest single donation the University of Alberta has received from an individual.
Access
Check out Echoes of Thunder: Unveiling the Mythical Chinese Dragon, running February 24 until June 22, 2024.
Visit the University of Alberta Museums Search Site to see the Mactaggart Art Collection online.
Introduction to the Mactaggart Art Collection
Whether you're an art enthusiast, a student, or just someone who wants to explore the collection out of curiosity, the Mactaggart Art Collection has something for everyone. Time to explore!
Watch the Video
Search the Mactaggart Art Collection
Search the Mactaggart Art Collection through one accessible website. Using keyword or advanced searches, you can filter your results based on museum collections, materials, and more.
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Echoes of Thunder: Unveiling the Mythical Chinese Dragon
Using select objects from the Collection, Echoes of Thunder aims to illustrate the origin of the Chinese dragon and its importance and significance in Chinese culture.
Learn More
Peonies in Bloom
The online exhibition Peonies in Bloom: Selected Art and Textiles from the Mactaggart Art Collection explores the deeper meaning behind the beautiful peony and why they remain popular symbols in Chinese material culture.
Online Exhibition
Dragons on the Tibetan Plateau Virtual Tour
With never-before-seen textiles from the Mactaggart Art Collection, Dragons on the Tibetan Plateau focuses on the variations of dragon pattern designs and the textile production techniques found through selected objects from Tibet between the 16th and 18th centuries.
Take the Virtual TourContact
Isabel (Pi-fen) Chueh
Curator - Mactaggart Art Collection
780.492.9474
chueh@ualberta.ca
Sarah Spotowski
Curatorial Assistant - Mactaggart Art Collection
780.492.0781
sspotows@ualberta.ca