Artful project manager

Linda Milrod, Transformation AGO's project manager, appears relaxed as she runs through some of the changes happening at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

She’s taking her time to say what she wants to say, despite the fact that there’s what seems to be a tasty sandwich on the table beside her, and a neglected bottle of carbonated water beside it.

But her lunch easily slides into the backseat as she discusses the project, the $254-million project.

Her pupils open up, her eyes open wide as she gloats about how the architecture of the building won’t overshadow the art inside, and how the architects designed a structure that is still visually appealing, yet doesn’t steal the limelight away from the priceless pieces of art housed inside of it.

“We made sure (the architects) could understand the nature of the collections, and they made sure that they designed very flexible spaces that could accommodate those different kinds of collections,” she says.

“We had to make sure they could accommodate all those types of collections.”

Those designs are being turned into reality, albeit hidden from the public. Her busy office opens into an ad-hoc board room with a lot of while surfaces.

With blueprint scrolls and poster-sized sketches littered around, it becomes apparent that she’s managing quite an important large-scale project.

She takes great pride in what she does, and compared to other interview subjects I’ve had for other stories, she really directs her attention to the reporter despite the fact I was interviewing her for a class assignment as opposed to a “real” media outlet.

I didn’t have enough time to ask, (the AGO’s communications rep came and collected me promptly when the interview was up), but I wanted to know what sort of background she has, in that she knows a whole lot about art, and a whole lot about the construction. Or at least she appeared to.

To keep tabs on all that is going on, and to manage it all, must be an incredible feat, and I respect her for that.