Uncommon Care
and Credibility
Meet Karen
Karen Colby-Stothart brings clarity and vision to complex cultural and collecting projects. She leads a network of experts trusted by institutions, philanthropists, and private collectors alike.
Karen Colby-Stothart
Founder
Karen Colby-Stothart has a vision: to make independent, museum-quality fine art, philanthropy, and art management expertise available to private collectors, artists, and museums of all sizes.
Her advisory builds on a uniquely rounded career that began in the conservation departments in some of Canada’s top galleries, then rose to senior leadership roles at the National Gallery of Canada as Deputy Director (2008–2013) and CEO of the National Gallery of Canada Foundation (2013–2020).
A key driver in the professionalization of exhibition management in Canada, Karen led projects including rebuilding Canada’s Venice Biennale participation; the exponential growth of the National Gallery of Canada’s historic national travelling exhibition program; and organizational leadership of the national/international exhibition programs with research partnerships throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, Mexico, and India.
In her role as CEO of the National Gallery of Canada Foundation, Karen played a pivotal role in building an expansive family of philanthropic supporters of the National Gallery, including some of Canada’s most engaged art-collecting families. Working closely with private collectors has provided deep insights into their concerns and needs, as well as their keen interest in supporting the arts and staying informed about innovative discourse on emerging trends in philanthropy, art, and finance.
In 2020, Karen founded KCS ArtCounsel. She is a certified Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) and an accredited executive coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She is bilingual in English and French.
Meet Some of Our Collaborators
Our network of independent experts offers best-in-class curatorial, conservation, research, collections management, and philanthropic advisory services for exceptional client outcomes. Their breadth of art world experience is unmatched, providing a uniquely sophisticated perspective on your collection.
Jayne Watson
Strategic Advisor, Philanthropy
Jayne Watson
With over 25 years of experience in diversified senior fundraising and external relations, Jayne has held senior positions as a fundraising executive, political advisor, and manager in both the public and private sectors. Her experience includes serving as CEO of Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) Foundation, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, and Corporate Secretary, NAC; Director of Communications at Export Development Canada (EDC); and Director of Communications for the Speaker of the House of Commons, Canadian Parliament. Jayne holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Administration, both from Queen's University. She is bilingual in English and French. Ms. Watson is a Director of the Glenn Gould Foundation, Business/Arts, and the Council for Canadian American Relations (CCAR).
SELECT PROJECTS
Raising more than $150 million as CEO of the NAC Foundation; launching the NAC’s first national fundraising campaign for The National Creation Fund, an investment vehicle for Canadian artists; key leadership role in securing $110.5 million in public funding for NAC architectural renewal; leading fundraising for performance and education tours by Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra to: Carnegie Hall (2022); Europe (2019), Canada (2017); U.K. (2014); China (2013).
Stephen Gritt
Conservator-Restorer
Stephen Gritt
A globally recognized conservator-restorer, Stephen served as Chief Conservator and Director of Conservation and Technical Research at the National Gallery of Canada from 2003 to 2022. He understands all aspects of collection building, protection, presentation, and use, and is well-versed in building-systems and facility management, security issues, pest management, and installation and exhibition design. An acknowledged expert in the restoration and conservation of historic paintings, he can restore works from any era, including those of the Modern and Contemporary periods. Stephen holds a Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings from the Courtauld Institute of Art and a BA in Art History from University College London.
SELECT PROJECTS
Select projects: Restored paintings by Titian, Veronese, Rubens, Rembrandt, Turner, and Delacroix; equally at home dealing with corrosion on modern sculpture, phosphorescent acrylics, and strategies for pragmatic, eco-friendly storage.
Anke Kausch
Curator, Provenance Expert
Anke Kausch
A seasoned curator, researcher, writer, and professor, Anke has over a decade of expertise as a personal curator and collections manager for one of Canada's most passionate art collectors. She has been instrumental in building a significant collection spanning Old Masters, Impressionist, Early Modern, and Contemporary works, overseeing purchases, sales, museum loans, gifts, object and provenance research, display, documentation, and publications. In addition to her curatorial work, Anke is a specialist in Nazi-era provenance research and a respected scholar in Asian arts. She holds an M.A. from the University of Hamburg in Chinese Studies/Art History, and speaks German, English, French, and Mandarin.
SELECT PROJECTS
Leads VKS Art, a private Canadian collection of European, American, and Canadian art from the 16th to the 21st century, with a focus on Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and pre-World War II Modern Art. She is the author of the Holocaust-era provenance research in Canadian art museums and galleries best practice guidelines.
Marc Mayer
Curator, Author, Speaker
Marc Mayer
Director and CEO of the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) from 2009 to 2019, Marc Mayer has held senior positions in four other museums in Canada and the United States. Before his museum work, he promoted contemporary Canadian art in New York and Paris. A seasoned writer, curator, and lecturer on art, Marc has organized dozens of exhibitions and published widely, notably in Ekphrasis, his Substack newsletter. He lives in New York City, where he is Director of Arsenal Contemporary, NY. Marc is fluent in English and French.
SELECT PROJECTS
Selected major exhibitions include Edward Burtynsky: Extraction/Abstraction, 2024, at the Saatchi Gallery in London, UK; the Jack Bush retrospective, with Sarah Stanners, 2014, and the Thomas Nozkowski survey, 2010, both for the NGC; the Jean-Michel Basquiat retrospective, 2005, and Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party, 2004, both for the Brooklyn Museum. His book Art in Canada was published in 2017.
Get in Touch
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