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In the Frame
When a high-profile gala fundraiser goes hilariously awry, the long-suffering staff of a Toronto art gallery scramble to save what remains of their competing agendas.
It’s 1998, and the newly re-branded Toronto Art Gallery (TAG) is abuzz with preparations for a pivotal fundraiser. Among the staff are Rachel, a burned-out educator whose prickly boss has her contemplating an early departure from the gallery. Then there's Arthur, a mild-mannered curator who grapples with the unpredictable demands of an attractive donor. Meanwhile, Amanda fends off incursions into her own curatorial turf by investigating questionable donor influence. Presiding over all is the director, George, whose ambitious expansion plans for the gallery tempt him into a sticky situation.
When a scheduling conflict sees TAG swarmed by a camp for rambunctious children, a tour for art-loving naturists, and a gala for deep-pocketed philanthropists—all on the same calamitous night—egos and ambitions collide. Each staff member must confront the turmoil, salvage their reputations, and chart a path forward.
In the Frame is a sharp workplace satire that reveals clashing sensibilities in a fictional Toronto gallery. The characters’ struggles to frame their futures propel us through this quirky fast-paced story.
It’s 1998, and the newly re-branded Toronto Art Gallery (TAG) is abuzz with preparations for a pivotal fundraiser. Among the staff are Rachel, a burned-out educator whose prickly boss has her contemplating an early departure from the gallery. Then there's Arthur, a mild-mannered curator who grapples with the unpredictable demands of an attractive donor. Meanwhile, Amanda fends off incursions into her own curatorial turf by investigating questionable donor influence. Presiding over all is the director, George, whose ambitious expansion plans for the gallery tempt him into a sticky situation.
When a scheduling conflict sees TAG swarmed by a camp for rambunctious children, a tour for art-loving naturists, and a gala for deep-pocketed philanthropists—all on the same calamitous night—egos and ambitions collide. Each staff member must confront the turmoil, salvage their reputations, and chart a path forward.
In the Frame is a sharp workplace satire that reveals clashing sensibilities in a fictional Toronto gallery. The characters’ struggles to frame their futures propel us through this quirky fast-paced story.
207 pages, Paperback
Published August 5, 2025
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About the author
Pat Sullivan
1 book1 followerPat Sullivan studied English at York University, Toronto, before indulging her love of travel with a spell in Amsterdam for almost two years. Returning to university, she obtained her master’s in art history from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. This led to her career as an educator at two of Canada’s best art galleries in Toronto and Kingston. In the Frame is her first novel. Pat lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 28, 2025
I really enjoyed this book!
The dynamics of the different characters kept me engaged and wanting to see what would happen next.
Arthur was definitely my favourite!
The dynamics of the different characters kept me engaged and wanting to see what would happen next.
Arthur was definitely my favourite!
January 12, 2026
Pat Sullivan’s In the Frame is a satire in the tradition of David Lodge’s Small World or Martin Amis’s The Information. Like these authors, Sullivan exposes the petty vanities and insecurities of the cultural elite, in this case the senior staff of the fictional Toronto Art Gallery (TAG). The novel is fast-moving and clearly written by someone who knows this world intimately.
Rather than focusing on a single protagonist, the novel revolves around a high-stakes fundraising gala intended to raise millions for a gallery expansion. The evening is seen through the lens of four characters, each with distinct professional and financial agendas. The resulting clash of egos and incentives provides the conflict that drives the novel’s tension.
Sullivan balances character development with a plot that moves quickly under a tight timeline and high financial stakes. We come to know the characters primarily through their actions as pressure mounts toward the crucial Friday-night event. Readers unfamiliar with the inner workings of major cultural institutions will gain an appreciation of the donor politics and internal rivalries at play, while those with relevant experience will recognize familiar patterns.
As a satirist, Sullivan hits the sweet spot: sharp but not nihilistic, humane but not sentimental. In the end, her characters emerge as both heroes and villains, sages and fools, in equal measure.
Rather than focusing on a single protagonist, the novel revolves around a high-stakes fundraising gala intended to raise millions for a gallery expansion. The evening is seen through the lens of four characters, each with distinct professional and financial agendas. The resulting clash of egos and incentives provides the conflict that drives the novel’s tension.
Sullivan balances character development with a plot that moves quickly under a tight timeline and high financial stakes. We come to know the characters primarily through their actions as pressure mounts toward the crucial Friday-night event. Readers unfamiliar with the inner workings of major cultural institutions will gain an appreciation of the donor politics and internal rivalries at play, while those with relevant experience will recognize familiar patterns.
As a satirist, Sullivan hits the sweet spot: sharp but not nihilistic, humane but not sentimental. In the end, her characters emerge as both heroes and villains, sages and fools, in equal measure.
December 29, 2025
Oh my, what a good read! I giggled from start to finish. How refreshing to read a book that offers insights and humour into the often quirky dynamics of art museums, their staff and patrons. It'll make you smile.
September 15, 2025
A funny satire of behind the scenes in an art gallery. Quick witted and a page turner.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews