Friends of the Museum by Heather McGowan
It’s a no good very bad day for the director of a floundering New York art museum. A PR disaster involving dubiously sourced artifacts is unfolding in real time; meanwhile, the head security guard has a hunch that the new artwork is a fake. Half the staff are down with food poisoning after eating dodgy shrimp, so an anxiety-fueled sous chef steps in to cater the upcoming gala. And this is all before eight a.m.
The tension in this 24-hour novel ramps up fast and doesn’t stop building until the last gala guest stumbles into a cab. Dozens of characters from multiple museum departments cross paths in unexpected ways as they schmooze with donors and fend off catastrophes. Some characters and plotlines are fully realized; others needed more time to macerate. Friends of the Museum’s main exhibit is Heather McGowan’s observational prose, which is whip-smart and dripping with satire. Readers who suspend expectations and strap in for the ride will have fun on this rollercoaster sendup of the art world.
Reviewed by Emma Radosevich, collection development librarian, Whatcom County Library System
(Originally published in Bellingham Alive September 2025 issue.)