Prior to the establishment of the museum, the province acquired several items and works in order to establish a provincial collection of art and natural history.[4] The premier of Quebec, Lomer Gouin, first proposed the idea of establishing a provincial collection of art as a part of a program to "define the Quebec nation".[4] However, the collections were primarily established and organized under his successor, Louis-Alexandre Taschereau.[4] The program formally began in March 1920, when the cabinet minister, Athanase David, announced an initiative where the province would support Quebec-based artists by purchasing their works.[4] A five-man jury initially selected works for the collection, selecting works they believed pushed the concept of a common rural past, and affirmed "innovative art trends", by artists in Quebec.[5]