[BCMA] CMA Clip Serv: To stay or go? VAH forum = no conclusions

Thu May 27 10:42:47 PDT 2010

It's true! And combine that with a little money put into the music and
theatre side of local arts groups and we would see a huge leap in wellbeing,
community engagement and neighbourhood cohesion.

Lynn Saffery
Burnaby Village Museum
Pawnshop Diamond

On 2010-05-26, at 4:19 PM, "Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv." <
bcma at lists.vvv.com> wrote:

 I’ll bet if that money was spread around to numerous different smaller
institutions, it could have a benefit that would far outweigh the benefit of
investing in a single institution. All **we** need is a measly $500,000 if
people are tossing money around…

Chris Mathieson

Vancouver Police Museum

*From:* bcma-bounces at lists.vvv.com [mailto:bcma-bounces at lists.vvv.com] *On
Behalf Of *Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.
*Sent:* May 26, 2010 3:44 PM
*To:* bcma at lists.vvv.com
*Subject:* Re: [BCMA] CMA Clip Serv: To stay or go? VAH forum = no
conclusions

So the Vancouver Museum is eager to occupy the hollow shell of the VAG digs
once the latter steps into its new stratocumulus loft. That'll cost an
additional $250 million on top of the $500 million the Art Galley wants.
(Don't forget, these are initial estimates only; do you know what's just
happened to the G8 Security costs estimates?).

Oh well, its "Vancouver what's-a billion City" on the loose again.

Dan Gallacher

 ----- Original Message -----

*From:* Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv. <bcma at lists.vvv.com>

*To:* bcma at lists.vvv.com

*Sent:* Wednesday, May 26, 2010 9:35 AM

*Subject:* [BCMA] CMA Clip Serv: To stay or go? VAH forum = no conclusions

*To stay or go? Art gallery forum draws no*

*conclusions*

*Standing room-only crowd offers contrasting visions for future of the
Vancouver Art Gallery*

Marsha Lederman, The Globe and Mail, Friday, May 21, 2010

For two summers, Cathy Burrell volunteered at the Vancouver Art Gallery. As
an ambassador, she was stationed in the lobby, where she would answer
visitors’ questions. She heard a lot of the same inquiries: why do we have
to pay $21 to get in and where are the Emily Carr paintings?

“I think that the Vancouver Art Gallery has a bit of a split personality,”
Ms. Burrell said. “You’ve got Emily Carr shoved up on the fifth floor, five
pieces being shown; you’ve got a collection of Japanese animé on the third
floor; you’ve got on the second floor, a Chinese artist. It was a lot to
explain to people.… I think the

people that come from the rest of the world deserve to see something that is
well thought out.”

Burrell made the comments Thursday night at a public forum on the future of
the VAG, an issue that has become a hotly-debated preoccupation of the
city’s chattering classes since the gallery indicated its desire to move to
a site a few blocks east of its current location.

The standing room-only crowd was packed with city and gallery officials, and
distinguished artists and architects – among them Roy Arden (for the move)
and Bing Thom (against it).

The VAG says it needs to expand so it can offer visitors like those Burrell
encountered some exposure to its permanent collection, in particular works
by Carr and other iconic B.C. artists. The current facility, an old
courthouse renovated by Arthur Erickson almost 30 years ago to house the
gallery, is too small to allow for that, the administration argues, and is
also lacking a lecture hall, adequate space for educational programming, and
sufficient storage space.

“It’s outgrown the building,” said builder/philanthropist Michael Audain,
the chair of the VAG’s relocation committee and one of the evening’s
panelists.

The VAG wants to build a new, iconic building on a vacant piece of land that
once housed a bus depot. The cost could run as high as $400-million. The VAG
has raised about $90-million so far – $50- million from the province, and
the rest from private donors.

The city, while it hasn’t made a decision (in fact, it has not yet received
a formal proposal from the VAG), has indicated that if the VAG is granted
that land, it will likely have to share it – probably with an office tower.

That point has been emphasized by city councillor Heather Deal, who is
taking the lead on the issue for the city.

She says she’s trying to keep a positive attitude toward the possibility of
a move, but says most of the people she hears from are opposed to it.

“When people respond to this, they respond in a visceral fashion. There’s
some logic, there are many opinions, but it’s emotional. People are excited
or they’re angry or they’re fearful.”

The issue has caused deep divisions among the city’s deep thinkers, and that
was apparent at the forum, with a wide range of opinions expressed, as well
as suggestions. Why not have a new VAG share the land with a badly-needed
concert hall? What about building underground the current facility? Or
expanding to the Sears building across the street? Or keeping the current
site and constructing a satellite gallery elsewhere for contemporary
exhibitions?

Artist Ian Wallace, a member of the panel, said he was “very impressed” with
the gallery’s plan, and that this is the time to move forward. Fellow
panelist architect Joost Bakker argued for a more cautionary approach. “The
full court press ... for a new gallery re- location is premature.”

While there was no overwhelmingly prevailing opinion, the most passionate
and forceful speaker of the night was Andrew Gruft, Professor Emeritus of
architecture and urban design at the University of British Columbia’s School
of Architecture. He argued the VAG would lose half its walk-up attendance if
it moved, and that the city

would lose a cherished gathering space.

“The VAG’s moving ... would be akin to tearing the heart out of the city.
... We’ve got this wonderful kind of synergy with the Vancouver Art Gallery,
our premiere art institution in the heart of the city. Man, people would
kill to get that anywhere else. And here we’re going to walk away from it?”

The current site is indeed a magnet for the public. Whether they’re
celebrating hockey victories or protesting political decisions,
Vancouverites are drawn to the VAG.

But panelist Andrew Pask of the Vancouver Public Space Network says the old
bus depot site once served the same function. >From 1901 to 1950, it was the
place where people came together for carnivals, military marches and
protests. “You should know that for more than half a century, this
particular site served as one of the city’s finest gathering areas.”

Audain wanted to clear something else up: if the VAG vacates the courthouse,
the building would not be torn down. There are other groups vying for that
space; among them, the Museum of Vancouver.

After more than two hours of arguments, gallery director Kathleen Bartels,
who sat quietly in the audience throughout the debate, sometimes smiling,
sometimes frowning, said she felt it was a good discussion. “Nothing really
surprised me. We’ve been at this for a long time.”

---   30   ---

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