Vancouver Art Gallery posts $800,000 deficit
The CBC is reporting that the Vancouver Art Gallery has posted an $800,000 operating deficit.
Kathleen Bartels, the gallery's director, told the broadcaster that it would not be laying off staff, and that the deficit would not affect its plans to move to a new purpose-built gallery.
With the City of Vancouver having recently made a controversial decision to bail out the Playhouse Theatre Company to the tune of $1 million, questions will surely be raised over whether it will, or should, step in again.
The VAG held its AGM September 28. Its 2010-2011 annual report has not yet been posted on its website.
Comments
5 Comments
Rob Roy
Sep 30, 2011 at 8:34am
If VISION's Heather Deal can give $1 million to bail out the Playhouse, she can -- and must -- give $800,000 to bail out the VAG.
It's only fair. A Deal is a Deal.
And then after Heather bails out the VAG, there's... and... and also...
Kathy T
Sep 30, 2011 at 11:47am
This concerns me greatly as an artist and cultural worker in BC. If our largest cultural institutions are having huge deficits, how does this fare for the smaller organizations?
flora-jean
Sep 30, 2011 at 3:28pm
I thought there was $50 million sitting in the VAG bank account - a gift from the BC liberals just before the 2008 recession. Has this been spent already? I understand part of this money has been used up - I'm not sure for what though.
artsworker
Oct 6, 2011 at 10:15pm
clearly all they need is a bigger, more expensive, purpose built facility with all the extra costs that will entail to turn that pesky $1m dollar a year deficit around
Hazlit
Oct 11, 2011 at 7:43am
I would go more often to the VAG, but the art is always second-rate. There is far too much focus on local artists, who belong in our commercial galleries. I don't wonder they're in a hole.