Vancouver Art Gallery seeks extension on fundraising deadline for new site

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      The Vancouver Art Gallery has requested an extension on the timeline for its new, purpose-built site planned for West Georgia and Cambie streets.

      When Vancouver city council agreed to lease the Larwill Park site at 688 Cambie Street in April 2013, it imposed a series of conditions, including securing $150 million in senior government funding by April 30 of this year.

      In a March 10 letter from Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson to Vancouver Art Gallery director Kathleen Bartels and board of trustees chair Bruce Munro Wright, Robertson indicates there would likely be “significant support” by city council for an extension on the timelines.

      In order for council to consider the extension, the art gallery will have to meet original requirements approved two years ago, including council’s request to allow the mayor or designate to participate as a non-voting member on the board of trustees, according to the letter released by Robertson’s office today (March 26).

      The mayor also wants the VAG to give council input on its plan for public consultation on the new site, and to demonstrate support from the broader cultural sector for the project.

      The art gallery has selected architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron to develop the conceptual design for the new facility.

      Once that design is revealed in June, the VAG will also announce the top private donations it has secured, according to a statement issued by the gallery today.

      In an October interview following a presentation by Herzog & de Meuron, Bartels told the Straight that the release of the conceptual design will be “one of the most critical elements” in the gallery’s campaign to secure funds for the project.

      Herzog & de Meuron’s previous museum projects include the Tate Modern in London, the De Young Museum in San Francisco, and the Pérez Art Museum in Miami.

      Comments

      7 Comments

      VAG visitor

      Mar 26, 2015 at 6:26pm

      Please find some discipline, City of Vancouver, and stop being pushed around. Stick with the deadline and put this project out of its misery, and then start running the current VAG more effectively.

      Cariboo Dan

      Mar 26, 2015 at 7:26pm

      How much have they raised, and what is the target? Neither number is the article, nor the link.

      Jon Q. Publik

      Mar 27, 2015 at 8:56am

      So when is the board of the VAG going to realize that Bartels is and has always been relatively inept at her job? They are certainly very forgiving considering that VAG has already managed to drive away one of their largest donors - Michael Audain (setting up his own gallery) and at the same time also piss off the only other person in this city with not only the ability but the interest in art to fund the damn thing, Bob Rennie (who has stated he is fundamentally against one main gallery located in Vancouver).

      VAG $350M plan is overtly ambitious and will never happen.

      S. Johnstone

      Mar 27, 2015 at 12:34pm

      I mostly agree with Jon Q. Publik and the primary reason I'm against the new site is that the current site is one of the best in the city, if not the best. There is space underneath Robson Square for expansion, especially if the money already collected will go to finding the current tenants a new place. Go down to Robson Square on a sunny afternoon, on the weekend, and see how many people walk by and surround the current building, and then go down to Larwill Park and do the same thing. There's no comparison and the VAG relies heavily on walk-in traffic and especially when you can make a day of it with the shopping and food within a couple of blocks.

      The fact that they are asking for a 3 year extensions just shows that they don't have the support they thought they did. It's easy to blow smoke up their skirts if you aren't shelling out money. But when the palm finally comes out then suddenly there are more urgent needs for our money.

      Krill

      Mar 27, 2015 at 1:03pm

      Call it a Sports Gallery/Donnelly Group Public House/Mixed use tower and watch all the conditions and red tape miraculously disappear.

      S. Johnstone

      Mar 27, 2015 at 9:29pm

      Coco858

      Yes!! I just saw that on Frances Bula's site and was about to post the URL. Thank you!

      Best line from the video? "It's not a destination in itself, it's a part of the city".

      The current site is the hub of the city and Larwill Park is.....a parking lot. It's been a parking lot for decades, while the current art gallery is the site of most major events in Vancouver. It's where people love to go and hang out.