The Province of Vancouver has committed CAD$50 million towards the construction of a new Vancouver Art Gallery at Larwill Park. This is the Province’s second financial contribution to the new gallery. In 2008, it contributed another $50M bringing its total contribution to the project to $100M.
“The Vancouver Art Gallery is a premier cultural institution in British Columbia. We are happy to provide this additional commitment. It will especially, bring about the construction of this new building,” said Lisa Beare. The latter is the minister of tourism, arts, culture, and sport.
Other than the Province of Vancouver’s $100M, more than $190M in private contributions have been made to the construction of the new home for the Vancouver Art Gallery. This includes $40M in 2019 and $100M in 2021 from the Chan Foundation.
An overview of the new home for the Vancouver Art Gallery
Upon completion, the brand-new Vancouver Art Gallery will be an expansive building including a theatre, library, research center, artist studios, child care, dining areas, and retail space.
There will also be an Indigenous community space as well as five specific classrooms for specialized school programs and art teaching. This will help accommodate more than 90,000 children annually.
Hereditary Chief Chepximiya Siyam’ Janice George and Angela George, Coast Salish artists Debra Sparrow, Skwetsimeltxw Willard (Buddy) Joseph, Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, and Vancouver architects Perkins & Will collaborated on the design of the building façade.
Through consultation with Indigenous artists, the building’s facade was designed with a Coast Salish worldview in mind. This reflects the gallery’s dedication to promoting reconciliation in the province and celebrating Indigenous art.
Expectations of the project
The social, artistic, and commercial hub, will enhance the region’s tourism and cultural offerings for both locals and tourists. It will reportedly create 3,000 jobs during the construction phase and 1,000 permanent jobs in the tourism industry when fully completed.
According to Beare, the new home for Vancouver Art Gallery will be the largest structure in the world to showcase Coast Salish culture.
