Chan Family Donates $40 Million to Vancouver Art Gallery

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View of the new Vancouver Art Gallery from Queen Elizabeth Plaza

concept rendering (courtesy © Herzog & de Meuron)

The Vancouver Art Gallery is getting a $40-million gift from the Chan family for its new $350-million building, which will be named the Chan Centre for the Visual Arts.

The donation means the gallery has raised a total of $85 million of its $100-million private sector target for the 300,000-square-foot wood-and-glass building designed by the Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron.

The gallery called the gift "unprecedented," saying it is the largest-ever single donation to a cultural organization in British Columbia.

The Chan family, which made its wealth in real estate and clothing, has donated to other cultural projects, including the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia. 

“We truly believe in the power of art to bring people together and to bridge divides, cultural gaps, to promote social understanding, and to help people better understand themselves and others," said Christian Chan, who spoke on behalf of his family.

The other $45 million in private-sector support made over the last several years, includes 14 individuals, families, foundations and corporate supporters that each contributed $1 million or more, the gallery said.

No date for the start of construction was identified.

"The next step for the Vancouver Art Gallery capital campaign will be to continue its work with senior levels of government and the private sector to secure the additional funding needed to begin construction," the gallery said.

The city of Vancouver donated the project site in Larwill Park and the province has made an initial investment of $50 million.

Source: Vancouver Art Gallery