Feds Give Vancouver Art Gallery $30 Million for New Home

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The Vancouver Art Gallery will receive almost $30 million in federal funding to help build its new $400-million home.

The funding includes $25 million from Infrastructure Canada through its green and inclusive community buildings program, as well as another $4.3 million from Canadian Heritage.

The contribution brings the fundraising total to $270 million, building on earlier contributions, including $100 million from the Audain Foundation, $40 million from the Chan Family Foundation and $50 million from the B.C. government. The city has donated downtown land under a 99-year-lease. 

The 300,000-square-foot facility, slated to open in 2027, will be the most environmentally sustainable art gallery in Canada, with solar heating, triple-glazed windows and heat pumps. Designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron, it will sport an exterior that evokes Northwest Coast Indigenous weaving.

Anthony Kiendl, the gallery's director, said the funding will help make the gallery a leader in environmental sustainability and inclusivity.

"The new gallery is poised to be a platform to amplify the voices of local and international artists, Indigenous and culturally diverse communities, and will be a community gathering place for people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds to meet and share ideas," he said. 

The building will include an art-focused daycare for children five years and under, a multi-purpose Indigenous community house, a multi-purpose theatre and numerous outdoor spaces for public art.

Source: Vancouver Art Gallery