Open Letter to Banff Centre Circulates in Canadian Arts Community

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An open letter expressing concerns about the future of visual arts residencies at the Banff Centre as well as the Walter Phillips Gallery is circulating in the Canadian arts community.

The letter, dated July 7, asks the centre's administration to respond publicly about its plans for the gallery and residencies programs following permanent layoffs of 284 staff members in June due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The letter, signed by Shauna Thompson, a curator at Calgary's Esker Foundation, and Peta Rake, a former curator of the Walter Phillips Gallery, along with the list of co-signatories, can be viewed here. 

It cites concerns that lower revenues will mean the downsizing of visual arts programs when the centre resumes operations, noting the centre's increased involvement in business conferences and leadership development programs over the last decade. 

"We are seeing an erosion of the function, reputation and impact of the centre on the international cultural stage," the letter notes. 

It requests a public commitment to reinstate permanent full-time positions in the visual arts residencies program and the Walter Phillips Gallery, and also calls for the establishment of an artist advisory group that includes BIPOC voices to guide hiring decisions and program directions.

Source: Open Letter to Banff Centre