SFU to Establish New Arts Facility

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Rendering (design not final) - Concept by Perkins + Will

Simon Fraser University has received a gift from the Marianne and Edward Gibson Trust and family to establish the SFU Art Museum, a 12,000-square-foot arts and cultural facility, at its Burnaby campus.

It will be a teaching museum, creating interdisciplinary learning and research opportunities for  students, as well as offering exhibitions, community outreach and partnerships.

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Edward Gibson (standing)

The late Edward Gibson joined the university as a charter faculty member in 1965 and was director of the SFU Gallery from 1986 until his retirement in 1997. He authored a report that advocated developing an art museum, which planted the seed for his legacy today.

“Edward had a great passion in his teaching, research and life for a sense of place intersected with design and style,” says Walter Gibson, the son of Marianne and Edward Gibson. “The art museum represents the culmination of his vision for arts both at SFU and within the Canadian landscape.”

The museum is slated for completion by 2022. 

The SFU Art Collection includes more than 5,500 works of art. Approximately 1,000 pieces are displayed year-round on SFU campuses. During Gibson’s tenure, the collection’s value rose from $387,000 to $2.5 million.

Source: Simon Fraser University