THE BLOCKBUSTER EFFECT - DESIGN DETAILS: THE PRAIRIE ART GALLERY

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Montrose Cultural Centre

Outside the new Montrose Cultural Centre in Grande Prairie, Alberta. PHOTO: Shai Gill.

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Prairie Art Gallery

Prairie Art Gallery in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

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Montrose Cultural Centre

Outside the new Montrose Cultural Centre in Grande Prairie, Alberta. PHOTO: Shai Gill.

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THE BLOCKBUSTER EFFECT - DESIGN DETAILS: THE PRAIRIE ART GALLERY

BY: Jill Sawyer

It’s difficult to tell whether Robert Steven is in an enviable position or not. He began his tenure as the executive director / curator of the Prairie Art Gallery in Grande Prairie, Alberta, in October of 2006. Five months later, in March, the roof of the historic gallery collapsed under a load of snow, making the space completely uninhabitable, its future up in the air. On the bad side, after rescuing all the art in the Gallery’s considerable collection, he and his team had to map out a strategy for rebuilding. On the good side, he was in a position to completely rethink the future of the Gallery, an opportunity that doesn’t come along often, even in the career of an ambitious, innovative director like Robert Steven.

Before the collapse the Gallery had already begun fundraising and planning for an addition to their historic building — the Montrose Cultural Centre, which they’d share with the Grande Prairie Public Library, and which would ultimately expand their available exhibition space. After the collapse, construction went ahead on the Montrose building, and the Cultural Centre opened last summer. Meanwhile, the fundraising and plans are in place to restore the historic gallery space, which is set to begin construction this spring for a planned opening date of in the fall of 2011.

For Steven, the whole timeline has provided an opportunity to put into practice some of the new accepted wisdom in museum design, starting with the Gallery’s partnership with the library — a co-location that benefits both organizations. Together they’ve created a mini cultural hub in this northern city.

In both the old and new gallery spaces, Steven wants visitors to be able to see behind the scenes — to experience how the art and artifacts are presented, from start to finish. Windows, open space, natural sunlight, providing background information in the gallery and online for everything they do — it’s all part of the master plan. “We’re trying to develop a theme of transparency,” he says. “It comes from the widespread availability of information now, and the fact that people are used to being able to see and experience everything, right away.”

It all ties in with a new emphasis on the visitor experience. “What’s definitely changed in the museum world is that we’re now thinking as much about the needs of the visitor, as we are about the needs of the collection.”