Vancouver Art Gallery Schedules Ground Awakening for New Home

Expand

The Vancouver Art Gallery is planning a Sept. 15 ground-awakening ceremony on the site of its long-awaited future home.

Anthony Kiendl, the gallery's director, and David Calabrigo, chair of the gallery's board of trustees, announced the date to the media on Monday, but released no other details.

"Please join us in commemorating this extraordinary milestone as we embark on a new and exciting journey to redefine the role of the art museum in the 21st century," the announcement said.

Ground awakening ceremonies, which originated in Indigenous culture as a way to spiritually honour the land, have been held recently for other projects, including the First Peoples' Gathering House at Simon Fraser University.

The gallery has been fundraising for years for the project, budgeted at $400 million.

Last fall, the B.C. government doubled its commitment to $100 million, joining other contributors, including the City of Vancouver, which donated the $100-million downtown site. The gallery has raised more than $190 million in private donations, including $100 million from the Audain Foundation and $40 million from the Chan Foundation.

The new building offers more exhibition space, as well as a theatre, a library, restaurants and retail space. 

Source: Vancouver Art Gallery