A Wing, a Prayer–
and a Building
T h e M a t r i x
A collection of new art and museum spaces promises to inject a bit more
culture into B.C. Some of them might even get built
by Trevor Melanson
B
ritish Columbia isn't exactly famous for its arts and culture scene, but a spate of new
museum and gallery spaces promises to up the game for the culturati. In Vancouver
and Victoria, a handful of big projects are underway to either reinvent or launch
entirely new museums and galleries—two of them funded by the same man. And
then there's the Vancouver Art Gallery…
(AudAin Art MuSeuM rendering, 2013) iMAge CourteSy of PAtkAu ArChiteCtS SePteMBer 2015 BCBusiness 21
$60 million
Annual amount the province
spends on arts and culture
$1.47 million
Amount that went toward
museums in 2015
$500 million
Amount the province claims
to have spent since 2001
$24 million
Annual budget of the provin-
cially funded BC Arts Council
SourCe: governMent of B.C.
WHAT IS IT? BUILDING
WHO IS
PAYING?
WHEN WILL
IT OPEN?
A 56,000-sq.-ft. museum in
Whistler that will house part of
builder Michael Audain's extensive
art collection. B.C. artists such as
emily Carr, edward J. hughes and
photographer Jeff Wall (who has
the opening exhibit) will feature
prominently.
north vancouver's Presentation
house gallery, established in
1976, will move into a new space
and rebrand itself as the Polygon
gallery. the 19,000-sq.-ft. building
at Lonsdale Quay will be twice as
large as the current location.
the plan was for a new inner
harbour location for victoria's
60-year-old maritime museum.
government-owned 28 Bastion
Square, its current locale, requires
repairs, starting in September. But
there's just one problem…
the vancouver Art gallery (
vAg)
wants to build a $350-million
campus next to BC Place, designed
by famous Swiss architectural firm
Herzog & de Meuron.
to lease the land, the
City of vancouver set
a deadline: raise $150
million by April 2015.
Audain, to the tune
of $30 million.
Cost: $15-million.
Michael Audain has
given $4 million, other
private donors, $2.5
million, and the City
of north vancouver
and the provincial and
federal governments,
$7.5 million combined.
the museum would
need $2 million from
the province over 10
years to help pay for
renovations ($1 million)
and higher rent. the
province doesn't want
to pay.
vAg missed the April
deadline. the B.C. gov-
ernment has promised
$50 million, but the
feds aren't biting. Just
$300 million to go.
AudAin Art MuseuM
Polygon gAllery
VAnCouVer Art gAllery
MAritiMe MuseuM
of BritisH ColuMBiA
JANUARY
2016
FALL 2017
UNkNOWN
the museum told
BCBusiness nego-
tiations have reached
an "impasse" with its
hoped-for waterfront
home. it's on the hunt
for alternatives.
UNkNOWN
What the B.C. government
spends on the arts
Audain, to the tune
of $30 million.
$15-million
2016
S
by famous Swiss architectural firm
Herzog & de Meuron.
ase the land, the
couver set
a deadline: raise $150
million by April 2015.
$300 million to go.
