(Alan Levine/Flickr)
The past few years have been rough for the Vancouver Art Gallery. If you cast your mind back to December of last year, it was announced that the long-awaited replacement gallery was scrapped, as the project went hundreds of millions over budget. The building itself was also the subject of controversy, as its appearance resembled a crude Minecraft house that your little brother would build. Then, in May of this year, the CEO of the gallery, Anthony Kiendl, left his position, and if that wasn’t enough, financial troubles led to the firing of 30 union workers in June.
So is this article in response to good news? Surprisingly, yes.
One of BC’s richest business people, Telus CEO Darren Entwistle, has donated 2.2 million dollars in art to the Gallery. The works in question come from celebrated Haida Artist Robert Davidson, who’s renowned for revitalizing the Coast Salish art style in the modern age. Funny enough, as I was writing this article, I remembered that I actually knew Mr. Davidson. My friend’s family are close friends of Robert’s, so he’d always be at birthday parties and special events. Tangent aside, this donation couldn’t come at a better time. Like many in Metro Vancouver, the Art Gallery holds a special place in my heart. It’s been a landmark of the elementary school field trip scene for decades; it’d be a shame if future generations weren’t able to walk its halls and admire the pieces on display.
But will this donation help the gallery stay afloat? Well, by itself, no. But in the past decade, there’s been a skyrocketing of interest in saving the gallery from locals. In 2019, Polygon Homes CEO Michael Audain announced that his foundation would invest $100 million to help build a new gallery, followed by $40 million from the wealthy Chan family, and $5 million from Aritizia CEO Brian Hill. There’s a desire to help the gallery get back on its feet. But donations alone can’t be responsible for keeping the lights on; that responsibility falls on the public.
The public desires art. We build elaborate sculptures, decorate blank walls with murals, and pursue degrees in a field that many consider “non-essential”. But life without art would be a nightmare: cold, sterile, and devoid of meaning. Places that foster creativity should be celebrated, not forgotten. If we looked up from our phones for just a few minutes, we’d notice the people who make our world brighter, like Robert Davidson and the hundreds of other artists the gallery showcases. This isn’t an advertisement. I’m not being paid to say any of this, but I believe in art. The Gallery needs us, but we also need it.
Written by Noah Schmidt
Contact: nschmidt20@my.bcit.ca