Public discussions were held at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery just
over two weeks ago to generate ideas related to the impending move of the gallery
to the waterfront. Although the meetings were slightly paternalistic in method
when guests had to play a bit of musical chairs and everyone was limited to
preset questions that each group received at their table, the process did save time
and got to the nitty-gritty, allowing everyone a voice which generated many
great ideas. Not one person at the discussions protested the idea of building a
new gallery at the waterfront. The attendees were mostly artists, representing
different fields. They spoke well for cultural diversity in the arts and the
city and were excited to contribute ideas as to how the gallery would benefit
the community and would continue to fulfill the gallery’s mandates.
A move to a new
space would be awesome, provided nature doesn’t blow down the new gallery,
flood it, sink it, crack it or snow it in. With a beautiful and multi-functional
architectural design the gallery could perform its basic functions while also hosting
a coffee shop, gift shop, bookshop, conservatory, workshop/utility space, and a
hall or ballroom. Potential combinations are exciting, could earn it some
money, and make the gallery a natural draw for walk-by traffic of both locals
and tourists.
The gallery’s
current location in the bush at the back end of a field of asphalt that is the
parking lot at Confederation College does nothing for it. Try giving directions
to a tourist who asks for its location. Can you name the streets to its
location? Not even the majority of college students know there’s a top-notch
gallery in their back yard. Taking the bus there is a royal pain.
With the largest
permanent collection of art in the region, the only national exhibition space
between Sault St. Marie and Winnipeg, the space is the most accommodating in
the city with three large showrooms. With a mandate to showcase and collect
aboriginal art, the gallery has nearly 25 exhibitions a year, featuring local
artists and artists of national significance in travelling exhibitions, with
themes and art selected by professional curators. However, the storage space
and demands for bigger shows require more of both.
As Heidi Uhlig,
the board president of the gallery states, “We’ve outgrown the building. We’re
essentially bursting at the seems and the feasibility study confirmed that.”
The gallery is currently using all of its 18,000 square feet and the 2010 study
found that the gallery needs to be at least twice its current size in order to
expand its collection, exhibition space, administration space, and more. As
Heidi states, “We don’t have enough space for hosting community events.”
The gallery is
putting out a request for qualifications for architects, looking for an
architect who has some experience designing a museum or an art gallery. The
board is looking for a design that is unique, iconic, sits well with the
waterfront, allows for the functioning of the mandates as a center for
aboriginal and regional art with the ability to host international shows and which
reflects the topography and geography of the area. The gallery could double as
a potential community space of high caliber and be a major attraction.
This is a tall
order, which leads to part two of this article in two week’s time.
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