Vancouver Art Gallery Receives $100M Donation for New Gallery

The following is excerpted from a communication issued by the Vancouver Art Gallery.

An artist's rendering of the new building. | Image: Vancouver Art Gallery.

On November 4, the Vancouver Art Gallery announced it would be the recipient of a $100 million transformational gift from the Audain Foundation, to support the creation of a new building in downtown Vancouver. This is the largest single cash gift to an art gallery in Canadian history.

The building is being designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron together with Vancouver architects Perkins & Will, in consultation with Coast Salish artists. This consultation is reflected in the building's design and its use of sustainable practices. The new Gallery will be the first Passive House art gallery in North America, a voluntary standard for energy efficiency which significantly reduces the building's ecological footprint.

"The new Vancouver Art Gallery – from its conception and design – will reflect a Coast Salish world view," says Vancouver Art Gallery Elder-in-residence and art and design consultant Skwetsimeltxw Willard 'Buddy' Joseph. The façade design was developed during a series of collaborative workshops between the architectural team, the Gallery, and the artists representing the three host Nations. Local Indigenous artists Debra Sparrow, Chepximiya Siyam' Janice George, Skwetsimeltxw Willard 'Buddy' Joseph, and Angela George have been engaged as art and design consultants on the project since March 2021. "The rich exterior expression is much more than a design; it represents spiritual energy and protection," says Joseph.

"We are very grateful for this gift from the Audain Foundation which brings us significantly closer to reaching our goal," says Anthony Kiendl, CEO and Director of the Vancouver Art Gallery. "Our objective is to raise an additional $160 million from the private and public sectors — and we hope this historic donation will encourage others in our community and across the country to support our vision.”

The Audain Foundation gift follows a visionary gift of $40 million by the Chan Family Foundation to establish the Chan Centre for the Visual Arts, and an initial investment of $50 million by the Province of British Columbia. The City of Vancouver's pledge to designate a city-owned site is valued at over $100 million. In addition, $50 million has been pledged to date by individual donors and foundations.

The Vancouver Art Gallery at the Chan Centre for the Visual Arts will be located between Cambie and Beatty streets, with a front entrance on Georgia Street, in downtown Vancouver. It will include over 80,000 square feet of exhibition space, more than double the existing space. In addition, there will be visible art storage, a theatre, library and research centre, artist studios, accommodation for visiting artists, and a visual arts preschool and daycare, situated around a 40,000 square foot courtyard. The building will also house the Institute of Asian Art, a new Centre for Art and Communication, and a multi-purpose Indigenous Community House.