Architectural change is on the horizon for two Vancouver art galleries.
This coming December, the Bill Reid Gallery on Hornby Street will undergo renovations to create new exhibition and programming space. The updates will include a new 640-square-foot exhibition space, and a 650-square-foot programming space.
Alexandra Montgomery, director and CEO of the gallery, said the new space will provide a platform for emerging Indigenous artists and contribute to the museum’s work on reconciliation.
The new space “will offer Northwest Coast First Nations artists greater opportunities to have their works displayed while allowing the gallery to expand our work with emerging artists and curators,” she said.
The increased multi-purpose space also means the gallery will expand its student and visitor programs, she added, allowing the public to engage further in conversations around reconciliation.
And, while they wait for the Bill Reid Gallery renovations to be completed in June next year, Vancouver art lovers will soon be able to hop on the SeaBus to take in the region’s newest gallery.
Located on the North Vancouver waterfront beside Lonsdale Quay Market, the Polygon Gallery is a 25,000-square-foot, purpose-built cultural facility that will be accessible to the public by donation. Designed by Parkau Architects and created to house the former Presentation House Gallery, it claims to be the largest independent photography gallery in Western Canada.
As part of the grand opening on Nov. 18, curators are mounting a new exhibit, N. Vancouver, paying homage to the facility’s roots.
-The Polygon Gallery (101 Carrie Cates Ct., North Vancouver) opens with the N.Vancouver exhibit. The show runs Nov. 18. - Feb. 18, 2018. Admission by donation.
-The Bill Reid Gallery (639 Hornby St.) will host its formal opening gala on June 14, 2018. Check their website for ticket information closer to the date.
