Art gallery fundraising plan getting solid support

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – An ambitious plan to move the Vancouver Art Gallery is drawing support from a regular critic of the city’s ruling party.

NPA councillor George Affleck is on-board with the idea.

He says the VAG has a huge financial challenge ahead, but he has faith in the plan and likes the payoff.

“In any great city in the world, we need iconic buildings, we need iconic art galleries. This is an opportunity for us to build what I think will become a centrepiece in our city, so I absolutely support that idea,” Affleck says.

Affleck is confident the gallery can achieve its ambitious fundraising targets. “I have the utmost faith in the art gallery team to bring together the financial backers that I think is necessary. I think they have done a great job over the last few years. They have proven they can do it, and I am confident they can do it moving forward.”

The fundraising plan will be setting some precedents for the province.

Rose Terzariol with the fundraising group KCI Ketchum Canada agrees it’s an ambitious goal. “It’s a big campaign, the largest arts and culture campaign we’ve seen in BC. There have been very few campaigns in our neighbourhood, in the BC area, that have been over a hundred million dollars.”

She says it’s a smart move to reach out across the country for donations. “Art lovers aren’t bound by geography. So if people believe in the arts and believe in visual arts, then if they are living in Toronto and want to give to Vancouver, I don’t see that as a hinderance.”

Mayor Gregor Robertson has thrown his support behind the plan, which will require a massive fundraising campaign by the art gallery, with support needed from the provincial and federal governments as well as the private sector.

The city is recommending the gallery be moved to an empty parking lot across from the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

The Vancouver Art Gallery needs to raise $300 million to turn the idea into a reality.