The year may be coming to a close, but the calendar flip won’t stop a group of artists pushing for a new art gallery in Burnaby.
The Burnaby Arts Council had recently renewed a call for a new art gallery and is expecting to make a formal request to city council in the new year asking for a proper study on the issue.
“We believe it’s time for the city to take a step as it would for any public facility,” said David Handelman, a member of the arts council. “This is something that many, many people in the city have come forward and said it’s time to take the next steps.”
While the issue of a new gallery has been around for decades, it was recently reignited by the arts council.
The group held a public forum in early November to gauge support for a new gallery that drew a full house.
Handelman said the organization is taking the turnout and feedback as a sign the community is also wanting to see a new gallery.
Following the forum, members of the council met with city staff and were given the direction to make a formal request to council to study the idea.
The arts group expects to be gathering information for the request over the next couple months, with a presentation to council in February.
The arts council is also hoping to capitalize on the momentum from the successful forum.
Handelman said he’s cautiously optimistic the politicians will support the request but also suggested there are other issues and groups trying to get city council’s attention.
“I’m optimistic, it seems to me the public support was there,” he said, but added he’s not sure what will happen to the idea if council doesn’t support the proposal.
The arts council has made a number of arguments for a new art gallery, among them the fact that the current gallery, located in Ceperley House at Deer Lake, is only 1,700 square feet and can’t hold the city’s vast art collection of more than 5,000 pieces.
The issue of a new gallery has been going on since the early 1970s, when a new art gallery was a priority and plans were made up.
In 1987, a proposed art gallery and performing arts theatre in civic square were part of the original plans beside the Bob Prittie library. Then in 1998, there was another plan for an art gallery expansion, and a feasibility study was completed, along with public support.
