Six years ago, the Burnaby Art Gallery launched a new mission: to significantly enhance its collection of works created by women.
You’ll get to see the results of that effort in a new show at the gallery. Women’s Work: New Acquisitions opens Thursday, June 20 and runs from Friday, June 21 to Sunday, Aug. 25.
Back in 2013, was discovered that within the gallery’s collection of more than 5,000 works of art, only 22 per cent were created by women.
“Although a statistic such as this is common amongst collecting institutions, it was nevertheless identified as troubling,” says a write-up from the gallery.
The gallery has since been targeting its collections and worked to increase that number; today, in 2019, the number has risen to 25 per cent.
The new exhibition highlights some of those works, both historical and contemporary works, acquired by gift and by purchase. It represents works by artists such as Diyan Achjadi, Shuvinai Ashoona, Mary Cassatt, Kate Craig, Leonor Fini, Carole Itter, Gabrielle L’Hirondelle Hill, Agnes Martin and Tania Willard.
An opening reception is set for Thursday, June 20 at 7 p.m.
On Sunday, June 23 at 2 p.m., director-curator Ellen van Eijnsbergen will lead a tour of the exhibition.
The Burnaby Art Gallery is at 6344 Deer Lake Ave. It’s open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. (closed Mondays and statutory holidays).
Admission is by donation, with a suggested donation of $5.
See www.burnabyartgallery.ca or call 604-297-4422 for information.
