No guarantee made for new gallery

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: February 23, 2010 7:00 PM

No firm commitment for a new public art gallery is being made by Vernon’s elected officials. Part of city council recently met with the Vernon Public Art Gallery board to discuss the organization’s ongoing request for an expanded facility. “They gave us their vision on where they want to head and to see where we’re at,” said Mayor Wayne Lippert. “We will continue to work with that group but we asked them to get the community behind them.” The gallery occupies 6,200-square-feet in the parkade, where it has been located for 14 years. But gallery officials have indicated that a 16,000-square-foot building is required. Many federal policies demand 16-foot-high ceilings and climate control for large travelling exhibits. The need for a large space has also been promoted because the gallery will host the Okanagan Print Triennial in 2015. A similar event in Trois Rivieres, Que. attracted 10,000 people and 350 pieces of art, and gallery officials state the Vernon facility doesn’t have such a capacity.

Coun. Jack Gilroy says he fully supports the gallery, but he isn’t willing to guarantee a new building at this time, partly because of the costs involved. “The city will work with them to find a site,” he said. “They need a different area but it will have to be driven by the gallery and not the city. They have to get out there and sell it to the public.” Gilroy also believes the North Okanagan Regional District must be involved in the process because it is responsible for cultural amenities in Greater Vernon.