GVAC To Look Into Multiple Votes

Written by Peter McIntyre  107.5 KISSFM  Thursday, 08 November 2012 16:11 

Pictured: Design of new Vernon Public Art Gallery

  It's too soon to say if arts and culture complexes could be part of a Greater Vernon referendum next spring.  The Vernon Public Art Gallery is looking for a new 7 million dollar facility on 31st Ave next to Cenotaph Park on city owned land, while the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives wants a new venue that could cost ten million dollars. Both groups have asked the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee to be included in next April's referendum that already includes the 8.5 million dollar Okanagan College sports venue, a track and field facility.  The Art Gallery's executive director Dauna Kennedy Grant says they're a bit further along than the museum, as far as planning. "We have a current piece of property that's been identified, the museum doesn't yet, but what the museum did say, is they are open to a phased project which is what we've been saying all along."  Ian Hawes, chair of the museum board, says their building is 45 years old and too small. "We have all these fascinating stories about the community and they're in storage. Simply put, the museum has outgrown its space." They are looking for a 23,000 square foot facility. They currently have 13,000 and Hawes says a retrofit of their building is not feasible. "In some ways, that would be like putting lipstick on a pig," he told the committee. Tom Christensen, the former MLA who is on the art gallery's steering committee , says the city owned Vernon Flower Shop site downtown is not possible for both groups. "It would have to be seven stories tall." Christensen says the current gallery attracts 7,000 visitors a year but needs a larger venue to host national and international events. "Cultural facilities tend to be hidden economic engines for communities," he says GVAC chair Mike Macnabb says with a potential 25 million dollars sought from taxpayers in the three projects, a combined gallery-museum may be more favourable. "Personally I would like to see more of a working relationship between the two boards to see if they can come up with a common goal." GVAC directors passed a motion to get a staff report on the potential costs and time lines for adding the gallery and museum to the referendum, for its next meeting in December. Director Gyula Kiss did not want to include the museum in the motion, feeling they are not ready to go to referendum, but when it came time for the vote, he voted in favour of the motion. "The larger the building cost, the less likely it will pass," said Kiss.