Facility planning impacting gallery activities

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: December 23, 2012 1:00 AM
Planning for a new home apparently has financial implications for the Vernon Public Art Gallery. VPAG asked for a 2013 operating grant of $200,000 from the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee. But it will get $177,625, a 1.5 per cent hike over 2012. “Our request was based on a long-term plan and working towards a new facility,” said Dauna Kennedy Grant, executive director. “We are putting a lot of resources towards the facility and to go out and do fundraising, there aren’t the resources.” Mike Macnabb, GVAC chairperson, defends the 2013 operating grant for the gallery. “The budget gives the capacity they currently have,” he said. GVAC also wants any third-party grants received by VPAG returned to taxpayers, which will reduce the $177,625 commitment. Kennedy Grant continues to push GVAC to make a decision on when there may be a referendum on a new gallery. “We are really stretched and we need to know how long we will be stretched before we are on the radar,” she said. GVAC will consider a site identified by the City of Vernon for an art gallery. A plan will then be developed towards addressing the future of the art gallery once Greater Vernon has a new cultural service. GVAC’s draft budget provides $173,600 in operating funds to the Greater Vernon Museum, a 1.5 per cent increase. The museum requested $189,214. Grants for two outside agencies will remain the same as last year — $32,500 for the Okanagan Science Centre and $15,000 for Gallery Vertigo.