Canada’s heritage minister touts arts relief at Art Gallery of Hamilton
The people who gathered at the Art Gallery of Hamilton to meet Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault on Tuesday represent one of the hardest stories of the pandemic, from a sector-survival standpoint - the arts.
They came from a wide field of arts organizations - Art Gallery of Hamilton, Theatre Aquarius, Brott Music Festival, Sonic Unyon, Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, Workers Arts and Heritage Association, to name a few - to contribute to a roundtable discussion with Guilbeault.
All of them have experienced and/or are experiencing closures, cancellations, lack of exposure, dark houses, unemployment. Silence, performance idles, shuttered spaces - these are lethal for the arts over the long haul or would be. One of the shining lights through the dismal tunnel, according to many there, has been ... the Department of Canadian Heritage, with its emergency and ongoing funding.
Many organizations, such as the Hamilton Arts Council, had not been used to getting support from Canadian Heritage, which is sometimes thought of as being more about museums, but not any more.
Shelley Falconer, executive director of the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH), which hosted Guilbeault's visit to the city, extolled the department for its commitment and its listening ear accorded to the gallery and others in the arts over these difficult times.
To cite one example, the AGH, which only just opened its doors again on July 22, has recently received not only $212,000 in a museums assistance program, the gallery also received support for its upcoming exhibition, Tom Thomson? The Art of Authentication," but also $112,875 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study for a significant renovation and expansion of its facilities.
The global pandemic has had a devastating impact on arts and culture organizations, which is why the ongoing support provided by the federal government has been so critical to our ongoing sustainability," said Falconer.
The Canadian Heritage grant toward the expansion and renovation of the gallery is vital to the AGH's future, she noted. The gallery needs to get its sterling permanent collection out and showing more, and this will require more space and environmental controls. Canadian Heritage, she said, got fully behind this effort.
The collection is amazing," said Guilbeault, after being toured through the AGH's vaults, which hold one of the country's largest art collections. He also got treated to a mini demonstration by AGH senior curator Tobi Bruce of how experts distinguish between authentic art and forgeries.
It was a pleasure to visit and meet with its leadership team. I am proud that the Government of Canada is a longtime supporter of this gallery, especially after seeing how its impressive collections are preserved and showcased for city residents and visitors."
People at the private roundtable really spoke up, said Falconer, and Guilbeault agreed. They talked about what last year was like, what the government did and what is still needed," said Falconer. He was lovely. He was listening. He said it is more expensive to be withholding and let everything collapse and have to rebuild. We have to spend our way out of this crisis."
Said Guilbeault, An artist came up to me and said he is performing for the first time in a year and how grateful he is to be doing his art again."
He said that Canadian Heritage has long supported cultural organizations in Canada, including the arts, but Canadian Heritage has supported so many that it hadn't in the past.
There was a lot of gratitude expressed at the roundtable, said Falconer, but also a great emphasis on the dangers of failing those on the margins. The roundtable made it clear who are the haves and who are the have-nots."
Some goals that came out of the round-table discussion included: Fostering sustainability of arts and culture as a kind of ecosystem; increase demand for Canadian arts and cultural products; increasing the number of individuals from under-represented and equity-seeking groups who can earn a living at art and culture; reducing the environmental footprint of arts, culture, heritage and sports sectors.
Jeff Mahoney is a Hamilton-based reporter and columnist covering culture and lifestyle stories, commentary and humour for The Spectator. Reach him via email: jmahoney@thespec.com