An unprecedented wave of gallery closures – most recently the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of Alberta and the Remai Modern in Saskatoon – continues to sweep across Western Canada amid fears over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Suddenly, the art world is a much quieter place: Exhibitions have been shuttered. Public talks, workshops and other events have been cancelled. Several major fundraisers have been postponed.
Galleries West will maintain coverage during the crisis with updates on how artists and galleries are coping with the pandemic, along with occasional stories on other topics. While most of our stories typically involve reports on exhibitions that readers can visit, we will broaden our approach and get creative with the way we tell stories about the visual arts in Western Canada. Health and safety is paramount, so we will look at ways to give you an art fix while staying safe and protecting others.
Some galleries have been promising an increased social media presence and new features on their websites, even live-streaming of virtual openings, since the wave of gallery closures began late last week.
"Our staff will be working to provide some great content on our website and communications channels, including art activities to do at home with your family, links to virtual museum tours, as well as other great arts and education content to keep you entertained during this difficult time," the Art Gallery of Alberta said Tuesday in a statement announcing its closure.
Western Canada's largest gallery, the Vancouver Art Gallery, closed Monday saying it was upholding "our responsibility to help slow the spread and impact of COVID-19 across our communities." The closure affects all exhibitions, programs and events as well as rentals, the bistro and the gallery shop. Also postponed is a fundraising gala scheduled for May 30.
The Remai Modern closure, effective Tuesday, includes all events and programs at the museum. A show by Toronto artist Bridget Moser had been scheduled to open this week.
Most closures have been open ended, but some galleries indicated they would evaluate things again in two weeks. The situation has been developing quickly. As recently as Friday, a number of galleries that are now closed had indicated they would stay open.
Worrying news about the growing number of infections, as well as increasingly serious measures to prevent people gathering in large groups, have underlined the seriousness of the threat. People are being urged to stay home as much as possible to help tamp down the expected exponential spread of the illness in hopes that Canada's medical system will not be overwhelmed.
"We will reopen and resume public events as soon as it is safe to do so," the Remai said in a statement. "In the meantime, we ask for your patience as we assess the evolving situation and react accordingly."
Temporary closures announced this week also include the Audain Art Museum in Whistler, B.C., the Polygon Gallery and the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver, the Art Gallery of Regina, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, and the Kelowna Art Gallery and the Kamloops Art Gallery in the B.C. Interior.
The closures follow similar moves late last week by three major Calgary galleries – the Glenbow, the Esker and Contemporary Calgary – as well as the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina.
Elsewhere in Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts are closed. The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, along with all other national museums, including the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, shut down over the weekend.
Meanwhile, some commercial galleries are temporarily closed or open by appointment only.
Masters Gallery in Calgary, for instance, cited the need to take precautions for the health and safety of clients, employees and visitors. "Masters Gallery will be offering its services by appointment only and kindly ask that all inquiries be directed to email, phone and online contacts."
Other commercial galleries open by appointment only included the Peter Robertson Gallery in Edmonton, the Darrell Bell Gallery in Saskatoon, VivianeArt and the Christine Klassen Gallery in Calgary, the Edge Gallery in Calgary and Canmore, and the Avens Gallery in Canmore, Alta.
Other galleries, like Catriona Jeffries and Equinox in Vancouver, the TrépanierBaer Gallery in Calgary and the West End Gallery in Edmonton and Victoria appear to have closed entirely. The Webster Gallery in Calgary was planning reduced public hours Thursday through Saturday.
Some galleries issued thoughtful calls suggesting the crisis serve as a reminder about the need for collective action and social justice.
"The urgency of this threat, and the collective and necessary withdrawal from social life, offers pause to recognize our shared humanity," SFU Galleries said Tuesday in announcing its closure.
"We also recognize that crisis of this sort amplifies injustice. Now is a time to reposition ourselves, both physically and ethically, in consideration of those most vulnerable: our elderly, those who suffer chronic illness, the undocumented, homeless and incarcerated, as well as those whose labour is essential in this crisis, be they janitors, cashiers or nurses."
Capture, a major month-long photography festival in Vancouver that was scheduled to open April 2, said it is "reconceptualizing" its programming. The festival, which features shows in a variety of venues from galleries to coffee shops, said live events like workshops and talks will be cancelled but work is underway on digital content to access online.
In Edmonton, the new Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre, which supports Indigenous contemporary art, is postponing the opening reception for its inaugural exhibition, amiskwacîwâskahikan. It had been planned for March 28.
The list of closures includes:
- Winnipeg's Gallery 1C03, the Platform Centre, Urban Shaman, aceartinc., Plug In ICA and the Centre culturel franco-Manitobain, as well as the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba in Brandon;
- The Dunlop Art Gallery and Neutral Ground in Regina, and the University Galleries in Saskatoon;
- Calgary's Nickle Galleries, the New Gallery, Truck and the Untitled Art Society, as well as the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie and the Red Deer Art Gallery and Museum;
- The Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery at UBC, the Seymour Art Gallery in North Vancouver, the Western Front in Vancouver, the Burnaby Art Gallery, the Surrey Art Gallery, the Libby Leshgold Gallery at Emily Carr University in Vancouver, and Open Space and the Legacy Art Gallery in Victoria. ■
Looking for reliable up-to-date health information on COVID-19? Here are some links to government sources: Canada Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta British Columbia Yukon Northwest Territories Nunavut
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