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The Town of Canmore and the Canadian Mountain Arts Foundation are pleased to announce that construction is about to start on Canmore's first community arts centre.
We’re ecstatic about the news,” says CMAF President Lynne MacLeod. “It’s a major, major milestone, and we’re inviting the whole community to celebrate with us at a ground-breaking party on January 9th. We’re promising cake, coffee and some creative fun, starting at 3 pm at the old library – which will soon be Canmore’s wonderful new arts centre. “
While 2014 was a roller coaster of a year for the artsPlace planners – unforeseen issues with the old library roof and a first round of over budget bids sent the team back to the drawing board twice – the final elements came together in a late December rush. As MacLeod notes, “In the span of two weeks, the Town approved our 2015 funding request; we were able to hire a talented new Executive Director, Jeremy Elbourne, who will work with a great staff to get artsPlace up and running; we finalized our building plans with the contractor; and we now have bids and a construction schedule that will see us in the new centre by late spring and ready for a mid-summer launch. It’s all systems go!”
Mayor John Borrowman, speaking as the member of Council appointed to the CMAF Board, says “the whole project, right from the start, has been a brilliant model of collaboration in planning a public facility with public involvement. Mountain Arts, members of the community, and the Town – both Council and staff – have done an amazing job at creating a town hub that is going to grow the arts, build our community and provide an opportunity to enrich all of our lives.”
Once complete, artsPlace will be a welcoming, user-friendly space where Bow Valley residents and visitors gather to discover, explore and celebrate the adventure of art. The artsPlace teaching studios, performance studio and gallery commons, managed by a knowledgeable staff, will provide a great venue for taking and teaching classes, for performing and watching others perform, for learning about the Valley arts scene, and for getting involved with the many Bow Valley activities that inspire and foster creativity.
Major funding for artsPlace has been provided by the Town of Canmore, Alberta Culture, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, The Calgary Foundation, Jeff Kovitz, and The Banff Community Foundation.
Report courtesy artsPlace Canmore.