New Chinese Canadian Museum Finds Home in Vancouver

Expand

The Wing Sang Building

at 51 East Pender St. in Vancouver, was built in 1889. It houses the Rennie Museum. (photo by Martin Tessler)

The historic building in Vancouver's Chinatown that now houses real estate marketer Bob Rennie's gallery will become the first permanent home for the Chinese Canadian Museum. 

The Wing Sang building, built in 1889, is Chinatown's oldest structure. Rennie bought the building, at 51 East Pender St., in 2004 and transformed it into his office and a gallery to highlight his art collection. 

The province is providing $27.5 million toward the cost of the building, built by Chinese immigrant Yip Sang for his import-export business.

“This has been a dream of the Chinese Canadian community for a very, very long time,” says Melanie Mark, British Columbia’s Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.

The province and the City of Vancouver announced in 2018 their joint commitment to establish the museum. The Chinese Canadian Museum Society was established two years later and began its search for a site. 

The building was bought by Rennie in 2004, renovated, and used both as his  office and as a gallery to show his contemporary art collection. The opening exhibition, in 2009, featured Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum. Other shows, often with a focus on social justice, have featured artists such as Rodney Graham, Kerry James Marshall, Yoko Ono and Ian Wallace.

“Our family’s duty to the Wing Sang has always been to be a good custodian,” says Rennie, who is making a $7.5 million  "leadership gift" to the museum. “We are honoured and excited to have Vancouver Chinatown’s oldest structure now celebrated as home to the Chinese Canadian Museum for all Canadians to experience this piece of history and the journey of Chinese Canadians.” 

The Rennie Museum will present two more exhibitions before it leaves the building at year's end.

"The Rennie Collection will always remain active, visible and will reposition with presence in the region while continuing with artist support and art loans to museums around the world," said a statement from Rennie.

Source: Rennie Museum, Globe and Mail