Lawson Hunter
(photo by Matthew Plexman)
A citizens' group working to create a new national portrait museum is proposing a facility that is independent of federal control, says the Toronto Globe and Mail.
A recent report from the group suggests the gallery could be set up as a public-private partnership and run as a non-profit with an independent board like most museums outside Ottawa.
“We are being ambitious here,” said Ottawa lawyer Lawson Hunter, who leads the high-powered advocacy group. “We are basically saying to government, we don’t need you to create this institution, but we want your support.”
The report, prepared by museum consultants Lord Cultural Resources, says Ottawa is the right location for a portrait gallery, but it should act as a hub for programming across the county.
The report points to the long delay in establishing the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, a national museum in Winnipeg, and suggested it would be easier to raise private money if the gallery was not a federal institution reporting to government.
Source: Globe and Mail