Multi-million-dollar donation to Cowichan Public Art Gallery

Dr. Fred and Ann Wurlitzer have donated their multi-million-dollar Canadian art collection to the Cowichan Public Art Gallery, the gallery team has announced.

“This magnificent gift has an appraised value of millions of dollars and will undoubtedly shape the future of the cultural and economic landscape of Cowichan Valley,” according to a press release from the gallery.

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Dr. Fred and Ann Wurlitzer

(photo courtesy of the Cowichan Public Art Gallery)

The Wurlitzer Collection includes 32 paintings by the Group of Seven, valued at $3 million, and works by such prominent artists as Jean Paul Riopelle. The gallery, located in Duncan, B.C., termed the art donation one of the biggest ever in Western Canada.

“The donation and the new gallery will change the economics of the Cowichan Valley by bringing cultural tourism in a major way,” said Jock Hildebrand, president of the Cowichan Public Art Gallery. “This collection of master Canadian works will draw national and international visitors, making it a major economic engine for the valley.”

The Wurlitzer Collection donation is set to be rolled out over a five-year period, contingent upon meeting specific milestones, including commencement of the construction of a new $35 million extension to the present gallery. This expansion project will create a home for the Wurlitzer Collection in Duncan on a vacant lot adjacent to the current gallery.

Source: Cowichan Public Art Gallery

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