A 麻豆传媒映画family whose fortunes were made in real estate development and investments has contributed the largest-ever single private donation to an arts and culture organization in B.C. in donating $40 million to help build a new $350-million 麻豆传媒映画Art Gallery.
Chan family was at a news conference Wednesday with Mayor Kennedy Stewart to announce his family was donating $40 million to help build a new $350-million 麻豆传媒映画Art Gallery. Photo Dan Toulgoet
The Chan family, whose name graces the building that houses the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of B.C., was represented by 36-year-old Christian Chan at a news conference Wednesday to announce the donation.
鈥淢y mother started bringing me to the 麻豆传媒映画Art Gallery from a very young age, and it was formative for me鈥攖he inspiration, the programming, the perspective that it gives you is undeniable,鈥� Chan told the Courier after the news conference at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something that everyone should enjoy and people should have a purpose-built venue to do so.鈥�
In his speech to an audience that included family members and friends, along with fellow donors, artists and politicians, Chan emphasized the importance of the arts in a world 鈥渢hat seems increasingly divided.鈥�
鈥淭he need for healthy social dialogue, broader cultural understanding and enlightened critical thinking is as crucial now as it has ever been,鈥� said Chan, the executive vice-president of the Burrard Group, who received a standing ovation before he spoke. 鈥淭he importance of opportunities to unite with each other and celebrate diversity is paramount. The arts have this power.鈥�
Chan was born in San Francisco and came with his family to 麻豆传媒映画in 1987 when he was five years old. His mother鈥檚 side of the family is from California and his father鈥檚 from Hong Kong. Chan said the family has charitable entities around the world, noting some of the trustees live in Hong Kong and other cities.
鈥淭heir approval and belief in this project was absolutely integral to us being able to make this commitment,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut first and foremost, we absolutely consider ourselves proud Vancouverites and Canadians.鈥�
The $40 million donation increases the gallery鈥檚 portion of the money for the project to $135 million. The estimated cost of the new gallery, which is to be built on a city property known as Larwill Park adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, is $350 million.
The gallery鈥檚 funding model requires $150 million to be raised privately while $100 million each is expected from the provincial and federal governments, which have signaled interest in helping fund the new gallery.
B.C.鈥檚 Tourism Minister Lisa Beare attended the news conference but made no promises about contributing another $50 million on top of a previous $50 million delivered by government a decade ago.
鈥淎s we鈥檝e indicated before, once the art gallery made progress on their private donation funding, we would take a look at their renewed application, so we鈥檙e very happy to do that,鈥� Beare told reporters. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 the day to celebrate the Chan family donation.鈥�
Hedy Fry, the Liberal MP for Vancouver-Centre, also attended the news conference, where Mayor Kennedy Stewart noted in his remarks that he would be in Ottawa next week to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The new 麻豆传媒映画Art Gallery will be built on city property adjacent to Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Image courtesy Herzog & de Meuron
The former Burnaby MP said that he and Fry could 鈥渨ander around the halls and see if we can kick up some more interest鈥攊n an election year鈥攐f getting some money for this.鈥�
Fry told the Courier she will continue to lobby her government about the need for federal funding to build the new gallery. Fry said Trudeau is well aware of the project.
鈥淥ne of the things that the federal government is very careful not to do is step with infrastructure money on the toes of the provincial government,鈥� Fry said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e always said that if we鈥檙e giving infrastructure money, the province has to say, 鈥榯his is a priority for us.鈥欌��
Kathleen Bartels, the gallery鈥檚 director, said she was confident funding will come this year from the provincial and federal governments.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e been very encouraging and very supportive,鈥� said Bartels, who is optimistic the project could break ground by the end of the year. 鈥淚 would really hope so. It just really depends when we get those confirmations from government.鈥�
Bartels said the Chan family鈥檚 donation will likely inspire more private donors to contribute to the project. A number of other donors were announced at the news conference, including David Aisenstat, The Diamond Foundation, Brian Hill and Andrea Thomas Hill and Phil Lind, who all committed to $5 million each.
鈥淲e鈥檝e really been working behind the scenes quietly and this is really a public moment for us,鈥� she said of the Chan family鈥檚 donation. 鈥淪o I think there鈥檚 been many people waiting to see what鈥檚 going to happen and this is a big moment to push that forward and continue that momentum.鈥�
Christine Binswanger of Swiss-based architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron was at the news conference and revealed the final design of the gallery, which now includes a 鈥済lass skin鈥� on the outside of the 300,000 sq. foot building that will predominantly be made of wood but include concrete and steel.
The new 麻豆传媒映画Art Gallery will be built on city property adjacent to Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Image courtesy Herzog & de Meuron
Binswanger described the building as 鈥渁lmost like a vertical city,鈥� featuring galleries, classrooms, a 350-seat theatre, library, a caf茅 and restaurant. Some observers have compared the building鈥檚 stacked-box design to an inukshuk.
Bartels has argued the current gallery at Robson Square has outgrown its space and has no room for school programs. Realtor Bob Rennie, who owns a private gallery in Chinatown and is involved with international arts organizations, and David Baxter of Urban Futures Institute, have said the better move would be to build a number of smaller, cheaper specialized galleries across the city.
