COURTENAY, British Columbia, March 29, 2010 - On behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, John Duncan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Member of Parliament (Vancouver Island North), today announced funding for the Comox Valley Art Gallery.
This funding will allow the Gallery to purchase professional-quality compact racks for the storage of more than 100 pieces of two-dimensional art work. This will provide the Gallery with preventative conservation storage for its permanent collection and will increase access to the collection by organizing the pieces in a more efficient fashion. By increasing accessibility, the new storage system will increase the capacity for research, heritage programming, and exhibitions.
"Our Government is proud to provide funding that improves access to the arts," said Minister Moore. "By helping our galleries preserve their collections, we are ensuring that Canadians can continue to enjoy exemplary cultural experiences in their communities."
"This is a great investment in our community and our local artists," said Mr. Duncan. "It will help make art more accessible and preserve the work of local artists for future generations to enjoy."
"We are grateful for the Government of Canada's support of our gallery's upgrades," said Anh Le, Director and Curator of the Comox Valley Art Gallery. "These upgrades will ensure better access to our collections by properly preserving, maintaining, and protecting our precious works of art."
The Comox Valley Art Gallery was established in 1974 by a group of artists as a non-profit society. It provides a venue for contemporary art and craft work in a public gallery setting. It also raises awareness of local, national, and international fine art within the community. The Gallery plays an educational role by offering outreach programs through partnerships with other local arts organizations, school districts, and North Island College.
The Government of Canada has provided funding of $7,110 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and arts presentation or exhibition. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing, visual, and media arts, and to museum collections and heritage displays.
The Government of Canada is investing $540 million in the arts and culture sector to stimulate the economy as part of Canada's Economic Action Plan. It also recently renewed funding for federal arts programs totalling $1.51 billion over the next five years.
For more information (media only), please contact:
Matthew Deacon
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of
Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages
819-997-7788
matthew.deacon@pch.gc.ca
Perry Boldt
A/Regional Manager
Communications
Western Region
Canadian Heritage
604-666-5739
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca
TTY: 1-888-997-3123
