The Red Deer museum is taking the first step towards creating a public art gallery for Central Alberta.
The museum’s executive-director Lorna Johnson was given a directive by her board this month: Establish the groundwork for a new art gallery for the Red Deer region that would exist apart from the museum.
Why a public art gallery? “The stats tell us there’s a real public appetite for art” as more people have been attending museum art shows than historic displays, said Johnson.
Why should the gallery be separate from the museum?
Johnson believes Red Deer is at the point in its cultural development that it needs a dedicated space for showing the work of the many talented Central Alberta artists.
This would also free up room in the existing museum for showing pieces from its collection of 100,000 artifacts.
Although Central Alberta’s slow economy has been tough on commercial galleries, sizable crowds have been gathering at the Red Deer museum to view art – not only a recent Group of Seven show, but also the works of the late local printmaker James Agrell Smith and other artists from the region, including Red Deer College instructors and students.
“Some of our best attended shows have been art exhibits,” said Johnson, who credits Central Alberta’s strong artistic community – including fine-craft makers, whose “works are not represented anywhere.”
Realistically, she knows it won’t be easy to fundraise for a gallery building until Central Alberta’s economy picks up.
But she believes the journey to a public art gallery has to start sometime. And she believes “Red Deer is ready,” so the time should be now.
A lot of things can be done before a gallery is built or found to bring more public art into the community, said Johnson.
Over the next few years, she suggested pop-up galleries be set up in vacant downtown and mall spaces. There could be exhibition collaborations with local schools and businesses. And Johnson noted the new Culture Service building at the former Central Elementary school could have some free space for art shows.
In the meantime, Red Deer museum plans to hire a part-time curator in June. Staff also plan to start amassing a larger collection of art by Central Albertans, including First Nations communities.
Johnson said word will be go out among artists and collectors the museum is interested in growing its art and fine craft collection from the current 800 pieces.
Funds can raised for an art collection budget, and Johnson hopes to get bequests and donations.
She noted that Saskatoon and Barrie, Ont., started out with small exhibit spaces, but eventually created public art galleries that have become creative community hubs.
“This city is growing up, culturally,” said Johnson, who believes the Red Deer area has “a strong community of working artists, and a lot of younger people who are interested in art.”
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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