The Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery is pleased to announce the completion of a series of facility upgrades made possible by the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program (CIP150).
Delivered in Atlantic Canada through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the program supports the rehabilitation or improvement of existing community infrastructure assets, including expansions.
The Mount Art Gallery was awarded up to $38,900 (50% of estimated total project costs) from the program, which enabled the following improvements:
•Replacement of the lighting system with energy-efficient LED technology;
•Fitting of selected doors with automatic door openers to improve accessibility (in progress);
•Floor refinishing; and,
•Electrical and other upgrades to exhibit receiving and production areas of the Gallery.
“This investment is a community-building project to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary. And there’s no better way to mark this milestone than to celebrate the places that bring us together—the places that allow us to appreciate art, reflect, and connect to our culture and heritage,” said Darrell Samson, Member of Parliament for Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook. “That’s how we establish the bonds of common understanding and friendship in a country where people come from every corner of the world. The values of openness, diversity and inclusion that define all Canadians are forged in our community spaces.”
The Mount Art Gallery opened in 1971. “Around the time of the Canadian Centennial Year, 1967, numerous theatres, concert halls and art galleries were built, in recognition that Canadian artists were making works of national significance,” said Ingrid Jenkner, Art Gallery Director. “Thus, it’s fitting that, in the year of the nation’s 150th anniversary, the Mount Art Gallery is a freshly renovated community asset, celebrating an even more vibrant art scene than was present 50 years ago. The CIP150 grant has been crucial to funding important physical plant renovations for the Gallery.”
These gallery improvements are being celebrated today at the opening of the 40th annual Mount Community Show – an exhibition of creative works by Mount students, staff, faculty, alumnae and their families. Each year, there are entries from 25 or more individuals, and close to 100 works exhibited. The exhibition generally includes examples of painting, drawing, photography, textiles, creative writing, carving, and ceramics, as well as performance arts occasionally showcased during the opening.
The Mount Art Gallery is open to all. For more information about exhibits, location and hours of operation, please visit the Gallery’s webpage.
(Picture above: The Honourable Geoff Regan speaking with a Mount student at the university Art Gallery.)
(Picture above: The Honourable Geoff Regan speaking with a Mount student at the university Art Gallery.)
Media contacts:
Gillian Batten
Communications Manager
Mount Saint Vincent University
(902) 457-6439 / (902) 441-0505
Gillian.Batten@msvu.ca
Lori Selig
Communications Manager
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
902-266-7477 (cell)
lori.selig@canada.ca