During our Open House, arts and technology tenants alike opened their doors to welcome the public, showcase their work and discuss the opportunities that abound in this new working space. ArtsBuild Ontario hosted demonstrations for SpaceFinder Waterloo Region, which officially launched to renters in conjunction with the event. Next door in Gaukel’s new rehearsal space, Green Light Arts’ Matt White led rehearsals for Eurydice to an enthralled audience. The film gurus of Film Factory showed off their high-tech camera equipment and Hive Waterloo Region demonstrated their coding prowess. On the tech side, MyShop Makerspace used their in-house vinyl cutter to make custom t-shirts and InkSmith had their 3D printers buzzing so visitors could check out the process up close. It was a great chance to mingle with new neighbours and chat with the public about the space.
The 735 sq. ft. rehearsal space at 44 Gaukel.
44 Gaukel is a first-of-its-kind pilot project designed to bring together the worlds of arts and technology, spark creativity and promote cross-sector collaboration and opportunities. Previously underutilized, this former post office is now an example of creative place-making, providing both administrative and maker-space as well as a bookable community rehearsal space. With 15 tenants, more than 50 employees and over 360 hours of rehearsal space booked for 2016, 44 Gaukel meets an immediate need for creative space and highlights the opportunities that abound for collaborative work space.
The City of Toronto has announced its 2017 Culture Build Investment Program. The Culture Build Investment Program provides matching funds to assist the City’s not-for-profit cultural sector with funding for state-of-good-repair and minor capital projects for their facilities.
Applicants to the Culture Build Investment Program must meet the following eligibility criteria:
1. incorporated as a not-for-profit organization;
2. located in the City of Toronto;
3. have been in existence for a minimum of three years;
4. own the facility or have at least five years remaining on their current lease at the time of applying to the program; and
5. are not City-owned facilities.
Funding for feasibility studies may be provided to those organizations that meet the existing eligibility criteria. The program does not support regular building maintenance costs and cost of purchasing or building a facility and the maximum allocation available and recommended through the Culture Build Investment Program is $100,000.00
In all cases, the City’s grant will not exceed 50 percent of total capital costs with matching funds coming from other levels of government, private sector and/or in-kind contributions.
We ventured to the north of the province to attend the Art Gallery of Sudbury’s “How to Purpose Build a ‘Category A’ Museum.” This was a great opportunity for gallery stakeholders and community organizations to understand what a “Category A” museum is and what that might look like for Greater Sudbury’s future art gallery. The Sudbury Public Library and gallery are joining forces to work together on building a new facility, which city council has made a priority project. The new facility would also put the Art Gallery of Sudbury in a “Category A” designation.
The session featured three guest speakers: Lisa Daniels from Alix Gallery in Sarnia, Simon Lambert from the Canadian Conservation Institute and Alexandra Badzak from the Ottawa Art Gallery. Lisa and Alexandra spoke to their own successes and challenges they faced in their recent capital projects while Simon touched on the importance of storage requirements for a “Category A” museum.
But before we recap the session, you might be wondering what is a “Category A” museum?
The term comes from the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Designation of Institutions of and Public Authorities criteria for organizations to access tax incentives and grants. Institutions such as museums, public art galleries, archives and libraries fall under this designation. Plus, a “category A” museum must have unlimited designation from one of the following groups: Objects recovered from the soil or waters of Canada, objects of material ethnographic culture, military objects, objects of applied and decorative arts, objects of fine arts, scientific or technological objects, archival material and musical instruments.
Simon Lambert’s presentation focused on the requirements for movable cultural property for a “Category A” museum. Careful consideration towards storage was a key focus point when arts organizations arrive at the design phase of their building projects. On average, a museum’s collection is 98% in storage at any given time, so it is essential to have the right space reserved or created for this purpose. There are tons more great aspects to consider when designing exhibition space too –read about the Canadian Conservation Institute’s requirements and services!
Alix Gallery in Sarnia – looking back on their capital build
Executive Director Lisa Daniels from Alix Gallery in Sarnia offered wisdom from the gallery’s transformation into a “Category A” purpose-built gallery. The gallery first opened its doors to patrons in 1961 as the Sarnia Public Library and Art Gallery. The gallery outgrew the space and reclaimed The Thom Building (one of downtown Sarnia’s historically and socially significant buildings) to create a purpose- built facility to house a permanent collection and display premiere exhibitions. The building’s gorgeous facade has been retained and restored back its historically accurate condition. Inside, the new facility features world-class equipment and regulatory systems to maintain environmental controls necessitated by world-class artworks.
Lisa’s most significant take away for an organization starting a new build was to deliver on your promises. The classic saying goes “build it and they will come,” but that was not a trap the new gallery was about to fall into. The gallery used marketing and relevant programming to draw patrons to the remarkable new space. They also hosted a rare exhibition shortly after opening which garnered 20,000 visitors; two times their initial goal. This capital project is also a great example of how an arts organization can balance resources during the building phase. While construction work was being completed for the new purpose- built arts facility, Alix Gallery staff brought programming to the community in public spaces.
The Ottawa Art Gallery – partnerships and shared goals
The Ottawa Art Gallery is breaking new ground when it comes to partnerships and cultural institutions with their current building project. Director and CEO Alexandra Badzak shared her goals and current project status on their new “Category A” gallery. This build has been a long time coming, with feasibility studies dating back to 2004 for the new facility. The expansion of the gallery and Arts Court Redevelopment project are part of the City of Ottawa’s downtown revitalization plan. The gallery will expand by 80,000 feet on five floors, featuring a multidisciplinary screening space that will be home to the Canadian Film Institute.
Alexandra highlights that having a business plan and storytelling are key skills for partnership – which remains at the core of the gallery’s expansion. The new space will include a hotel and condo, all sharing the same goal for this city block dedicated to arts and culture. The City of Ottawa led the process of bringing in other players for the expansion, but the gallery is harnessing the densification of Arts Court and the area of their future home. It is located in the cultural core of downtown Ottawa right beside the University of Ottawa. Alexandra emphasized how important accessibility to culture will be in this space and that they will remain free for all to visit.
The information session was an excellent way for patrons, board members and staff to compare plans for the Art Gallery of Sudbury with other capital projects around the province – with an emphasis on making their space a “Category A” facility. We are excited to hear more about the upcoming project plans for the gallery and library!
Asset Planner for the Arts is back! Asset Planner for the Arts is an acclaimed asset management tool that makes it easier for you to keep your facility in good repair. ArtsBuild has partnered with Ameresco to provide organizations with this remarkable cloud-based system that tracks the condition of your facilities and the cost of needed major repairs – and ArtsBuild is making it more affordable for you!
Thanks to the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, we were able to offer 15more affordable spots for arts facilities but they are filling up fast!
There are only nine spots remaining!Contact us for a quote today!
ABOUT ASSET PLANNER FOR THE ARTS
ArtsBuild has partnered with Ameresco, a recognized leader in the field of asset management and sustainability, to provide arts organizations with very affordable access to Asset Planner for the Arts – their acclaimed asset management tool. Walter Fedy, a multi-discipline design and construction firm based in Kitchener-Waterloo, will be leading the facility assessments.
ASSET PLANNER FOR THE ARTS LETS YOU:
Track the physical condition of your facilities
Calculate the costs for the replacement of key building components
Prioritize needed capital improvements and identify funding gaps
Provide detailed 30-year capital forecasts, with a focus on the next five years
Develop data-driven facilities management plans, budgets and cases for funding
Generate reports for boards, funders and staff to demonstrate need
Identify opportunities for efficiency and cost savings.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
Site walk-through and building inventory by Walter Fedy
Online training (via webinar) on the Asset Planner software with Ameresco and ongoing support for two years
Two year operating license*
Access to the ArtsBuild Learning Series
COST
Cost for this program is based on square footage of the facility, facility type and location (due to travel cost). The Ontario Trillium Foundation has provided funds to reduce these costs to make it more affordable to our arts organizations.
For more information and/or for a quote, email Lindsay Golds
This program is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The leading grantmaking foundation in Canada, the Ontario Trillium Foundation strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities.
Ontario has launched its first Culture Strategy, which establishes goals and actions to promote participation in arts and culture, build on the sector’s economic impact in communities across the province and help Ontarians tell their stories and express themselves. The Honourable Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, made the announcement July 20 at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario.
The strategy reflects the input of nearly 3,000 people who provided feedback during 2015’s Culture Talks — a three-month public engagement process on the value of culture in people’s lives. The Culture Strategy sets out four overarching goals for the next five years:
Promote cultural engagement and inclusion;
Strengthen culture in communities;
Fuel the creative economy and;
Promote the value of the arts throughout government.
These goals reflect a commitment to removing barriers and increasing opportunities for cultural participation. They balance the important social and economic benefits of culture and reinforce the vital role artists and arts organizations play in communities, in the creative economy and in helping to build a more inclusive society. Each goal includes strategies and actions.
Key actions include:
Helping to conserve heritage buildings with energy efficiency improvements through Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan
Enhancing technical and business skills training for workers in the culture sector
Developing a new fund to support cultural activities in Indigenous communities and supporting youth cultural camps that build leadership and promote awareness of traditional knowledge.
Supporting the use of more Canadian authors’ content in schools
The Ontario Culture Strategy reflects the diversity of cultural expressions and experiences heard through the Culture Talks engagement process. It will guide the government’s support for culture over the next five years.
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