The Government of Canada Announces Funding to the Art Gallery of Hamilton
HAMILTON, May 24, 2001 -- Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps today announced funding of more than $215,000 for four projects proposed by the Art Gallery of Hamilton. This funding is provided through the Museums Assistance Program (MAP)."I am proud to be part of a government that supports cultural institutions such as the Art Gallery of Hamilton," said Minister Copps. "Our museums are reflections of our cultural diversity and bridge the gap between past and present. They allow Canadians to know themselves better and to have new experiences. By becoming a partner of our cultural institutions, the Government of Canada fully encourages the undertaking of projects destined to promote better access to museums for all Canadians."
With the help of this funding, the Art Gallery of Hamilton will be able to proceed with four projects: the organization of an exhibit by two Ukrainian artists, the creation of art education workshops, the research on Aboriginal artists and their relationship with new media, and the renovation of the Gallery's storage and exhibit spaces.
The Museums Assistance Program provides $9.4 million in project funding annually to professional museums and connected institutions. This program was established in the early 1970s to increase public access to Canadian museum collections and to help Canadian museums better manage and preserve their resources.
Funding for these projects was provided for in the February 2000 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.
Information:
Krista Pawley
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
(819) 997-7788
BACKGROUNDER
Museum Assistance Program
The Museums Assistance Program (MAP) is the Department of Canadian Heritage's primary program of financial assistance to non-federal, not-for-profit and professionally operated Canadian museums. The Program supports activities that foster access by present and future generations of Canadians to their human, natural, artistic and scientific heritage, and enhance awareness, understanding and enjoyment of this heritage.
MAP provides $9.4 million in project funding annually for initiatives which help to increase access to museum content which reflects Canadian diversity and preserves our cultural heritage. It promotes enhanced leadership skills in a museum community charged with the care of a public trust, and connects Canadians to one another by sharing history, identity and symbols through exhibitions and products reaching wide audiences. Projects are assessed through a peer process in a competitive, annual grant run.
Priorities for support under MAP include: projects which tell the Canadian story and promote inter-provincial perspectives such as travelling exhibitions, outreach, collaborative initiatives and partnerships; projects which foster and support Aboriginal museum development; and projects which support and encourage exchanges and dialogue between Canadian museum organizations and professionals.
The four projects for which the Art Gallery of Hamilton will receive $215,600 in financial support are:
Traveling exhibitions on the works of artists Natalka Husar and Taras Polataiko
This funding will allow the museum to organize and tour two traveling exhibitions on the works of Ukrainian artists Natalka Husar and Taras Polataiko. The project is complementary to the historical exhibition composed of Ukrainian paintings, drawings prints and sculptures from the 1910s to the 1920s, which is now being developed by the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Each of these exhibitions in combination examines the social and political effects on art in the Ukraine.
Creative Outreach Project
This funding will support an outreach project involving the provision of workshops and a community-based art education service. It is designed to reach individuals and groups who are not able to visit the Art Gallery, nor to experience art-making first hand. It includes workshops for children and adults in school programs, community groups, hospitals and shelters, as well as family programs in collaboration with annual celebrations and festivals.
New Media Explorations in First Nations
The Art Gallery will conduct research into a group project of First Nations artists working in new media such as computer-based imagery and video. The thesis examines how Aboriginal artists are constructing new meaning and perceptions towards the development of a new art history. The project addresses the issues of identity, representation and acculturation in First Nations art, and presents, analyses and interprets contemporary art alongside historical art to create dialogue.
Refit of Storage and Exhibition Areas
This funding will support the refit of storage and exhibit spaces in the Gallery, to enhance its capacity as a major centre for the presentation and preservation of artistic works. Planned renovations will lead to better access to the collection and better use of existing space for displaying traveling exhibitions, both priorities of the Museums Assistance Program. The project also demonstrates the need to balance accessibility with the requirements of long term care and preservation of collections.
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