Latest news with #VancouverArtGallery
CBC
09-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Vancouver Art Gallery cutting staff, programming by about 30%
Social Sharing The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) is making deep cuts to its programming and staffing in an attempt to balance its budget. Eva Respini, VAG interim co-CEO, said overall, the cuts will amount to about 30 per cent. She said before the layoffs, there were 129 employees. Last month, 16 people accepted voluntary departure incentives, and 18 people have received layoffs since then. "We're really looking across the institution, trying to leave no stone unturned, and we really tried to save as many roles, as many jobs as possible," said Respini, adding that there's a union seniority process now taking place that could affect the final number of people who lose their jobs. "This is an incredibly difficult moment," she said. "It's quite literally every department in the museum that has been affected in one way or another." The co-CEO said the gallery will be doing fewer exhibitions in the coming year — from 12 down to eight — and they will last longer. One floor will change to showing art from the VAG's permanent collection, rather than travelling exhibitions. The gallery is planning a big Emily Carr exhibition this year, relying largely on the artist's more than 250 pieces in its collection. "We will be organizing an exhibition from our collection of Indigenous art, specifically from the Pacific Northwest coast. So it's an opportunity to lean into the local, and what I would say is that's what this upcoming year is. It's really about the local stories we can tell," said Respini. Cultural sector under pressure According to Jon Stovell, VAG board of trustees chair, the entire cultural sector across North America and Europe is struggling, as less money comes from philanthropists and governments and the cost of everything continues to increase. Stovell said attendance at the gallery never returned to pre-pandemic levels. Respini said in the fiscal year that just ended, the gallery ran a $22-million budget, but with the cuts, they're looking to meet a balanced budget of $16 million. According to a spokesperson with the B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, the provincial government provided $1,987,000 in operating assistance from 2022 to 2025, as well as $1,581,000 in what it calls post-pandemic resilience supplements in 2022 and 2023. "This [supplement] was a temporary funding measure introduced to help arts organizations manage the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. These one-time funds were always intended as short-term support," said the spokesperson. New gallery construction plan proceeding Despite the challenges operating the gallery with the resources it has at its disposal, plans to build a new building for the VAG continue. "It seems a bit dissonant, I understand, in the current climate to be pursuing that, but it's something that I think if we don't pursue, will become a generational lost opportunity," said Stovell, adding that contributions from different levels of government and donors are still in place for the project. In December, the gallery scrapped its design for the proposed building at Cambie and West Georgia streets after costs soared to $600 million. Stovell said the VAG is now in the final stages of selecting a new architect from a pool of 14 Canadian firms. He said the goal is to announce the selection in late fall. According to Respini, the drawn-out project spanning 15 years to build a new gallery may make it more difficult to attract donations from philanthropists to cover operating costs. "There's some truth to a limited pool of donors who, for the last 15 years, have been spoken to — a lot of asks about the shiny new thing, and it's hard to maintain that for 15 years," she said. But Stovell disagrees, saying donors are generally quite specific in terms of whether their contributions will go toward operating or capital costs, and many prefer capital projects. "I think it would be harder to raise operational funding if people didn't see the prospect for the new gallery," he said.
Vancouver Sun
25-06-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Vancouver Art Gallery losing money, will lay off staff
Faced with an 'unsustainable annual deficit,' the Vancouver Art Gallery is making dramatic cuts to its staff. The VAG is laying off or buying out a third of its unionized employees, along with an unspecified number of non-union staff. 'The cuts are across the organization, every department, all levels,' said Jasmine Bradley of the VAG's communications department. Bradley said there are currently 129 full-time staff at the gallery. CUPE Local 15 president Warren Williams said 29 of the 90 unionized staff will be affected. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The cuts come after the VAG's annual general meeting June 17, when it reported it had lost $2.85 million in operating revenue during the 2023-24 fiscal year, and was on pace to lose money in 2024-25. Jon Stovell, chair of the VAG's board of trustees, said Wednesday the gallery has 'never really returned to pre-COVID attendance levels,' and 'the whole (art gallery) sector across North America, and maybe Europe, is struggling.' 'There's changes in how traditional visual arts organizations are funded,' said Stovell. 'Philanthropy is challenging, government contributions are kind of diminishing.' As a result, the VAG decided to make cuts to avoid what Stovell dubbed an ' uns u s t ainable annual deficit .' 'We're not like a government that could just tax our way and keep going, we really are obligated to live within our means,' said Stovell. 'Those are the adjustments that we're making. Our fiscal year starts on July 1, so we're targeting a balanced budget for 2025-26.' For 2024-25, though, he expects there will be a deficit 'similar in magnitude' to 2023-24. In December, the gallery made the decision to cancel plans for a flashy new art gallery designed by the Swiss firm Herzog and de Meuron. Stovell said the gallery had already spent $63 million to $64 million on 'soft costs' on the project, which was initially estimated at $350 million but later ballooned to a $600-million project when it was cancelled. The VAG's CEO and executive director Anthony Kiendl left the gallery in March. He joined the VAG after the departure of longtime head Kathleen Bartels in 2019, who had been the champion of the Herzog and de Meuron gallery. The VAG is still looking to build a new gallery designed by a Canadian architect. But it will be more modest, because construction costs have soared. Stovell said building an art gallery today would probably cost $1,200 per square foot. 'Through this hyper-inflationary cycle that we've been in, everything has gotten more expensive — insurance, shipping, wages, repairing the (current) building — everything's been more,' he said. 'I think the gallery also had been kind of scaling up a little bit in preparation for this new building — building a bigger team, and having all the extra costs of managing the project.' The VAG also made a costly decision in 2019 to operate its own restaurant or bistro. According to the VAG's 2023-24 report, the bistro had 'an accumulated equity loss on investment' of $2,459,727. The bistro was before Stovell's time on the board. The VAG has stopped running the bistro by itself and leased it. CUPE's Williams has been meeting with union members to answer questions and provide information on the cuts. 'They're offering severance packages, which are somewhat better than the collective agreement language allows,' said Williams. 'The employer has been pretty good about that. They're in a deficit financially, there's no doubt about that.' According to the 2023-24 report, in its general fund the VAG had $12,099,467 in revenue that fiscal year, as well as $3,478,450 in grants from three levels of government. This made for income of $16,466,917, versus expenses of $19,320,263, and a deficit of $2,853,346. Other losses left the VAG with a 'deficiency of revenue over expenses' of $3,973,186. 'Interfund transfers' from other parts of the Vancouver Art Gallery Association left it with a deficit in the 'fund balance' of $1,976,202. The VAG's building fund was still large: $98,663,735. It also had an acquisition fund of $1,772,745. Revenue from admissions dropped to $2,731,368 in 2023-24 from $3,152,966 in 2018-19, the last year pre-COVID. jmackie@
CTV News
25-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Vancouver Art Gallery laying off staff
Vancouver Art Gallery laying off staff The Vancouver Art Gallery is cutting back on costs by laying off dozens of staff members.
CTV News
24-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Major staffing cuts coming to Vancouver Art Gallery, union says
The Vancouver Art Gallery will be reducing its workforce by at least 30 people, according to the union that represents around 90 gallery employees. Warren Williams, the president of CUPE Local 15, said the union confirmed the gallery's plans Monday. Williams said he's both 'concerned' and 'a bit surprised' by the decision. 'I mean, I wasn't expecting it,' he told CTV News. 'I know that the art gallery has had some financial difficulties for the last several years.' Williams said he was told around 30 CUPE members would be part of the latest job cuts, and that union staff were at the gallery Tuesday meeting with employees. The Vancouver Art Gallery wouldn't confirm the number of cuts that are coming. In an email, the gallery said it has 'begun the difficult but necessary process of reducing its operating budget to ensure long-term sustainability.' 'Staff have been informed that reductions will take place across all areas of the gallery, including staffing. These are hard decisions, but they are being made with care and a continued commitment to our public mission,' the email added. According to the Vancouver Art Gallery's 2024 report, it has 136 full-time staff. The planned cuts are the latest in a series of unfortunate development for the institution. Last summer, construction was halted on the gallery's new home at Cambie and West Georgia streets, with officials revealing the building costs had ballooned from $400 million to $600 million. In December, CTV News learned the board decided to shelve plans for a nine-level tower made of wood and glass, instead voting to start from scratch and look for a new design altogether.
Vancouver Sun
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Check out these 5 free events happening in and around Metro Vancouver
Summer is here! It's time to enjoy the many excellent activities taking place around Metro Vancouver, many of which don't come with a high price tag. There are free, family-friendly festivals and events taking place all around the city that boast live performances, vendor craft markets, food truck festivals, fun kids games and more just waiting for you to check out. Some are continuing right up until it's time to go back to school, while others are one-time-only seasonal offerings. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Here are five free events coming up that caught our eye: When : Friday nights until Sept. 12 Where : Shipyards District, North Vancouver Info: With a rotating roster of different food trucks and approximately 50 artisan vendors, there is no shortage of shop-able moments. Plus, with two stages and artists ranging from country rocker Blake Havard to between breaks DJ Mike Madness, there is space to get your dance on too. When : June 14, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Where : Douglas Park, 20550 Douglas Crescent, Langley Tickets/info : Free The event offers entertainment from bands such as Fleetwood Magic along with a collection of 23 food trucks serving up everything from Beaver Tails and Slavic Rolls to ice cream and cookies. Add in an artisan market, adult 'kids' licensed beverage zone and community information booths for a range of interests and you've got a great day out. When : June 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where : Fort Langley National Historic Site, 23433 Mavis Avenue Tickets/info : Free A showcase of Indigenous cultures with live performance from groups such as Red Hawk Singers and Wild River Dancers, to storytelling and plant walks with local experts. The Ancestor's Café will be serving up Indigenous nosh, and the artisan market will feature the work of over 30 vendors. When : June 21-22, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Where : Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby Tickets/info : Free Opening weekend of the 40th-annual Vancouver International Jazz Festival provides a chance to take in leading local, national and international acts appearing on one of the two free stages beside the Vancouver Art Gallery. Among this year's highlights are various high school jazz bands in the Sounds of Youth series, acclaimed American composer/percussionist Makaya McCraven and Vancouver's very own psychedelic cumbia crew Empanadas Illegales. When : July 3-5, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.; July 6, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Where : South Plaza, Metrotown Mall, Bby. Tickets/info : Drum shows by Smash! Zany fun from Yuki the Juggler, a closing evening fire show and more at this multi-day event at the bustling Metropolis at Metrotown. The South Plaza is just across from the SkyTrain Station, which means you can skip taking the car. sderdeyn@
