3 replies to this topic

[Rob Randall]

This is good news. Let's hope this new director has what it takes for the difficult job ahead. The most pressing task is the long delayed hunt for a downtown satellite gallery.

New director for art gallery

Grania Litwin
Times Colonist

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

In less than two months, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria has managed to woo and win a top manager, curator and programmer from a well-respected gallery in Ontario.

Shirley Madill, 54, becomes the new director of the Victoria gallery on Nov. 20.

She has spent the last seven years in Hamilton, currently as vice-president and chief operating officer of the newly expanded Art Gallery of Hamilton, and previously as chief curator and director of programming.

While in the newly amalgamated metro city of 800,000 people, she was a key player in the $18-million renovation of its civic gallery. Before that she was chief curator at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

"We will miss her enormously," moaned Hamilton gallery president Louise Dompierre in a telephone interview Tuesday. "She played a great role in working with me and the staff at transforming the gallery here, and I have no doubt she will be the greatest addition ever to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. We are very sad to see her go . . . . Shirley is a wonderful colleague, a hard worker and a creative thinker with a great sense of humour. You couldn't ask for better."

The gallery's former director, Donna McAlear, resigned abruptly on July 12, after less than six months on the job. Her hiring was preceded by a laborious search, after Pierre Arpin left 14 months ago.

The hiring process was speedy this time, said gallery vice-president Peter Maddaugh, "because we went through this process a year ago and had more than 70 applications. We looked hard at the short list from last time around and one name stood out: Shirley Madill."

He explained that she was not hired before because she withdrew her name from the short list.

When approached again recently, he said, she came for an interview "and dazzled everybody," with her 25 years of gallery experience, curatorial strengths, expertise in program development and management skills.

"She is also absolutely charming and engaging. A great personality and excellent communicator," said Maddaugh, a former Bay Street lawyer who moved here in 1997 and teaches at UVic's law school.

"I'm looking forward to moving to the Victoria gallery because it has a magnificent collection and boasts the very top curatorial staff," said the Vancouver-born Madill, who has a daughter at Concordia University and a partner in information technology at McMaster University, who plans to move here with her.

"I certainly really wanted the job before, but withdrew my application because my daughter had just boomeranged, I was in the middle of a big exhibition and my partner had a new contract . . . . Now the timing is right."

She believes the Victoria gallery is the ideal size to grow.

She also praised its Asian collection, spearheaded by Barry Till, saying this kind of specialized area of interest, "is a real feather in its cap."

She aims to raise its profile both nationally and internationally, connect with the community and bring in bigger shows. Personal goals include gardening, getting a bicycle, going to the opera -- "my passion" -- and taking up ballroom dancing again with her partner, although she admits they are rusty.

Madill first got hooked on art when taken to see the Vancouver Art Gallery at age 10.

"It was very hard to get back on the bus. I felt I had never seen anything more important or beautiful in my life."
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2006

[Rob Randall]

Here's a 2004 article on the original proposal by Austin Hamilton:

Gallery, condos pitched for motel site

Malcolm Curtis
Times Colonist

A satellite location for the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria has been proposed along with a 14-storey condo tower for a downtown site on Belleville Street that has long been occupied by a motel.

Developer Austin Hamilton wants to build the two-storey gallery with 31,216 square feet of floor space next to a 51-metre-high residential building at 701 Belleville St.

The six-lot property, opposite Crystal Garden, is the site of the Crystal Court Motel.

"This is really quite exciting," Diana Butler, who heads the art gallery's board of directors, said Wednesday.

The board has been looking for some time for a downtown location to provide additional exhibition space to its cramped Rockland quarters at 1040 Moss St.

"The board is supportive of this site -- it's in good proximity to the (Royal B.C.) Museum and could become part of a cultural precinct," Butler said.

The art gallery has decided that it makes more economic sense to establish a satellite gallery than to relocate the entire facility, she said.

The satellite gallery would be a $9-million project.

Butler said the gallery, a non-profit society that receives operating grants from the four core municipalities and smaller grants from Metchosin and Highlands, is applying for a Canada-B.C. infrastructure grant and is expecting funding from "community partners." She said the gallery will mount a capital fundraising campaign to make up the rest.

"We're confident we can swing this financially."

The proposed gallery would provide 15,000 square feet of exhibition space, compared to 10,000 square feet available at the Moss Street location. The gallery often has to turn away national exhibitions and cannot show much of its permanent collection because of lack of space, Butler said. It also fails to attract many visitors because it is too remote from downtown.

Plans call for a public plaza in front of the new art gallery, to be set back from the corner of Douglas and Belleville streets. "It will feature sweeping copper roofs, white stone cladding and extensive glazing," according to an application submitted to the city.

In addition to gallery space, the plan envisages a reception area, programming space, administration offices, gallery shop and cafe.

The residential tower, with one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging from 1,500 to 2,400 square feet, is proposed for the corner of Blanshard and Belleville streets. The blueprint calls for underground parking for 170 vehicles.

Coun. Pamela Madoff said the proposal hasn't been formally submitted to council but she thought the concept makes sense. "It's a good solution ... but I know height is going to be an issue."

Madoff has expressed concern with tall buildings in the nearby Y-lot, about a block away on Humboldt Street, being out of character with the rest of Victoria's downtown. Three towers from 15 to 20 storeys are planned or under construction on the lot formerly owned by the provincial government.

The inclusion of a public facility like an art gallery may make the planned Belleville Street tower more palatable, she said.

Mayor Alan Lowe said he likes the location of the proposed gallery but he couldn't comment further on the plan because "It hasn't come to council and we haven't seen any drawings or any proposals."

Tim Van Alstine, chairman of the James Bay Neighbourhood Environment Association, said residents are concerned about more large condo buildings in the area.

"I've got mixed feelings about this," he said. "As a resident of Victoria I would like to see the art gallery in a more convenient location."

The residential tower would be on the edge of the James Bay neighbourhood and would likely have a limited impact on the community, he said. However, there are a couple of others proposed nearby that raise concerns about potential traffic congestion, he said.

Van Alstine said a company called Chemainus Properties has proposed a 14-storey rental apartment building between 435 and 415 Michigan St. and a 12-storey rental building behind 350-360 Douglas St.

A moratorium on high-rise blocks in James Bay was put in place in the 1970s after a spate of tall buildings. "Now some people in the community are getting a little alarmed that there's a return to highrises."

On the other hand, Van Alstine said the fact two of the buildings would offer rental accommodation may be a mitigating factor -- "When was the last time you heard of anyone building rental accommodation in this town?"

Proposals for all three buildings will be presented at a meeting April 14, starting at 7 p.m. at James Bay New Horizons, 234 Menzies St.

[aastra]

Madoff has expressed concern with tall buildings in the nearby Y-lot, about a block away on Humboldt Street, being out of character with the rest of Victoria's downtown.

As time has shown, these concerns were unwarranted. From most vantage points you can't even see the Y-lot buildings anyway.

On the other hand, Van Alstine said the fact two of the buildings would offer rental accommodation may be a mitigating factor -- "When was the last time you heard of anyone building rental accommodation in this town?"

Yeah, those rental buildings would have been great, but the James Bay crowd ultimately decided to put the kibosh on them.

In hindsight the concerns of the naysayers tend to be much ado about nothing. Ever notice that? See the old arena articles for some hilarious examples.

[Scaper]

Yeah but Tim and friends have no problem with "within the Zoning townhomes" at 800,000 a piece.....now that was music to his ears.

These people don't care about rental units or affordability.