Hot off of the hugely-successful 2023 Video House Tour, the sold-out 2024 10th Anniversary Sunday Art Lecture Series, and Art Tours to both Japan and France, the Gallery Associates were delighted to present AGGV Director & CEO Nancy Noble with a cheque for $100,000 at their June 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM). That’s an unprecedented number in our donations over the Associates’ 73-year history!
Each year, the Gallery suggests projects from which the Associates choose to direct the funds. Previously, they contributed to upgrading the video and sound system in the Spencer Gallery. This past year a portion of the amount raised was allocated to refurbish the AGGV Studio, a project recently completed. The site of numerous meetings, programs, and spring break and summer camps, the Studio bid farewell to its old door and 60-year-old furnishings, chosen long ago with small children in mind. Numerous other upgrades now make it a much warmer, inviting environment for both children and adults.
The remainder of the funds were allocated to a proposed publication series on the AGGV collections. The AGGV seeks to increase public awareness of its public art collection of more than 23,000 objects—British Columbia’s largest. This project covers three catalogues dedicated to each of the AGGV’s core collecting areas: Asian Art, Historical Canadian Art, and Contemporary Art. Each will be authored and edited by the curator responsible for each collecting area, and will include photos of objects and the stories around their creators, collectors and donors.
Moving forward into the AGGV’s next fiscal year, the Gallery Associates are again in a strong position to offer another substantial donation to the Gallery at the June 2025 AGM. Meanwhile, other fundraising efforts continue—a local three-day Art Tour to Vancouver and Whistler goes ahead in April. International tour details for the fall 2025 tour to South Korea and Japan with Barry Till, Curator Emeritus, are forthcoming. In spring 2026, the tour will be in England with a focus on the Regency era, and will be joined by Dr. Melissa Berry. In addition, other initiatives are in the works.
Putting fun into their fundraising enterprises, the Gallery Associates also provide numerous opportunities exclusive to their members for art-related social activities. These include various day trips, a book club, and a DVD club in addition to their regular monthly meetings which feature guest speakers from the world of art.
The Gallery Associates always welcome new members interested in volunteering to raise funds for the AGGV while building connections and lasting friendships with others who share a passion for art.
– Written by Lynda Grace Philippsen, First Vice President, Gallery Associates.
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Feature Image: Spain trip goers look up to the balcony at Castle Pubol, the home of Salvador Dalí’s wife, Gala, October, 2024. Courtesy of the Gallery Associates.
