‘The timing seems right’: New N.W.T. arts centre in the works

A new art gallery in Yellowknife may become a reality — pending the next steps.

The Friends of the Northwest Territories Art Gallery board voted to proceed with the planning stage at the last meeting on Oct. 27. A feasibility study was tabled outlining the benefits a gallery would bring to the territory.

“It seems like a really exciting opportunity and the timing seems right,” said Adrian Bell, the board’s business development director.

The need for a non-commercial art gallery in the N.W.T. has long been in discussion.

It was the main topic of an all-candidates forum during the city of Yellowknife election. Artists living in the territory have moved away to further their careers. And, a group called YK ARCC (Yellowknife artist-run centre-less centre) launched a mobile art trailer in 2019 to help fill the need.

Earlier this year, a new visitors centre debuted in Yellowknife with a non-commercial space to the excitement of artists and advocates, but questions were raised about who would govern the space and how long artists would need to wait to have their work displayed.

Charitable status needed

The Friends of the Northwest Territories Art Gallery feasibility study shows a 29,000 square foot building with a Category A designation.

At the very start of the planning process, Bell said it was too early to “talk numbers” of how much funding might be secured — and it is all contingent on “other pieces falling into place.”

“A big piece of the puzzle is applying for charitable status through the CRA [Canada Revenue Agency], so that’s going to require quite a bit of time and energy,” Bell said.

Once the board has charitable status, they will start looking at potential locations, figure out who “the various players are” and secure more funding.

“And then at some point in the not too distant future, a more formal sort of facility plan, analysis of sites and what should be included in the building,” Bell said.

While it is also too early to talk hard deadlines, Bell said he is hopeful to be building at the end of year four of the process.

Operational costs a hurdle

With beginning pieces of the puzzle starting to come together, Bell said the biggest hurdle he could foresee is the operational costs of the proposed arts centre.

“There’s going to be a shortfall, it has to be filled from governments and fundraising, so that’s really the biggest obstacle is determining how to do that,” Bell said.

But despite the unknowns, the board said it is excited to move forward with planning, especially with all the various artists in the territory needing a place to call home for their art.

“There is a real appetite for more art, more northern art, and we really just haven’t had a facility where that could be … really enhanced ” Bell said.

“Once we have that facility, we’ll have an ability to increase the prestige and visibility of N.W.T. art.”

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