The Art Gallery of Sudbury’s contributions toward their upcoming space at the Junction East Cultural Hub received a $150,000 boost this week.
The Douglas A. Smith Family Foundation pledged the money to support the gallery’s capital campaign.
“This innovative and responsive donation to the back of house operations will enable the Gallery staff to catalogue and house new acquisitions along with current artworks in an appropriate setting,” gallery director and curator Demetra Christakos said in a media release.
“As 2023 unfolds, this donation is bringing us closer to the reality of having new gallery spaces in the near future.”
In recognition of the gift, the gallery’s new collections storage facility at the Junction East Cultural Hub will be known as the Douglas A. Smith Family Foundations Collections Storage Facility.
The Junction East Cultural Hub is $98.5-million municipal project, which is slated to see a new central library join a new Art Gallery of Sudbury and space for the Sudbury Multicultural Folk Arts Association at a new building next to the Sudbury Theatre Centre downtown.
Although some ground preparation work has already taken place to accommodate the building, its future has been cast into uncertainty by the city council elected on Oct. 24, 2022. From an informal poll of city council members, it appears it’s unlikely to move forward unless funding comes in from senior levels of government.
Earlier this month, Laking Group of Companies (parent company of area businesses such as the Laking Toyota and Northern Nissan car dealerships) donated $150,000 toward the Art Gallery of Sudbury’s capital campaign.
The Art Gallery of Sudbury has committed to providing $2 million toward the cost of building Junction East, and donations can be pledged by clicking here.
Once open the gallery noted in a release that their space at Junction East Cultural Hub will:
- Celebrate our Indigenous communities
- Reflect the communities we serve
- Promote and nourish local talent
- Improve access to art education programming
- Build an accessible and inclusive gallery
The Douglas. A. Smith Family Foundation’s purpose, according to the media release, is “to benefit the communities located on Manitoulin Island and Northern Ontario in the areas of health care, education and to provide funding for municipalities."
