Facing an uncertain future, Contemporary Calgary is looking for some direction from the public.
A community consultation tonight will outline some of the possibilities for the visual arts group now that negotiations over the former Planetarium have reached an impasse.
The group is now exploring three ideas: finding a new venue, operating without a permanent space, or collaborating with others in the community.
Contemporary Calgary is an amalgamation of three groups — the Institute of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Art Gallery of Calgary. Since 2013, it has been working on a plan to create a public contemporary art gallery at the former Centennial Planetarium. It raised $4.75 million from the private sector and is in the process of selling its existing space on Stephen Avenue to raise more capital.
But after three years of discussions, the city recently said it would only commit to a short-term lease with the arts group until it had raised 90 per cent of the capital needed. Contemporary Calgary said it would impossible to continue to fundraise as many major donors require a minimum 10-year lease.
Facing that catch-22, Contemporary Calgary wants public input into where it should go from here: Which existing buildings capture the imagination of Calgarians? Is there a greater appetite to re-purpose an existing building or to build new? Or is a permanent venue even necessary? Is this the time to think about collaboration, strategic partnership, or merger?
The public meeting is at 7 p.m. tonight at the Stephen Avenue Gallery, 117 8th Ave. S.W.
