Annual Report 2008-2009 - National Gallery of Canada

The exhibition revealed, through provocative, humorous and
challenging images, how accomplished contemporary
Aboriginal artists such as Arthur Renwick, Shelley Niro, Dana
Claxton, and Jeff Thomas have turned the “European cultural
convention” of the portrait inside out, by simply – and radically
– taking hold of the camera themselves.
Such thought-provoking and visually exciting exhibitions,
and the permanent collections and rich partnerships that seed
them, form the heart of our public programming; they in turn
feed into our extensive educational programming, anchored
both within the Gallery itself and in the Gallery’s increasingly
sophisticated online presence. In 2008–09, our entire roster of
tours and activities for schools and adults was treated to an
in-depth, holistic review and evaluation. This will allow us to
fine-tune our programs to better respond to teachers’ needs
and the changing demographics of visitors. Innovations and
improvements based on the review’s results will emerge in
2009–10.
Meanwhile, the Gallery earned well-deserved accolades
for its top-notch educational content online. Eye Spies, an artworks
exploration game for kids on CyberMuse, received a
Web’Art de Bronze at the Festival international de l’audiovisuel
et du multimédia sur le patrimoine. And the online exhibition
Drawing with Light won the Grand Prix Web’Art of Virtual
Exhibition Award presented by the International Council of
Museums. This kind of recognition, along with upgrades and
meaningful additions to its web offerings` – including special
exhibition sub-sites, a revamped CMCP site, and the new 3D
Joe Fafard website that was launched with the Virtual Museum
of Canada – increasingly moves the Gallery well into the forefront
of online museum content, thanks to the support from
the Department of Canadian Heritage.
None of these accomplishments take place in isolation. We
extend our utmost appreciation to those who have joined
forces with us in creating these exhibitions, in pursuing new
research, and in pursuing all the projects that help us fulfil our
mission. Our programming continues to benefit from the generous
support of organizations such as Bell, Imperial Oil
Foundation, Pratt & Whitney Canada, RBC Foundation, Sun Life
Financial, TD Bank Financial Group, The J.W. McConnell Family
Foundation, and countless anonymous donors. We also thank
TELUS for coming forward to get behind the redevelopment of
Artissimo, the program that offers popular family activities. To
all our patrons and partners, and to the National Gallery of
Canada Foundation for its energy and support in building these
productive relationships, our enormous gratitude.
The Gallery is well underway on urgent capital infrastructure
renewal projects undertaken with the award of $14.8 million
from Treasury Board’s Management Reserve Fund for fiscal
years 2007–08 to 2009–10. Based on the timing of the
confirmation of this funding, projects have been underway in
the Canadian, European and American galleries to renovate
and replace windows. We have also embarked on upgrades to
elevators and technical systems. The Gallery has also benefited
from special infrastructure funding as a result of Budget 2008.
The total amount is $19.8 million of which $15.3 million is for
capital requirements. The funding covers the five-year period
from 2008–09 to 2012–13.
A total of 628,693 people either visited the Gallery or saw
one of our travelling exhibitions in 2008–09. One of our most
memorable public events took place here in Ottawa on
International Museums Day in May, when we hosted a grand
celebration to mark the 20th anniversary of the Gallery’s building,
a bold and grand structure designed by architect Moshe
Safdie.
We move into our third decade in this magnificent building
with great optimism. Though fewer people passed through
our doors and visited our permanent collection this year – the
result of a range of unfortunate circumstances, including
decreased tourism, the economic downturn and a long transit
strike – we are confident that we will be able to do even more
to bring art and education to Canadians of all ages and backgrounds,
in towns and cities large and small in the coming year.
Our schedule for 2009–10 includes a full slate of exciting
exhibitions, including: Nomads, a stimulating tour through
unconventional works by cutting-edge Vancouver artists; From
Raphael to Carracci: The Art of Papal Rome, presented by Sun
Life Financial, a breathtaking show exclusive to Ottawa featuring
extraordinary 16th-century works by both masters and
lesser-known artists from the period; Paolo Veronese and the
Petrobelli Altarpiece, showcasing the most ambitious restoration
ever undertaken by Gallery conservators. Both the restoration
and the presentation of the exhibition in Ottawa were
made possible thanks to the generous support of the Members,
8 Letter from the Director