WAG | Inuit Art Centre Expansion
 

Winnipeg Art Gallery - Inuit Art Centre Expansion

Proposed structure will be constructed adjacent to the existing Winnipeg Art Gallery building. Strongly influenced by the landscape of Canada’s Arctic, the four-level, 40,000-square-foot facility will include:

- Visible vault–This open-storage system in the grand entrance is the first of its kind in North America
- Inuit gallery
- Indigenous gallery
- Artist-in-residence and curator-in-residence spaces
- Studio and learning spaces–Five studios will serve as year-round programming venues

Architects

- Michael Maltzan Architecture Inc., Los Angeles (Principal Architect)
- Cibinel Architects Ltd., Winnipeg (Associate Architect)

http://www.mmaltzan.com/wp-content/u...t_centre_1.jpg
Image Source


Sources | Additional Information:

http://www.cibinel.com/project/wag-i...tre-expansion/
http://wag.ca/about/inuit-art-centre
http://www.mmaltzan.com/projects/win...it-art-centre/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/...ticle22383642/
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opi...249233971.html

Please update with any other images or new information available, when /if they become available. There are many conceptual renders I may have added but this structure is still in the design phase as far as I can ascertain. Thanks.

Thanks for starting the thread, cyro.

On looking at the rendering a bit more, I wonder if the two buildings are situated too closely together? The da Roza original is a bit of architectural sculpture, meant to sit on its own to some extent... the Maltzan addition is pushed in so tightly that to the casual observer it might look like an incongruent whole as opposed to two distinctly different structures. Hopefully this won't be a problem.

At any rate, it will be exciting to see this expansion take shape.

I believe they are in a bit of a holding pattern while they secure more funding.

Good, nobody has the balls to say it but spending any amount of tax dollars to house pseudo art is ridiculous!

Sounds like you woke up and read the new mayors Katz's, I mean Bowman's city budget...some things are difficult to change..;)

What's wrong with the budget?

well, even if you don't like this art gallery expansion plan, I see it as part of a larger tourism play for Winnipeg to get some kind of critical mass.

-new airport
-jets return
-Canadian museum for human rights
-almost all brands available for shopping
-expanded zoo/Assiniboine park
-convention centre
-thermea spa

we don't have the mountains, Niagara falls or the best climate, but things are starting to come together to get people to take notice of this town that we didn't have five years ago. art gallery will just compliment all this momentum.

Nothing really..one of Bowman's many campaign pledges included limiting property tax increases to the rate of inflation correct? ~~2%..What we received was ~ 3.5%- 3.8% or there about ? :)

Then again, It's his first term, he deserves a break. It's nothing more than a campaign pledge he used to get elected? :shrug:

Well in Bowman's defense, he did exactly what he said he was going to. Raised property taxes by 2.3% maximum this year. Frontage levy is a levy not a tax ;) user fees, garbage tax, whatever is not property tax. Of course they are mostly taxes in reality.

Others would argue that any property tax increase includes frontage levies, which are part of the property tax bill.

Bowman personally feels it should not be in the calculation.

Anyway, we''ll probably both see it differently.. How bout that WAG expansion project?

Haha ya I don't like to get hung up on details. WAG expansion looks cool. Not really sure about the funny shape, but I guess that's art. Along with the Commons tower going up next door, will add something more to the neighbourhood. I will admit I have never been inside the WAG. Always liked the building though.

You gotta go at least once, quite the imposing structure, both exterior/interior are quite impressive. Been going over the years for so many things. Exhibitions, musical performances, roof top patio(summer), studied/practiced art their for several years. Worth a look...(even moreso for those who enjoy architecture and art somewhat less)..;)

I know I missing out. I've walked by a number of times, just haven't made it inside.

This little corner of Winnipeg is getting really bumping in the last few years. New U of W Buhler building, new U of W residence, new art gallery expansion. All in a relatively small area

It seems like this new gallery has been talked about for a long time. With Bowman being a former board member of the WAG I would imagine the current board has decent access to him and that he is well aware of their plans.

The WAG Studio class schedule could be an early indication of when the construction might happen as my understanding is they currently run classes out of the current buildings where the new gallery will be built.

Why is this art "pseudo"?

The art is patronizing and kitsch, when a meddling group of misplaced do gooders and govt. hacks decides what artistic cultural expression is best for another culture based solely on financial gain to me that art just isn't genuine. Maybe pseudo wasn't the right word, maybe I should have said exploitive art.

Hasn't that art existed for hundreds if not thousands of years? If so, that would eliminate the idea of government officials or agencies forming the cultural expressions of that group.

Well yes and no...

Traditionally these people carved small piecies of bone or tusk that could be carried with them ...

When the federal government created static communities for the Innuit they were not as nomadic. The government decided to fly in soapstone in the early 60's and encourage people to carve... In Cape Dorset they brought in artists to teach print making. These were the beginnings of print making and soapstone carving we see today.

While it may be considered a newer art form so is video art performance art or photography for that matter. They can be seen in the greatest art galleries of the world.

As our society changes so does the art forms. As we and the national gallery have the greatert Inuit collections in the world it's only naturally we should proudly try and display them...