Remai Modern

Remai Modern
Established Opening 2017
Location Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Type Art museum
Director Gregory Burke, Executive Director & CEO
Website www.remaimodern.org

Remai Modern is a public art museum in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The $80.2-million,[1] 11,582-square-metre museum, plus $19.5-million underground parkade, is located at River Landing, on the west bank of the South Saskatchewan River.[2] The opening date is set as October 21, 2017.[3] The project is supported by the City of Saskatoon, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Canada.[4] The design, by Canadian architectural firm KPMB (Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects) and Smith Carter Architects and Engineers, won the 2011 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.[5]

History

In 2011, lead patron Ellen Remai donated $15 million toward construction costs, $15 million to support international exhibition programs[6] and also donated the most comprehensive collection of Picasso linocuts, valued at $20 million, to the gallery’s permanent collection.[7] Remai Modern follows the closure of the Mendel Art Gallery, and will house its collection of over 7,700 artworks.[8] The Mendel Art Gallery, founded in 1964, closed in June 2015.[9] One of the galleries in the new building, as well as an annual international lecture series, will be named in honour of the Mendel Art Gallery and its founder Frederick (Fred) Salomon Mendel and family.[10]

The inaugural director and CEO of the museum, Gregory Burke, was appointed in 2013.[11] On September 17, 2014, philanthropist and European printmaking specialist Frederick Mulder announced, on behalf of U.K.-based Frederick Mulder Foundation, the gift of a collection of 23 Picasso ceramics to Remai Modern.[12]

Prelaunch

Prior to the 2017 launch, Remai Modern presented a pre-launch program to foster future programming for the museum.[13] This included Museum 3.0, a series of public programs and events as well as SUPERCOMMUNITY an editorial project by e-flux journal commissioned for the 56th Venice Biennale by Okwui Enwezor.[14][15] According to the Canadian Art Foundation, "Selected participants from the May to August run of the Biennale project will participate in a symposium to take place in Saskatoon in Fall 2015."[16]

Exhibits

The first exhibit in the Remai Modern will be titled Field Guide including select works from the museum’s collection along with contemporary projects, commissions and installations. The exhibit will feature thirteen works donated by Fred Mendel that formed the basis of the Mendel Art Gallery when it opened in 1964 including works by Lawren Harris, Emily Carr, and David Milne.[3]

Controversy

In December 2015, local artists submitted a letter[17] to the Remai Modern's board requesting the removal of board member, John Gormley. In the letter, the artists referred to a tweet made by Gormley suggesting violence against Muslims in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks carried out earlier that year. Gormley remained on the board while an independent third party review[18] was performed. In January 2016, the third-party review found Gormley was not in breach of the Remai Modern's code of conduct. On April 12th 2016 John Gormley resigned from the Remai Modern board of directors.[19]

References

  1. ↑ Tank, Phil (2015-01-27). "Concerns raised over year with no gallery". The StarPhoenix. Postmedia Network. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
  2. ↑ http://www.remaimodern.org/#backgroundtest
  3. 1 2 "Opening date set for Remai Modern art gallery". Global News. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  4. ↑ http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/media/news-nouvelles/2013/20130607saskatoon-eng.html
  5. ↑ "Saskatoon's new art gallery wins design award". CBC News. 2011-12-17. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
  6. ↑ "Family donates $30M to Saskatoon art gallery - Saskatchewan - CBC News". Cbc.ca. 2011-06-03. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  7. ↑ Trembath, Sean (2015-01-10). "Appraising Picasso: What a $20 million collection means to Saskatoon". Thestarphoenix.com. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  8. ↑ "About – Mendel Art Gallery". Mendel.ca. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  9. ↑ Hill, Andrea (2014-11-20). "Remai gets budget boost from city". Thestarphoenix.com. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  10. ↑ Reported by Ashley Wills (2014-11-05). "Mendel family 'delighted' with new Saskatoon gallery | News Talk 980 CJME". Cjme.com. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  11. ↑ James Adams (2013-02-08). "Former Toronto Power Plant director to take helm of Saskatoon’s Mendel". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  12. ↑ "Remai art gallery receives 23 Picasso works | CTV Saskatoon News". Saskatoon.ctvnews.ca. 2014-09-18. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  13. ↑ "Remai Modern". http://remaimodern.org. Remai Modern. 2015-06-14. Retrieved 2015-06-14. External link in |website= (help)
  14. ↑ "SUPERCOMMUNITY About". http://supercommunity.e-flux.com. e-flux journal. 2015-05-06. Retrieved 2015-06-04. External link in |website= (help)
  15. ↑ "e-flux journal at the 56th Venice Biennale" (Press release). New York: e-flux. April 23, 2015. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
  16. ↑ "News in Brief: Scotiabank Photo Award Win, Bau-Xi Turns 50, Remai Partners with e-flux". Canadian Art. Toronto, Ontario. 2015-05-08. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
  17. ↑ "Artists call for John Gormley's removal from Remai Modern Art Gallery board". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  18. ↑ "Saskatoon's Remai Modern reviews John Gormley's conduct". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  19. ↑ "John Gormley resigns from Remai Modern's board of directors". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-18.

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