For Immediate Release - September 17, 2020
As the cultural and heritage industry struggles to manage
the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada is continuing
its efforts to support organizations that have been significantly impacted and
still face challenges and financial pressures.
That is why Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for
Guelph, on behalf of the Honourable
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage is announcing funding
to support the Guelph Civic Museum and
Art Gallery of Guelph as part of the COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Heritage, Culture and Sport.
“Guelph’s cultural stories help us to put today’s struggles into perspective. Knowing the challenges people before us have faced and overcome provides us with hope and inspiration. This is especially true with Guelph’s Black Heritage, as a terminus of the Underground Railway that gave people a pathway to freedom, but also highlighted a struggle against racism that exists to this day. Telling these stories can be part of our common goal for freedom and equity for all people, especially for those that face daily challenges.” - Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph
Canadians understand the contribution of these sectors to
their quality of life during this period of quarantine and self-isolation. They
have turned cultural outlets like books, newspapers and magazines, film and
television productions, digital media, recorded music, and diverse kinds of
virtual access to the visual and performing arts, history and heritage, and the
world of sport.
The Guelph Civic Museum and Art Gallery of Guelph have each
received support in the amount of $100,000 through the Museum Assistance
Program (MAP) COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund.
These funds have enabled the Art Gallery of Guelph to
address a number of key areas including
heightened support for artists who identify as Black, Indigenous and/or
Persons of Colour (BIPOC) through new acquisitions,
production of innovative educational and
artistic programs, and modification of the gallery’s space to support
new health and safety procedures and
cleaning protocols.
“We are grateful to the Government of Canada and Canadian Heritage for their recognition that exceptional times require exceptional measures. This funding is vital, allowing the gallery to support both artists and audiences in these unprecedented circumstances.” -
Shauna McCabe, Director of the Art Gallery of Guelph
The Guelph Museum will utilize the additional support to
assemble COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter collections, develop online
programming, and reopen and modify the museum experiences with enhanced
cleaning and COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
“We are grateful to the Department of Canadian Heritage for this funding, which will allow us to continue important community-based work to preserve and protect Guelph heritage at such a critical time.” - Tammy Adkin, manager of Guelph Museums for the City of Guelph
Much of the arts, culture, heritage and sports sectors have
made significant investments in events,
projects and activities that are not taking place this year, leaving them
unable to recoup much of their annual
revenues, and the Emergency Support fund is here to help. “The fight against COVID-19 and the fight against systemic
racism both require a collective, strong and coordinated response. The Guelph
Civic Museum and the Art Gallery of Guelph are proof that art and culture can
be part of that effort too. The support announced today will help them pursue
their important work and maintain a space where people can share, reflect and
grow. I join my colleague Lloyd Longfield in congratulating them for their continuous
work towards a better Guelph and a better Canada.” - Honourable Steven Guilbeault Minister of
Canadian Heritage
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About Museums Assistance Program (MAP) - COVID-19 Emergency
Support Fund for Heritage Organizations
The Museums Assistance Program (MAP) - COVID-19 Emergency
Support Fund for Heritage Organizations provides financial assistance to
organizations in order to allow them to
continue to care for their heritage
collections under these exceptional
circumstances so that they remain accessible to Canadians. About Guelph Civic Museum
The Guelph Civic Museum showcases Guelph’s history through
permanent and changing exhibits, a fun and interactive families gallery, and
special events and activities. Located in the recently renovated Loretto
Convent, atop the hill at Norfolk Street and beside the landmark Church of Our
Lady, the museum is home to a collection of over 30,000 artifacts that bring
Guelph’s past to life.
About Art Gallery of Guelph
The Art Gallery of Guelph (AGG) is one of Canada’s premier
public art spaces, engaging audiences with innovative artists and ideas from
around the world. Through a rigorous and collaborative artistic program that
positions visual culture in an ever-changing cultural landscape, the gallery
supports social exchange and shapes public discourse.
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