Agreed ... at least five time more visits.

The thing about the current location is (as we are all aware) the fact that it displays only a tiny portion of the 20,000+ items in the collection.

Were even 50% of those 20,000 items be on permanent display, it would position the AGGV in the top 3 galleries in the Pacific Northwest, as well as in the top 10 in Canada.

Were 80% of the collection to be on permanent display ... well, suddenly you've got a major player (especially if there is an impressive, dedicated Emily Carr gallery which features the majority of the AGGV's Carr collection on permanent display).

To put it into perspective, the current few hundred items on display at any given point in time at the AGGV represent less than 5% of the complete collection.

Usually 90% of what an Art Gallery holds isn't worth displaying! Build it and they will come, how many times have we heard that before. Only seems to be the case with Government money though.

Art galleries, libraries, and theatres are the three physical cornerstones of any cities demonstration of its support for the arts.

None of those three institutions are capitalist endeavours designed to make anybody wealthy ... rather they're seen as a benefit to the residents who will access them, and further seen as an indicator of a relatively high quality of life through that access.

Victoria being a Provincial Capital, and with a gallery that has some incredibly impressive holdings (but no room to display them), it's almost a no-brainer to build a new, accessible gallery in the downtown core.

Art galleries, libraries, and theatres are the three physical cornerstones of any cities demonstration of its support for the arts.

None of those three institutions are capitalist endeavours designed to make anybody wealthy ... rather they're seen as a benefit to the residents who will access them, and further seen as an indicator of a relatively high quality of life through that access.

Victoria being a Provincial Capital, and with a gallery that has some incredibly impressive holdings (but no room to display them), it's almost a no-brainer to build a new, accessible gallery in the downtown core.

i agree.

i also want more things for people to DO when they are here so they stay longer. we've got food and beverage covered - but so do most cities. we need other filler.

As part of a planned September 25th ceremony, TCAC and Aragon will celebrate the opening of Gallery Splash in a community flex space adjacent to Greater Victoria Public Library’s (GVPL) new Esquimalt branch slated for opening later this fall. Featuring artist works from around the community, Gallery Splash will hold hours in tandem with the library, and enable creators from all walks of life and a wide spectrum of genres to display their art for public viewing and sale.

Gallery Splash will launch as a four month pilot initiative, with the potential for an extension into 2022 and beyond. Support for the space has also come from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV) which is helping guide the TCAC with setting up their operation.

“The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria through the generous help of Karen Cooper is providing assistance to the TCAC, for free, and we hope to host the AGGV within our Gallery Splash space,” Tomlinson said, adding that the AGGV has assisted TCAC with selecting the appropriate hanging system for its art displays.