The Reach Gallery Museum
 | |
| Established | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Location |
32388 Veterans Way Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 0B3 |
| Coordinates | 49°03′10″N 122°19′38″W / 49.0528°N 122.3273°W |
| Type | Encyclopedic, Art museum |
| Director | Laura C Schneider |
| Website |
www |
The Reach Gallery Museum is a public art gallery and museum located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. It exhibits artwork from across Canada and around the world free of charge to visitors. It has as its mission both the preservation of local cultural heritage as well as providing a showcase for contemporary arts from both inside and outside the local community.
Location
The gallery is located at 32368 Veterans Way, Abbotsford, British Columbia. It is part of the municipal complex that includes City Hall.
History
Many citizens along with Abbotsford Council believed the municipality needed a new museum and art gallery. In December 2005 the City established the Abbotsford Museum and Art Gallery Steering Committee in order to explore community aspirations for the planned centre.
The concept of this centre evolved along with the mandate of becoming a community hub, a tourist destination, a location for the stewardship and interpretation of Abbotsford history, and a showcase for local and travelling art exhibitions. It was determined that the space should be flexible enough to encourage community participation in the arts.
The Building
From the outset, citizens wanted a unique design. Draft plans were developed and public information sessions and open houses in 2006 and early 2007 invited public input on these plans. Construction, undertaken by PCL Constructors Inc. began shortly after that in June 2007 and the building was officially opened on September 22 of that same year. The total cost was $10.8 million.
The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford is a 20,000 square foot LEED building with 6,100 square feet of exhibition space. In addition there are two studios for community art and heritage programming along with education, archival and collections storage spaces as well as staff office space.
Exhibits
The Gallery has both permanent and rotating exhibits featuring important local, regional, national and international exhibitions. Events and programs include special occasions, private functions, workshops and tours.
In 2013 the Gallery established a program called Emerge for aspiring arts professionals between the ages of 16 and 30. This provides new artists with a chance to exhibit their work and learn from established professionals in a collaborative and supportive professional environment .