The Art Gallery of Guelph and the Guelph Civic Museum will be receiving a $100,000 grant by the Government of Canada.
The grant is part of the Museum Assistance Program (MAP) COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund, a program set up to help the arts and culture industry during the pandemic.
Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield made the funding announcement Thursday morning on Zoom.
“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.” says Longfield.
The funding was provided through the COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Heritage, Culture and Sport.
“It’s important to have strong museums during this time,” says Tammy Adkins, the manager of the Guelph Civic Museum. “Properly documenting lived experiences so future generations can learn.”
With the grants, both institutions will provide additional safety measures to exhibits. The Guelph Civic Museum will also look at using this grant to bring their displays online.
The grants will also be used by each space to continue increasing the representation of Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour (BIPOC) within their spaces.
“We want our collections to reflect our community,” says Shauna McCabe, the director of the Art Gallery of Guelph. She adds that the gallery is currently developing a new exhibit featuring BIPOC artists, which could be on display as early as late November.
The Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) is working with both organizations as they develop new exhibits that will feature BIPOC narratives during the Black Lives Matter march in Solidarity.
