Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography facts for kids
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| Established | 1985 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 2009 |
| Location | within National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Type | gallery |
The Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (CMCP) was a special art gallery. It showed Canadian contemporary (modern) art and documentary photographs. The museum was also known as French: Le Musée canadien de la photographie contemporaine (MCPC) in French.
It started in 1985 and was connected to the National Gallery of Canada (NGC). For a while, it was located inside the National Gallery building in Ottawa.
Contents
A Special Home
The CMCP didn't have its own building at first. In 1992, it moved to a special building at 1 Rideau Canal. This building was designed just for the museum.
Unique Design
The idea for the building came from architect Michael Lundhom. He suggested using an old railway tunnel next to the Chateau Laurier hotel. Architects Rysavy Rysavy then designed and built the museum.
The entrance was made of glass and concrete. It looked a bit like the entrance to the National Gallery. Visitors would go down from the street level to the main part of the museum, which was underground.
Museum Leaders
Martha Langford was the first director and chief curator of the CMCP. She led the museum from 1985 to 1994.
What They Collected
The CMCP's collection began with photographs from the Still Photography Division of the National Film Board of Canada. By 2005, the museum had about 160,000 photographic works. These included pieces by Canadian artists like Kelly Wood.
The Museum Closes
In 2006, the CMCP closed temporarily because of a leak in the building. Then, on March 29, 2009, it was announced that the museum would close permanently. The building was going to be changed into meeting rooms.
What Happened to the Collection?
The CMCP's amazing collection of photographs and its exhibition programs were moved. They became part of the National Gallery of Canada. People tried to keep the CMCP open in its special building, but it didn't work.
In 2016, the CMCP's photo collection became part of a new group. This group is called the Canadian Photography Institute (CPI). Now, the exhibitions are shown at the National Gallery of Canada.
Affiliations
The Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography was connected to several important groups:
- National Gallery of Canada
- CMA
- CHIN
- Virtual Museum of Canada
See also
In Spanish: Museo Canadiense de Fotografía Contemporánea para niños
