Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery facts for kids
Exterior of the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
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| Former name | UBC Fine Arts Gallery |
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| Established | 1948 |
| Location | 1825 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 |
| Type | Art Gallery |
| Architect | Peter Cardew |
The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery is a cool place to see contemporary art in Vancouver, British Columbia. It's located right on the campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC). The building itself is a work of art, designed by architect Peter Cardew, and it opened in 1995.
This gallery is home to UBC's growing collection of modern art. It also has special archives. These archives contain items and records about the history of art in Vancouver. The gallery usually puts on 4 to 7 art shows each year. These shows feature artists from Canada and around the world. They also display works from their own collection in special themed exhibitions.
The Belkin Art Gallery sometimes creates smaller shows that travel to other places in Canada. They also work with other galleries on bigger international exhibitions. Good news: it's free to visit the gallery! The gallery has also worked to highlight art by women artists.
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Gallery History
The gallery started way back in 1948. It was first called the UBC Fine Arts Gallery. It was located in the basement of the Main Library on the university campus. At that time, it was the only place in Vancouver that focused only on modern art. The gallery became more important in Canada during the 1960s and 1970s. It showed exciting new art by artists who were making Vancouver famous in the art world.
For many years, until 1994, the gallery was just a place to show art. After that, it also started to keep and manage the University Art Collection. On June 14, 1995, the Fine Arts Gallery got a new name. It became the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery. It also opened its new building at 1825 Main Mall.
What the Gallery Does
The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery at UBC has an important job. It researches, shows, collects, and publishes information about contemporary art. It also helps people learn about art history and art criticism. The Belkin takes care of the University’s art collection. This collection has over 5,000 art pieces! It also includes an Outdoor Art Collection. Plus, there are archives with more than 30,000 items.
Artworks from the main collection and archives are shown every year. The gallery often highlights new art they have acquired. Other museums and researchers also use these works for research and special loans. The Belkin also publishes books and catalogs about art. They host events like talks, tours, concerts, and discussions about art.
Art Collections and Archives
The gallery is home to many artworks and archives from different artists. Some of these artists include Roy Arden, Carol Conde, Rodney Graham, and Joyce Wieland. The archives also hold a very large collection called the Morris/Trasov Archive. This archive has thousands of items. They are related to artists Michael Morris and Vincent Trasov. It also includes a huge network of mail artists.
Since 2003, new outdoor artworks have been placed around the UBC campus. Artists like Rodney Graham and Myfanwy Macleod have created these pieces. You can even download a special guide from the gallery's website. This guide helps you take a self-guided tour of the outdoor art on campus.
Special Exhibitions
The gallery has hosted many interesting exhibitions over the years. Scott Watson was the gallery's Director/Curator for a long time, from 1989 to 2021. He really encouraged working with other galleries. For example, for an exhibition called Utopian Territories: New Art from Cuba (1997), the Belkin worked with seven other galleries. They brought art from 23 modern Cuban artists to Vancouver.
Another time, for Théodore Géricault: The Alien Body/Tradition in Chaos (1997), the Belkin worked closely with famous museums in Paris, like the Louvre. They brought 80 artworks to the gallery. The gallery also worked with grunt gallery for Ruins in Process: Vancouver Art in the Sixties (2009). They created an online digital archive about Vancouver art from the 1960s and early 1970s.
Lorna Brown was the Belkin's Associate Director/Curator from 2015 to 2021. She created a series of four exhibitions called Beginning with the 70s. This project looked at art from the 1970s. It included shows like GLUT and Collective Acts. These shows featured artists such as Gathie Faulk and Dana Claxton.
In September 2020, the Belkin hosted Soundings: An Exhibition in Five Parts. This show was put together by Candice Hopkins and Dylan Robinson. It also traveled to other art galleries. Artists like Raven Chacon and Tanya Lukin Linklater showed their work in Soundings.
Every year, the gallery also holds a special exhibition. This show features the work of students who are graduating from the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of British Columbia.
Images for kids
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Exterior of the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
