Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery

The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Vancouver, British Columbia on the campus of the University of British Columbia. The gallery is housed in an award-winning building designed by architect Peter Cardew and opened in 1995.[1] It houses UBC’s growing collection of contemporary art as well as an archive containing more than 30,000 objects related to the history of art in Vancouver.

Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
Exterior of the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
Former name
UBC Fine Arts Gallery
Established1948 (1948)
Location1825 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2
Coordinates49.26816°N 123.25623°W / 49.26816; -123.25623
TypeArt Gallery
DirectorScott Watson
CuratorLorna Brown
ArchitectPeter Cardew
Websitewww.belkin.ubc.ca

The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery mounts 4 to 7 exhibitions of art per year by nationally and internationally known artists, and works from the collection are showcased annually in a thematic exhibition. The Belkin Art Gallery also creates small scale traveling exhibitions for circulation within Canada, and collaborates on large scale international exhibitions. The gallery's mandate includes research, publication, and a program of screenings, performances, and lectures by artists, scholars, curators and critics.

Since 2003, new outdoor works have been installed on campus by artists Rodney Graham, Jamelie Hassan, Myfanwy Macleod, and Edgar Heap of Birds. A self-guided tour of outdoor art on campus can be downloaded from the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery website.[2] The gallery and campus have outdoor sculpture and have been reported on as part of Vancouver's public art scene.[3] Exhibitions have included artworks by indigenous artists.[4]

Admission to the gallery is free.[5] An estimated 13 percent of the gallery's collection is from female artists and an edit-a-thon was launched at the gallery to create articles on more of those women on Wikipedia in 2017.[6]

History

The UBC Fine Arts Gallery was founded in 1948 in a basement section of the Main Library on the University campus.[7] The Fine Arts Gallery was the only venue in the Vancouver region that focused exclusively on contemporary art. The gallery rose in national status during the 1960s and 1970s by presenting innovative work by artists who were establishing Vancouver on the international art scene.[8]

Until 1994, the gallery was used only as an exhibition space; afterwards, it began to house and administer the University Art Collection. On June 14, 1995, the Fine Arts Gallery was rededicated as the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery and opened its new facility at 1825 Main Mall.[7]

Permanent Collection
Wood for the People by Myfanwy MacLeod, 2002

The Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery is home to the works of such artists as Roy Arden,[9] Carol Conde, Rodney Graham,[10] Judith Lodge, Al Neil,[11] Skeena Reece, Karen Azoulay, Joyce Wieland, Rebecca Belmore.

Select Exhibitions

From 2017 to 2019, curator Lorna Brown curated a four-part series of exhibitions under the title of Beginning with the 70s, an ongoing research and archival project examining the generative potential of the era.[12] The exhibitions include GLUT, Radial Change, Collective Acts, Hexsa'am: To Be Here Always which exhibited artists such as Christine D'Onofrio, Marianne Nicolson, Althea Thauberger, Alexandra Bischoff, Gathie Faulk, Anne Ramsden, Elizabeth Zvonar, Kate Craig, Carole Itter, Dana Claxton, Jeneen Frei Njootli, Gutai, Laiwan, Siku Allooloo and the Salish Weavers Guild.

References
  1. Cardew, Peter. Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
  2. "Collections". Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  3. "No Ticket Needed: A Tour of Vancouver's Public Art". Vogue.
  4. Talitha</a>, Written by <a href='/authors/Riya-Talitha/'>Riya. "Art is woven together to present Collective Acts at the Belkin". The Ubyssey.
  5. Lee, John (January 1, 2010). "Walking Vancouver: 36 Walking Tours Exploring Spectacular Waterfront, Dynamic Neighborhoods, Hip Hangouts, and Tasty Di". Wilderness Press – via Google Books.
  6. Ohaegbu</a>, Written by <a href='/authors/chimedum-ohaegbu/'>Chimedum. "Wikipedia edit-a-thon raises awareness for female artists". The Ubyssey.
  7. History. Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
  8. https://belkin.ubc.ca/about/
  9. https://belkin.ubc.ca/collections/#roy-arden-collection
  10. https://belkin.ubc.ca/exhibitions/rodney-graham-vexation-island/
  11. https://belkin.ubc.ca/collections/#al-neil-collection
  12. "Beginning with the Seventies: Collective Acts". Retrieved March 10, 2019.
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