After years of dragging heels, it appears that culture may move to the top of the agenda.
On Thursday, Greater Vernon Advisory Committee directors will receive the terms of reference for an action team focused on a proposed multi-purpose cultural facility.
“It is the action team’s role to provide input and recommendations related to the construction of a new multi-purpose cultural facility to the regional district through GVAC,” states the terms.
Key to the action team moving ahead is the appointment of 12 members. The composition will include representation from the Greater Vernon Museum, the Vernon Public Art Gallery, the Arts Council of the North Okanagan, the Okanagan Indian Band, the Social Planning Council, City of Vernon and regional district staff, an architect, a politician, a resident at large and a chairperson.
There is also a seat for someone interested in black box performance space.
“The need for a black box performance space was identified through the public engagement portion of the plan,” said Tannis Nelson, community services manager.
“The feedback indicated that the community is lacking a flexible performance space that would accommodate a smaller audience, in the range of 100 seats.”
Now having diverse skill-sets and experiences at the table is a positive, but there may be a concern from some residents that the action team is trying to take on too much.
Particularly, volunteers and staff at the museum and art gallery have been demanding new facilities for years because the current amenities have inadequate space for programs and exhibits, and structural issues arise regularly.
They have been left sitting on the sidelines as new arenas have been constructed and running tracks opened.
With action team members having multiple interests, will the museum and the art gallery be a priority or will they get lost in the debate? Given that a single building can’t be everything to everybody, is it appropriate to possibly be mixing a museum and gallery with a performance space and arts activities?
And just where would you locate such a building? The old flower shop on 31st Avenue, earmarked for a gallery, would have to be abandoned, while it’s unlikely the Coldstream Hotel parking lot is spacious enough. That leaves purchasing land and finding sufficient property in the downtown core could be extremely challenging.
Of course, the prospect of a multi-cultural facility could also scare off taxpayers, who have already committed to a Kal Tire Place expansion and will be approached to fund expensive water system upgrades.
This isn’t to say that all of the groups involved in the cultural action team aren’t important or their activities don’t add social and economic value to the community. But when pooled together, they may appear to be too much for the average resident to embrace.
Perhaps it may be better for the team to address the cultural deficit in Greater Vernon by taking small steps forward with select projects.
And given that the museum and art gallery have been at the front of the queue for years, they should be considered first.
