Evolution of the

Permanent Collection

The Richmond Art Gallery’s Permanent Collection began in 1982 with an invitation from then Director, Page Hope-Smith for artists to donate their work to the Collection. The Gallery’s principal area of interest was in contemporary British Columbian art. The first piece to be donated to the Permanent Collection was an Untitled piece of wood-fired pottery by Jeanne Sarich which had been included in an exhibition of her work at the Gallery that same year. Other artists soon began to follow Sarich’s lead and by 2005 the Gallery’s Collection had grown to over 400 objects ranging from paintings and photographs to ceramic work and sculpture. The Permanent Collection reflects the Richmond Art Gallery’s exhibition history as many works were acquired from exhibitions held at the Gallery and outreach spaces such as the Gateway Theatre.

The Richmond Art Gallery’s Permanent Collection belongs to the people of the City of Richmond and the Richmond Art Gallery Association is responsible for its maintenance and care. The Permanent Collection Committee oversees the management of the Collection. Works are acquired into the Permanent Collection based on demonstrated aesthetic excellence or cultural significance, and serves the needs of exhibition, education, and research opportunities. The Gallery takes great care in maintaining the integrity of the Collection to broaden its use and enjoyment through continued development and preservation. The Richmond Art Gallery utilizes its Collection in exhibitions, loans to other institutions, for research by the Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond constituents and others and for educational purposes.

In 1999, Director/Curator, Corrine Corry implemented a moratorium on acquisitions while the Permanent Collection underwent a reorganization and redirection process. The Permanent Collection Committee and contract staff members, under the guidance of the Collection Chair, Ricarda McDonald, the work in the Collection was reviewed and some significant improvements were made. An extensive database was created to track objects in the Collection and some three-dimensional works were deaccessioned to allow the Collection to better serve the public.

By offering a selection of works from the Permanent Collection online, the Gallery is furthering the dissemination of artistic content, particularly contemporary visual arts in British Columbia, for our community and across Canada. This offers access for all Canadians to their artistic heritage, and is designed to enhance their knowledge, enjoyment, and understanding of contemporary visual art.