A Toronto museum has received the largest donation in its history and is planning to transform its ground floor to focus on connectivity, access, and Indigeneity with the funds.
The $9-million donation was given to the Gardiner Museum by the Radlett Foundation in honour of its founder William B.G. Humphries, who had a lifelong commitment to supporting Indigenous communities through the arts.
With the help of the funds, the ground floor of the museum will undergo a full-scale transformation, including a new fully equipped makerspace, a community engagement centre, and an Indigenous gallery space.
“This project offers the Gardiner Museum a singular opportunity to transform both its physical space and the ways it engages with diverse audiences,” Kent Monkman, artist and member of the Gardiner Board and the Indigenous Advisory Circle, said in a press release. “The addition of a gallery of Indigenous ceramics at the centre of the Museum embodies Gardiner’s commitment to working with communities to reflect and explore Indigenous cultural practices of the past and present.”
Along with the funds, the Radlett Foundation has also donated more than 250 of Humphries’ objects in his collection of ceramics and decorative arts.
To reflect Humphries’ support for Indigenous communities, an Indigenous gallery space will be constructed at the centre of the permanent collection galleries located on the main floor. These galleries will be redesigned to showcase stories of Canadian and Indigenous cultures.
“The Radlett Foundation’s transformational gift will ensure the Gardiner Museum’s future as a vibrant community hub that welcomes all people and ignites a sense of creativity and wonder,” Gabrielle Peacock, executive director & CEO of the Gardiner Museum, said in a press release.
The renovation is expected to cost a total of about $14 million and the construction is set to begin in summer 2024.
