Philanthropist Bob Williams will match up to $500,000 in donations to the Inuit Art Centre

Unique opportunity extends until November 30, 2020

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Treaty 1 Territory, September 3, 2020: The Winnipeg Art Gallery is excited to announce a unique giving opportunity in the lead-up to the opening of the WAG Inuit Art Centre in a few short months. Winnipeg philanthropist Bob Williams will match up to $500,000 in donations to the Inuit Art Centre until the end of November.

Quick Facts:

• Williams has already made major contributions to the $65M capital project.
• After a recent hard-hat tour, Williams announced he would make an even greater contribution by matching every donation made by November 30, 2020, dollar-for-dollar, up to $500,000.
• Once inside the almost-completed building, he was even more impressed with the striking architecture and the opportunities this one-of-a-kind Centre will present.
• The WAG extends an invitation to the community to help raise the matching funds and honour Williams’ generous gift.
• Williams believes the Inuit Art Centre, like the original WAG, will be a cultural landmark that does Canada proud, attracting Canadians and visitors from around the world.
• The Centre will benefit Manitoba and Inuit artists, whose work will be further shared and appreciated in a setting that echoes the power and beauty of the art itself.
• Williams says Manitobans are known for their generosity and he is certain there are many people who want to help create the WAG Inuit Art Centre, and he hopes this opportunity will encourage others to contribute.

About the WAG Inuit Art Centre:

• The WAG Inuit Art Centre is the first art museum of its kind, bringing Inuit voices to the forefront, dedicated to the art and culture of Inuit from Canada and beyond.
• The Centre will innovate the art museum, taking art from object to full sensory experience with Inuit-led programming, complementing and augmenting the cutting-edge art education that the WAG offers today.
• The new 40,000-square-foot-building designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture with Cibinel Architecture will connect to the WAG on all four levels, providing stunning exhibition, learning and event spaces; a revamped shop; plus a new café on the main level in partnership with Sparrow Hotels.
• The Inuit Art Centre builds on the WAG’s long history of collecting and exhibiting Inuit art and working closely with Inuit partners and stakeholders, guided by the Gallery’s Indigenous Advisory Circle.

Quotes:

“I hope you’ll join me in helping to build this important and iconic museum. The Inuit Art Centre will soon celebrate its grand opening and I know that, like me, you will feel enormously proud when you walk through the doors and can say, ‘I helped create this.”
—Bob Williams

“All of us at the WAG are thrilled and incredibly grateful for Bob Williams’ investment in the Inuit Art Centre. This is the second of two majors gifts that he has made to the project. Bob’s genuine desire to help bring the Inuit art collection to light, combined with his passion for Winnipeg and Manitoba, make this gift especially meaningful. Art is a Voice, a universal language that inspires connection and understanding.”
—Dr. Stephen Borys, Director & CEO, Winnipeg Art Gallery

Associated Links
Winnipeg Art Gallery
WAG Inuit Art Centre

Stay Connected

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram #atwag #inuitartcentre #artisavoice

-30-

For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Amy Rebecca Harrison
Engagement Supervisor
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1347
aharrison@wag.ca

Amber O’Reilly
Engagement Officer
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1295
PublicRelations@wag.ca

The Winnipeg Art Gallery is a cultural advocate using art to connect, inspire, and inform. Playing a dynamic role in the community, we are a place for learning, dialogue, and enjoyment through art. The WAG holds in trust the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. To celebrate the art and to honour the Inuit, the WAG is building the Inuit Art Centre, the first of its kind. Opening soon, the Centre will bridge Canada’s North and South through exhibitions, research, education, and art making. To learn more visit wag.ca

Back to Media