WAG Announces $1 Million Gift to the Inuit Art Centre

Winnipeg, Manitoba, October 5, 2018: The Winnipeg Art Gallery is pleased to announce a gift of $1 million from Doug and Louise Leatherdale towards the Inuit Art Centre. In recognition of this generous gift, the Doug and Louise Leatherdale Gallery will be established in the new building, which will connect to the WAG on all levels.

The WAG Inuit Art Centre will be home to the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art on earth and will have significant economic, social, and cultural return for Manitobans and Canadians, now and in the future. The Centre will create jobs and training opportunities, and boost tourism and economic investment, while enhancing education and cultural understanding.

Quick Facts

• The $1million gift funds the Doug and Louise Leatherdale Gallery, an intimate space complementing exhibitions by exploring themes in more depth and by offering alternative perspectives.
• Born in Morden, Manitoba, Doug Leatherdale (1936-2015) attended United College, now the University of Winnipeg, before moving to Minnesota and serving as the CEO of the St. Paul Companies.
• Louise Leatherdale graduated from Indiana University with an education degree and taught elementary math and science for many years before working in marketing for United Heathcare.
• Together, the couple started Leatherdale Farms, a premier Hanoverian horse farm located west of Minneapolis.
• The new 40,000 square foot, four-storey WAG Inuit Art Centre is a $65 million initiative creating exhibition spaces, a glass enclosed visible art vault, a conservation facility, art studios, a two-level interactive theatre, classrooms, and more.
• The Centre will offer ongoing education in Inuit history, culture, and art, in partnership with Inuit.
• Currently under construction, the Centre is set to open in 2020, Manitoba’s 150th anniversary.
• With over 13,000 carvings, drawings, prints, textiles, and new media, the WAG holds in trust the world’s largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art. The collection is supported by an unparalleled record of Inuit art exhibitions, publications, and research.
• Established in 1912, the WAG is Canada’s oldest civic art gallery, housed in an iconic modernist building.

Quotes

The WAG Inuit Art Gallery will be a true jewel in the crown of Winnipeg! With its remarkable and extensive collection of Inuit art and now with a building that will truly show the world this collection, we are thrilled to see the Centre act as a catalyst for promoting and raising awareness of Inuit art, artists, and culture to a much wider national and global audience.
-Mrs. Louise Leatherdale

The Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Inuit Art Centre would not be where it is today without the generosity of people like Doug and Louise Leatherdale. They are champions of the Centre, stepping forward to create a platform for Inuit who use their voice and language to share their stories with the world.
-Dr. Stephen Borys, Director & CEO, Winnipeg Art Gallery

Associated Links:

Winnipeg Art Gallery
Inuit Art Centre

Stay Connected

Visit wag.ca and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram  #inuitartcentre

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Catherine Maksymiuk
Manager, Media & Marketing
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1767
Media-Manager@wag.ca

Tammy Sawatzky
Public Relations Coordinator
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 on earth. To celebrate the art and to honour the Inuit, the WAG is building the Inuit Art Centre, the first of its kind in the world. Set to open in 2020, the Centre will bridge Canada’s North and South through exhibitions, research, education, and art making. To learn more visit wag.ca

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