The Vernon Public Art Gallery dealt with water leaks after a snowstorm Nov. 26.
Image Credit: Vernon Public Art Gallery
November 27, 2014 - 1:01 PM
VERNON - Like shoveling snow and scraping down windshields, preparing for leaks has become a vexing winter tradition at the Vernon Public Art Gallery.
A large snow storm Wednesday left the gallery with multiple leaks to deal with.
“It’s an ongoing issue with the building,” executive director Dauna Kennedy Grant says. “We have chronic leakage whenever there’s heavy rain or snow.”
The gallery has resorted to storing all items—except for those on display—under sheets of plastic to protect them from water damage.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s our preventative measure,” Kennedy Grant says.
Staff were also quick to get buckets under the leaks and fortunately no artwork was damaged. There are some areas of the building where leaks are expected, but there are always new ones popping up.
“We never know if it’s going to be in the gallery space or not,” Kennedy Grant says.
The gallery shut down last December due to flooding, and Kennedy Grant says the repeated issues highlight the need for a new facility. The gallery has been pushing for a referendum on a new art gallery for years, but feels it is constantly being moved to the back burner.
“It (water leaks) is one of the ongoing challenges staff has to deal with that takes us away from what we should be doing,” Kennedy Grant says.
The gallery also feels it has outgrown the space and needs more room. It may need to cut down on the number of exhibitors in an upcoming international art show if it can’t find additional gallery space in the community.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014