New life for historic pavilion
The Pavilion reopens following $2.3-million makeover
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This article was published 03/10/2016 (3316 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
After nearly a year of renovations, the centrepiece of Assiniboine Park has received a facelift.
The Pavilion at Assiniboine Park reopened to the public on Sept. 28 with officials unveiling newly renovated and refurbished galleries, a bronze sculpture by renowned artist Ivan Eyre titled Plains Call, and a partnership with the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG).
Margaret Redmond, president and CEO of Assiniboine Park Conservancy, said the $2.3-million renovation, which included a new roof and mechanics, will return the pavilion to its “rightful place” at the centre of the park and continue to enhance public appreciation of art.
“We’re really pleased to unveil it to the public in its new refreshed form,” Redmond said.
“The second floor galleries have all been refreshed. There’s a great photographic exhibit there of old heritage photos of the park — a great reminder of where it came from and how important it’s always been.
“And the third floor galleries have been completely redone. They’ve been opened up to natural light and people will notice great vibrancy and a beautifully curated exhibit of some works of Ivan Eyre’s that they may never have seen.”
Previously, the third floor gallery was shuttered to natural light and the grey walls and carpet meant the vibrancy of Eyre’s work was diminished. Today, the gallery is bright with white walls, open windows, and beautiful hardwood floors to make visitors feel at home as they view his early works.
As part of the rejuvenation, Assiniboine Park has also partnered with the WAG to create WAG@ThePark. The new initiative hands over curatorial reins to the art gallery which will provide its expertise and vision in order to enhance the free public exhibits.
“We bring all of our team here — curatorial, conservation, research, education — to the benefit of the park,” Stephen Borys, CEO of the WAG, said. “So every exhibition that’s curated here will have the gold stamp of WAG standards but also maximize the collections that are here.
“In the end, it’s going to be the millions of visitors that come here each year that will benefit, and I can’t think of a more beautiful, natural setting to view art in than here at Assiniboine Park.”
Redmond said the park is also in conversation with a number of possible tenants in order to open a restaurant on the first floor.
“We’ve been refurbishing the restaurant space as well and we’re in the process of looking for a new tenant for that once it’s ready,” Redmond said.
The public is invited to check out the new Pavilion and visit the exhibits for free. Currently on display is Wasteland Dreamland, the early works by Ivan Eyre; Wherever I Happen to Be, watercolours and prints by Walter J. Phillips; and Pavilion in the Park, a new exhibition of historical photographs featuring the original Pavilion and surrounding spaces.
