Dear Editor:
Recently a letter was sent to you by Mr. and Mrs. Thomson that contained information that I would like to address as Chair of the Board of Management for the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.
In a recent interview with the Sun-Times, I clearly indicated that we will take another look at the current site for the Gallery. I also indicated that we may look at other sites which had not been identified. I did not say that we would undertake a complete re- think of our current plans. In fact I was clear that our goals had not changed. I was clear our timeline had not changed.
A long term solution built around storing the collection offsite is not a" best case "scenario for the Gallery. While other galleries in larger centers around the world may be able to do this effectively, this approach would pose challenges for us. The collection must be housed in a professional art storage centre. This would mean the majority of the collection would be located in Toronto. The distance, cost and insurance involved in transporting art to an appropriate storage facility would place significant strain on an already tight budget. Each time art is transported there is a potential for loss or damage to the collection magnified in our case by the distance. This would also negatively impact on curatorial staff, in terms of time and budget. The staff would have to travel to Toronto regularly in order to select work for exhibitions.
The ownership, custody and care of the collection are a matter under discussion with City staff and Council.
What is missing from the Thomson comments is the major issue of future operational and capital funding. As a city department the Gallery cannot access a wide range of funding now available to comparable incorporated galleries. The majority of Ontario's public art galleries are incorporated. We have thoroughly researched these significant long term funding opportunities. They are laid out in our business plan which is available to the public at www.tomthomson.org.
As a Board we are cognizant of the reality that all government funding is under stress. We understand that operational government funding will only come with modest increases. "Times are a changing". In order to maintain relevancy in the future, all galleries will need to be responsive to this changing funding environment. This means an incorporated TOM with the ability to capture a more diversified revenue streams to support the future expansion of the Gallery.
As a Board of Management for the City, charged with the care of a National treasure, we have endeavored to provide timely and accurate information to City Council and to the public. We have not presented three different business plans. Each time we have made a presentation we have provided the plan in more detail.
We have raised community awareness about the issues surrounding the TOM, i.e. space restrictions, the Cultural Property A status, custody, funding and others. The community is supportive as indicated by their response to us. The media response has also been supportive. Until this point in our process we have been focused on the request made to us last fall by Council, that we prepare a sustainable business plan to support Incorporation, and seek public support. As we move forward we have not ruled out further opportunities for the community input and dialogue.
Finally, we are a Board of Management comprised of two professional artists, two former Board chairs, and individuals experienced in business, management and a host of other talents and experiences. We are volunteers. The dedication and commitment of members of our Board which led to the development of a comprehensive business plan is unrivalled amongst the proposals and plans city council receives.
Drawing on the experience of previous boards we have delivered a plan which lays out in detail a way forward for the Gallery which will ensure its growth and relevancy into the next generation.
The way forward for an exciting, growing Gallery is incorporation.
Sincerely,
Linda Myles-Gallinger
