April 16, 2015. The Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) is pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative, the Poole Centre of Design at the AGA. This exciting series of design-centred programs is made possible by a generous donation from the John and Barbara Poole Family Fund, through the Edmonton Community Foundation.
The new Poole Centre of Design will be an integrated series of programs organized and presented by the AGA to explore current design thinking, generate new ideas and new design- centred projects. The goal of the Poole Centre of Design is to encourage research and public discussion about contemporary issues in design, in both theory and practice. Poole Centre of Design programs will be incorporated across the breadth of AGA activities, from school tours to exhibitions, workshops to symposia. Each year the AGA will develop new elements that will contribute to the forward-thinking conceptualization, open discussion and active demonstration of current ideas in design in workshops, lectures, symposia, education programs and exhibitions.
“Poole Centre of Design programs will be focused on encouraging public awareness about the design decisions–both large and small—that are made by and impact everyone,” says Catherine Crowston, AGA Executive Director / Chief Curator. “Through innovative and integrated design content embedded across AGA programming, we aim to create a higher level of discourse about the impacts of design on our daily lives, as both products and processes, past and future.”
The late John and Barbara Poole were great patrons of the arts and culture in Alberta, having worked with and supported such organizations as the Citadel Theatre, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Alberta Ballet, The Banff Centre, the University of Alberta and MacEwan University, in addition to the Art Gallery of Alberta.
"When the new Gallery was being built, our parents, John and Barbara, hoped that future AGA would engage people throughout Alberta from all walks of life—plumbers, nurses, bank tellers, whomever—in how design affects us every day,” explains John and Barbara’s son, Peter Poole. “Just as the Art Gallery of Alberta has become one of Canada's great galleries, we also believe that it will now be a leading hub for design thinking."
The visual identity for the Poole Centre of Design is a flexible, dynamic mark that embodies the creative spirit of design practice, while expressing coherence with the AGA’s current logo. The mark will adapt to each new exhibition’s content, processes of material production, or contributors in a chameleon-like fashion.
A list of upcoming Poole Centre of Design exhibitions and programs will be announced in the coming weeks, with the first exhibition opening on May 19, 2015.
The Poole Centre of Design is made possible by funds from the John and Barbara Poole Family Fund, through the Edmonton Community Foundation.
ABOUT THE ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA
The Art Gallery of Alberta is a centre of excellence for the visual arts in Western Canada, connecting people, art and ideas. The AGA is focused on the development and presentation of original exhibitions of contemporary and historical art from Alberta, Canada and around the world. The AGA also offers a full-range of art education and public programs. Founded in 1924, the Art Gallery of Alberta maintains a collection of more than 6,000 objects and is the oldest cultural institution in Alberta. It is the only museum in the province solely dedicated to the exhibition and preservation of art and visual culture.
The Art Gallery of Alberta is a not-for-profit organization that relies on the support of its Members, donors, sponsors and government. The AGA is grateful for the generous support of the many public and private donors and sponsors who have made the AGA’s New Vision possible, as well as the ongoing support of the City of Edmonton, the Edmonton Arts Council, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Canada Council for the Arts and our Members.