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Art gallery group becomes registered charity in step towards realizing Duncan dream

Becoming a registered charity enables the CVPAG to greatly expand its potential donor base
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Jean Crowder, former MP for Nanaimo-Cowichan, is the CVPAG honourary chair. (Submitted)

The Cowichan Valley Public Art Gallery Society took a big step towards building a world-class art gallery in Duncan by becoming a registered charity recently.

Becoming a registered charity enables the CVPAG to greatly expand its potential donor base by allowing it to approach private foundations and individual donors whose mandate is to support the arts. The society is now able to issue charitable receipts for donations received.

The CVPAG plans to produce public art exhibitions of world class local and international art, and to advance education by offering public classes on topics like art history and the artist’s creative process.

As part of its vision to support and encourage the arts in the Cowichan Valley, CVPAG is presently planning a series of exhibitions that will commence as soon as COVID restrictions are relaxed.

According to Jock Hildebrand, president of the Cowichan Valley Public Art Gallery Society, the benefit of creating a world-class gallery in the Cowichan Valley will be substantial.

“We’ve looked at many case studies, some of them very famous, such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, which completely changed the economy and the nature of the community there,” said Hildebrand.

The CVPAG’s plans are ambitious, with a vision of creating a huge gallery space, along with gift shop, café, and workshop spaces on and around the Green Door property in Duncan (while retaining the Green Door building).