By Erin Bury
The Portrait Gallery of Canada, located in the quaint three-storey building across from Parliament Hill on Wellington Street, is on time and on budget for the gallery’s December 2007 completion date.
“The Portrait Gallery is like a jewel box and a treasure chest,” says Dr. Lilly Koltun, the gallery director. “When you walk in you suddenly see these wonderful treasures that you didn’t know already belonged to Canadians.”
The federal government announced plans to establish the gallery in January 2001 and, later that year appointed Koltun as the gallery director.
Work is currently under way to assemble the extensive portrait collection as well as to renovate the existing building to double the exhibit space.
The Portrait Gallery will be the first federally funded gallery to open since the National Gallery in 1880 and will give Canadians the opportunity to see portraits dating from the 17th century to the present day.
“The overarching theme is the idea that we want to talk about Canadian history from the perspective of the people who made it,” says Koltun.
That means a full range of people — from celebrities like Wayne Gretzky to historical figures and ordinary Canadians — will be depicted in paintings, drawings, photographs and even sculptures and multimedia, says Koltun.
Ruth Phillips, an art history professor at Carleton University and guest curator at the Portrait Gallery, says people connect with portraits because they can identify with their stories.
“People do respond very strongly to the histories of other human beings who have lived in earlier times and that come from different social and cultural worlds,” Phillips says. “The gallery is like a historical People Magazine.”
Portraits in the gallery will be selected from the National Archives of Canada’s extensive collection of portraits that dates back to the late 19th century. The gallery will also purchase new works and will occasionally commission portraits from Canadian artists.
Once open, the gallery will house a permanent portrait collection arranged in chronological order.
The gallery will also have temporary exhibitions that will change every three to four months and each will have a specific theme. Phillips is currently developing a temporary exhibit of Native portraits from the time of European contact.
She says the gallery fills a niche in Ottawa because it provides a narrative of Canadian history that is chronological, but will also bring out overarching themes, such as minority struggles and founding fathers.
Koltun says that setting up the gallery at 100 Wellington Street, the building previously occupied by the American embassy, will allow it to remain public.
Koltun believes the gallery’s proximity to the Parliament buildings will increase traffic.
“A very good part of our visitors will come from people who are visiting Parliament Hill, so I think it’s crucial to be positioned there,” she says.
She estimates that 250,000 tourists will cross the street from Parliament Hill to visit the gallery every year.
Phillips says it’s fitting that the gallery is located in the nation’s capital because “the portraits are a part of national history, so (the gallery) belongs with the other national institutions.”
Other countries like Australia already have portrait galleries and some think it’s about time Canada joined their ranks.
“A number of major countries have national portrait galleries,” says Allan Ryan, a Carleton University art history professor. “Canada should have one.”
Ryan also agrees that the gallery has an important cultural role to play. “Canadian identity is continually dynamic and an important aspect to reflect,” he says.
Ottawa residents can follow the progress of the Portrait Gallery renovation at www.portraits.gc.ca.