Audain Art Museum

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Audain Art Museum
Audain Art Museum, Vancouver, Patkau.png
View at the Audain Art Museum
Audain Art Museum
Established2016
Location Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates 50°07′04″N122°57′11″W / 50.1179°N 122.9531°W / 50.1179; -122.9531
Type Art museum
Key holdings Emily Carr, Dana Claxton, Stan Douglas, Rodney Graham, E.J. Hughes, Marianne Nicolson, Gordon Smith, Jack Shadbolt, Jeff Wall
CollectionsArtworks from coastal British Columbia
Collection size200
Founder Michael Audain
Architect Patkau Architects
Website audainartmuseum.com

The Audain Art Museum is a 56,000-square-foot private museum located in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, that houses the private art collection of Michael Audain. [1] Designed by Patkau Architects and opened to the public in 2016, it holds a comprehensive permanent collection of British Columbian art. [2]

Contents

Design

The site is moderately forested with mature spruce and cedar trees. [3] In an effort to preserve the site's ecology only a single tree was removed during the initial phase of construction. [3] The design is intended to blend into the existing site. Its cladding "is an intentionally recessive colour—it recedes into the shadows, and that's our view of the appropriate relationship between it and the context". [3]

The museum's design was shaped by its function as a gallery, by the challenging site in the Fitzsimmons Creek floodplain which poses a flood risk, and the enormous amount of annual snowfall Whistler receives. [4]

Awards

Permanent collection

First Nations War Canoes in Alert Bay by Emily Carr (1871-1945), in the museum collection War Canoes, Alert Bay.jpeg
First Nations War Canoes in Alert Bay by Emily Carr (1871–1945), in the museum collection

The Audain Art Museum displays a permanent collection of nearly 200 works of art from coastal British Columbia. [12] The works span from the 18th century to the modern era and present day, containing a collection of Northwest Coast First Nations masks, a collection of works encompassing all periods of Emily Carr's artistic career as well as art by important post-war modernists such as E.J. Hughes, Gordon Smith and Jack Shadbolt. [12] The collection also showcases art by internationally renowned contemporary British Columbia artists including Jeff Wall, Dana Claxton, Marianne Nicolson, Rodney Graham and Stan Douglas, among others. [12]

Accessibility

All public areas of the museum are wheelchair-accessible. [13]

Past exhibitions

Since its inception, the Audain Art Museum has hosted numerous temporary exhibitions, displaying a variety of artworks. [14]

Governance

The Audain Art Museum is incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, effective October 4, 2012, and is a Registered Charity. [20] The Museum's Board of Trustees serves as its governing body. [20]

References

  1. Novakovic, Stefan (2018-05-11). "Governor General's Medal Winner: Audain Art Museum". Canadian Architect. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  2. Agolli, Silvana. "Vision | Whistler, BC | Audain Art Museum in Whistler". Audain Art Museum. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  3. 1 2 3 "New Audain Art Museum finds a fitting forest setting". The Georgia Straight. 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  4. Agolli, Silvana. "Architecture | Audain Art Museum in Whistler". Audain Art Museum. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  5. "Feast your eyes on the 2017 Wood Design & Building Award winning projects". Archinect. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  6. "Architectural Awards of Excellence". AFBC. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  7. Azure (2017-06-23). "2017 AZ Awards Winner: Architecture Over 1,000 Square Metres". Azure Magazine. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  8. Canadian Wood Council (2018-01-17). "Awarding Excellence in Wood Architecture and Design" . Retrieved 2021-02-28.
  9. Novakovic, Stefan (2018-05-09). "Audain Art Museum a Canadian winner at 2018 RIBA International Award". Canadian Architect. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  10. "Audain Art Museum wins a Governor General's Medal in Architecture". The Georgia Straight. 2018-05-07. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  11. "Audain Art Museum wins 2018 AIA Award – REMI Network". REMINET. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  12. 1 2 3 "Permanent Collection of British Columbia Art in Whistler | Audain Museum". Audain Art Museum. Archived from the original on 2022-04-04. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  13. AMI: Accessible Media Inc. (2017-02-17). Audain Art Museum . Retrieved 2025-04-20 via YouTube.
  14. Agolli, Silvana. "Past Exhibitions". Audain Art Museum. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  15. Dick, Beau; Barsky, J.; Dick, Linnea; Martens, Darren J.; Morren, Peter; Audain Art Museum (2018). Beau Dick: Revolutionary Spirit. Vancouver. Figure 1. via Worldcat.org.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  16. Carr, Emily; Bridge, Katheryn (2019). Emily Carr: Fresh Seeing. Vancouver: Audain Art Museum. Figure 1 via Worldcat.org.
  17. Campbell, N. (2019). Itee Pootoogook: Hymns to the Silence. Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions. via Worldcat.org.
  18. Riopelle, Jean Paul; Roy, Adrienne; Des Rochers, Jacques; Riopelleurl, Yseult. Roy, A. et al. (2020). Riopelle: The Call of Northern Landscapes and Indigenous Cultures. Milan: 5 Continents. OCLC   1237696718.
  19. Bob, Dempsy; Milroy, Sarah (2022). Milroy, S. (ed.) Dempsey Bob: In His Own Voice. Vancouver: Figure 1. Audain Art Museum, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Kelowna Art Gallery. Figure 1. OCLC   1291402823.
  20. 1 2 Agolli, Silvana. "Governance Statement". Audain Art Museum. Retrieved 2025-04-20.