Vancouver Art Gallery announces departure of CEO Anthony Kiendl
Gallery 'shifting gears to a new version of the capital project,' says VAG board chair
The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) says it is parting ways with its CEO and executive director, Anthony Kiendl.
Its board of trustees made the announcement Tuesday, saying Kiendl is "leaving the Gallery to pursue other professional and personal interests."
Kiendl had been with the VAG since August 2020 and helped the gallery navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
VAG board chair Jon Stovell told CBC News he can't share specific details of discussions with Kiendl, but that the gallery is shifting gears to a different version of its capital project — a new space for VAG being built at the corner of Cambie and West Georgia streets — and that Kiendl had other things he wanted to pursue.
"It just seemed like a suitable time to amicably go in different directions," Stovell said.
Kiendl told Radio-Canada the decision was mutual and that while he sees this as a bump in the road for the new building project, he is confident it will come to fruition.
"I wouldn't characterize it as a clash, and I think it's maybe a little early to unpack at this moment," he said. "I can't really comment on what Jon said, but I am excited to return to the gallery to open this exhibition in a few weeks time and that's really what I'm focused on right now."
A VAG release says Kiendl will remain as curator for the upcoming VAG exhibition, Lucy Raven: Murderers Bar, opening on April 18.
Stovell said the gallery is in no rush to find a replacement for Kiendl.
Its deputy director and director of curatorial programs, Eva Respini, and senior director of public engagement and learning, Sirish Rao, will be serving as interim leaders. Stovell said both are highly regarded in the arts community.
"We're going to evaluate our leadership requirements and map those on to our plan going forward over the next few years and see later in the year where we end up in terms of bringing in new leadership," he said.
A challenging time for non-profits
The news comes after an announcement in December that the Vancouver Art Gallery was scrapping its new building design after the projected cost rose by 50 per cent, to $600 million.
"Many in the community have criticized it as being overly ambitious, and I think there's an element of truth to that," said Stovell.
"We are now, and have been, quite public in saying we're pursuing a more … calibrated response to the current economic climate and the current, actual needs of the gallery within the City of Vancouver."
The VAG has since been seeking a new direction for the building, and a new architecture firm.
Stovell said he hopes the internal process of picking a new design will be wrapped up by late May to early June, since they have already received applications with simpler designs from Canadian architectural firms.
"All non-profits are struggling and trying to find the correct funding model and how to manage these very expensive facilities, and still meet the expectations of the public," he said.
"Where positivity lies in the project is the fact that the city is still very much with us — bless them for holding that very valuable piece of land for us."
While he has seen people recommend old department store locations, such as Nordstrom and the Bay, Stovell said they're actually not easier because of the cost to lease and renovate them.
The design is changing, but he said the current site — which the city is providing at no cost on a 99-year lease — is still by far the most cost-effective choice.
A relay race
Stovell said the project started something like 14 years ago, and that every VAG director since then has had a role in it.
Vancouver Coun. and VAG trustee Sarah Kirby-Yung likened the process to a relay race.
"You have a baton and you're handing it off to different people along the way," she said. "Anthony Kiendl joined the VAG during COVID, a very demanding time…, [and] he was fantastic and brought on a great leadership team, but we are really excited to move forward with this project."
She said the VAG is taking a pragmatic approach to getting the building over the finish line in the current "cost environment."
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With files from Justin McElroy and Radio-Canada