BACKGROUNDER

Bob Rennie, Principal of Rennie Marketing Systems

For over 35 years, Rennie Marketing Systems has been at the forefront of marketing new developments and advising developers and the industry at large in the city of and beyond. Rennie Marketing Systems is one of the leading condominium sales and marketing firms in North America.

Founded by Bob Rennie, creator of the team’s approach and success, Rennie Marketing Systems is recognized for envisioning and growing Vancouver's condominium market–one of the most sophisticated markets in the world–and is often credited for changing the city’s skyline.

Bob has been marketing real estate since 1975, becoming a household name and recognized as a top authority in the local economy.

With a passion for contemporary art, Bob chairs the North America Acquisitions Committee (NAAC) at Tate Museum, London, is a member of the Tate International Council and sits on the Dean's Advisory Board to the Faculty of Arts at the University of . In recognition of his dedication to the arts and the arts community, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in 2008 and was recently appointed to the university’s Board of Governors.

In addition to sitting on the advisory board of Lower Mainland Steel, one of the largest single corporate supporters of Canuck Place, Bob also sits on the board for the Streetohome Foundation, a local organization that aims to help ensure the homeless in Vancouver have access to safe, decent, affordable housing and support services. With a personal interest in stabilizing Vancouver’s Chinatown, Bob renovated and restored the oldest building in Chinatown–the Wing Sang, constructed in 1889–to house his offices and a contemporary art museum.

Rennie Collection

Rennie Collection, one of the largest collections of contemporary art in Canada, has evolved over a number of years to focus on works related to identity, social injustice, appropriation, painting and photography. The Collection is dedicated not only to the acquisition of established international artists, but also the work of emerging artists. Currently there are approximately 40 artists collected in depth with about 200 artists in total. The collection, while based in Vancouver is usually spread across the globe, on loan to institutions like Guggenheim New York, MET, Pompidou, Smithsonian and Tate, amongst many others.

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Bob Rennie, principal of Rennie Collection, is active in the Vancouver and international art communities. He is Chair of the Tate North American Acquisitions Committee and a member of the Tate International Council. Locally, he sits on the Board of Governors of Emily Carr University of Art & Design in Vancouver as well as University of British Columbia Provost’s Committee on University Art. Rennie Collection at Wing Sang holds two exhibitions a year with supporting catalogues; admission is free by appointment.

The Wing Sang Building

The Wing Sang building is the oldest in Vancouver Chinatown. The Victorian Italianate structure located at 51 East Pender Street was constructed in 1889 for Yip Sang, a prominent Chinese-Canadian businessman whose Wing Sang Company flourished in an era when the Chinese faced discrimination and restrictions.

In 1901 the building was extended to 69 East Pender Street by architect Thomas Ennor Julian (best known for Holy Rosary Cathedral). In 1912, Yip Sang built a six-storey brick building across the alley behind Pender Street for his family, with an elevated passageway connecting the two buildings. Behind the six-storey building was Market Alley, a once thriving retail area with small shops and services which also served as a former center for the production of opium (legal in Canada until 1909). The building has had a rich and varied history and contains the oldest schoolroom in Vancouver. Wing Sang Building acquired historical preservation and heritage designation by the City of Vancouver in 1999.

More than four years of thoughtful restoration and renovation has turned this Vancouver heritage landmark into a private exhibition space for the Rennie Collection, an internationally acclaimed collection of contemporary art. Elegant, clean lines integrate with rich historic elements to create expansive spaces for art with focus on identity, social injustice, appropriation, painting and photography.

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Media contact: Royal BC Museum Media Enquiries 250-387-3207 [email protected]