Vancouver’s Story Begins Here 2019 ANNUAL REPORT EXPLORE DISCOVER CONNECT Table of Contents Letter from the CEO .......................................6 Letter from The Chair of the Board ..............8 Feature Exhibitions ......................................10 The MOV Collection.....................................22 School & Education Programs .....................28 Public Programs & Events ............................34 Marketing and Communications .................40 Members and Donors ..................................42 Staff & Volunteers .......................................45 Financials .....................................................50 VISION Our vision is to inspire a socially connected, civically engaged city. MISSION Our mission is to deepen our understanding of Vancouver through stories, objects and shared experiences. 2019 was an exceptionally strong year for and outreach efforts by the Education The Post, launching in 2023. The first set of Museum of Vancouver, with very positive Department brought the museum dedicated restored signs were debuted to the public in revenue and attendance numbers for the group bookings and engagements, most notably November at the Lumiere Festival in šxʷƛ̓ənəq organization. Over the year, MOV mounted with Routes Adventures. Taking inspiration and Xwtl’e7énḵ Square. three new exhibitions: There is Truth Here: support from the MOV pillar of reconciliation, Creativity and Resilience in Children’s Art from the museum piloted its first-ever Indigenous Linking the objects, artefacts, and belongings in Indian Residential and Day Schools, which Artisan Workshop Series, creating a social the collection with the community at large will focused on rare surviving artworks created by enterprise and platform for local Indigenous augment the museum’s capacity to engagingly children who attended the Inkameep Day School Artisans to share their knowledge and gain convey the stories of Vancouver, increase the (Okanagan), St Michael’s Indian Residential access to a wider, more engaged audience. community’s involvement with the museum, and School (Alert Bay), the Alberni Indian Residential utilize MOV’s collection and curatorial expertise School (Vancouver Island), and Mackay Indian Over the course of the year, MOV also as vectors for enhanced community participation, Residential School (Manitoba); Strata of extended and deepened its role and activity to raise awareness of the museum and its role in Many Truths, a partnership with the Capture in the community through a more proactive Vancouver’s civic history. Photography Festival that offered a unique, local and collaborative partnership program that links its collectionLETTER with the city and its people. I look forward to another active year for MOV as counterpoint to the exhibition There is Truth Here; and the studio collaboration Dragon Jars Working closely with the City of Vancouver and we continue to deliver on our vision and mandate and Lotus Bowls with the Canadian Society for the Haida Nation, we successfully repatriated to inspire a socially connected, civically aware Asian Arts, which featured Asian ceramics from a collection of cultural artefacts, including city and deepen the understanding of Vancouver the Jean MacKay Fahrni collection, generously two totem poles, to Haida Gwaii. MOV also through stories, objects, and shared experiences. donated to the museum in 1992 by the increased access to itsFROM building and collection Hongkong Bank of Canada and containing many through open partnerships with groups such as pieces that have not been publicly displayed. the Indian Summer Festival, the Contemporary The exhibition also marked and celebrated the Art Gallery, Simon Fraser University (SFU), the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Society for DOXA Documentary Film Festival, and others. Asian Arts, and Mrs. Jean Mackay Fahrni’s 100th Our commitment to fostering more access birthday—two remarkable achievements. points toTHE the collection was also brought to a CEO whole new level this year through a partnership 2019 was also a very strong year for MOV’s with Quadreal Properties, which has generously educational and public programming activities, provided funding for the conservation and Mauro Vescera with record numbers of students, teachers, restoration of over 20 neon signs from the Chief Executive Officer and community members participating in the collection. The signs will be displayed within all museum’s initiatives. Innovative partnerships the public spaces of their new development, 6 7 2019 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Building on the momentum Under the guidance and direction home to Haida Gwaii in July 2019. are invaluable and much appreciated. from the previous year, MOV of MOV’s CEO, Mauro Vescera, MOV’s educational programming Simply put, we could not do all the work continued to not only increase 2019 saw a rapid increase in continued to grow, outperforming without your enthusiasm, dedication, and Joan Young (Chair) general attendance but also strategic partnerships and 2018’s numbers for bookings and passion for this vital organization and its Nigel Bullers (Vice Chair) significantly expand its visibility innovative business practices attendance. important role in the community. and reach in 2019. that supported the organization’s Eddy Adra (Treasurer) vision and mandate. Securing The Board’s strong committee Although MOV saw a limited multiple channels of funding structure enabled valuable Christina Clarke number of small-scaleLETTER exhibition through grants and fundraising insights to help shape how the Pamela Goossen openings, which included There has allowed MOV to flourish with museum presents itself to the is Truth Here, Strata of Many the work it already produces while public through our four thematic Chief Janice George Truths, and Dragon Jars and also creating further possibilities pillars: Reconciliation, Immigration Lotus Bowls, our numbers, for more diverse and unique & Diversity, Sustainability & Melissa Holland revenue, and social following programming, initiatives, and Environment, and Urban Issues. Joan Young exceededFROM 2018’s figures. The creative opportunities. THEI thank the whole Board for Chair of the 2019 Dr. Bruce Miller Board of Directors important themes and work their tremendous commitment Linda Morris that these exhibitions tackled As in the previous year, 2019 and volunteer service to the and showcased are a testament saw record-breaking admissions community. They add immense Leona Sparrow to the unwavering attention attendance and revenue, while value to the process of shaping and brought to the museum. A simultaneously strengthening its directing the mandate and reach of Karen Thomas shift in theCHAIR direction taken by relationships with partnership OFthe organization as a whole. marketing, which focused on organizations and local First Mark Virgin telling our story through the Nations groups. Following the Finally, a word of thanks to our Virginia Weiler collection and featuring the guiding principles of reconciliation, many supporters—members, work done by the team, further two large totem poles, two pole donors, funders, sponsors, visitors, Kory Wilson augmented and amplified fragments, and two culturally volunteers, and our talented and THEthe community’s reach and sensitiveBOARD belongings were returned dedicated staff. Your contributions Lillian Tummonds engagement with MOV. Arnold Singh 8 9 In 2019, MOV completed four modest- Notably, MOV received the BC sized exhibitions and pursued the Museum Association’s Award of planning and production phases of Outstanding Achievement in the two large-scale exhibitions scheduled Exhibition Category for Wild Things: for 2020. In 2019 alone, the museum The Power of Nature in Our Lives collaborated with over 43 partnering (June 2018 to January 2020). Wild FEATURE organizations in the planning and Things capitalized on the power of execution of its curatorial program. storytelling to create an intimate, Partnering groups ranged from poetic, and playful space for thinking Indigenous organizations (6) and about personal connections with artists (10), to university-based (and disconnections from) nature in EXHIBITIONS research centres (6), government the city. The exhibition was recognized agencies (4), and publishing houses for featuring and building on the (1), to private collectors (9), and collective wisdom of an impressive organizations devoted to photography, cast of environmentally minded Chinese Canadian history, and knowledge holders, designers, environmental education (7). The community groups, and civic and 2019 exhibitions explored topical educational organizations. issues, including urban Indigeneity and the legacy of residential schools, environmental degradation and literacy, immigration, diversity, and Total visitors in 2019: social cohesion. 85,068 10 11 April 5, 2019 to January 5, 2020 Curation: Andrea Walsh; MOV Curation: Sharon Fortney there Curated by University of to contribute in new ways to Victoria professor Andrea dialogues about truth telling, Walsh, There is Truth Here reconciliation, and redress in is was a 1,800 sq. ft. traveling Canada. exhibition that presented rare surviving artworks created There is Truth Here was by children who attended curated in collaboration with truth the Inkameep Day School residential and day school (Okanagan), St Michael’s Indian survivors and former students Residential School (Alert Bay), who created these works the Alberni Indian Residential when they were children, here School (Vancouver