Federal Funding Illuminates Surrey's Urban Screen

Member of Parliament Nina Grewal announces support for digital art project


SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb. 10, 2015) - Department of Canadian Heritage

The Surrey Art Gallery Association will receive funding of $189,000 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund for Surrey's Urban Screen project. Nina Grewal, Member of Parliament (Fleetwood-Port Kells), announced this support today on behalf of the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

Located at the Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre, Surrey's Urban Screen is a satellite venue of the Surrey Art Gallery. It is Canada's largest non-commercial outdoor screen dedicated to presenting digital and interactive art.

This support will allow the Surrey Art Gallery Association to update the Urban Screen's existing infrastructure by purchasing high-powered data projectors with 3-D technology, specialized bulbs and temperature-controlled housings, as well as computers, routers and related software.

Quick Facts

  • The Surrey Art Gallery, established in 1975, is owned and operated by the City of Surrey. The Gallery presents exhibitions and programming related to contemporary art.
  • The Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre was used as the Games Preparation Centre during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and has since been converted into a multi-purpose community facility.
  • Surrey's Urban Screen is also a legacy project of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. The screen is over 30 metres wide and 10 metres tall. It uses projectors to turn the west wall of the recreation centre into a display surface for digital art.
  • The Canada Cultural Spaces Fund seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and innovation. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing arts, visual arts, media arts, and to museum collections and heritage displays.

Quotes
"Surrey's Urban Screen supports innovation by making art accessible in exciting ways and by encouraging the development of new digital technologies. I am thrilled to see this project-which raises the profile of digital and interactive art-lighting up Surrey's city centre."

-The Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

"Thanks to the efforts and vision of the Surrey Art Gallery Association, the Urban Screen project provides a dynamic canvas from which artists' work can be promoted. With a rapidly changing digital media field, this project will provide much-needed upgrades, allowing artists to continue to showcase leading-edge art in the digital era."

-Nina Grewal, Member of Parliament (Fleetwood-Port Kells)

"The City of Surrey is honoured to partner with the federal government on a key infrastructure project which acknowledges Surrey as a rapidly growing, important cultural centre in this country. With its planned new equipment, equally funded by the City of Surrey and the Department of Canadian Heritage, our Urban Screen venue will be able to continue the work of the Surrey Art Gallery to provide a strong and vital arts opportunity for the residents of Surrey."

-Her Worship Linda Hepner, Mayor of Surrey

"Surrey's Urban Screen, located at the Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre, is an integral part of Surrey's Cultural Corridor. Presenting unique youth media projects and curated exhibitions, it is an offsite venue of the Surrey Art Gallery's digital exhibition program. Urban Screen offers an extraordinary opportunity for our community to experience contemporary digital and interactive art together, at a monumental scale. The City of Surrey has committed to matching the grant offered by the Department of Canadian Heritage's Canada Cultural Spaces Fund for specialized equipment."

-Councillor Judy Villeneuve, Chair, Cultural Development Advisory Committee, and Chair, Public Art Advisory Committee

"The Surrey Art Gallery Association has been a partner in fundraising to support the Gallery's commitment to contemporary art, including its specialization in production and presentation of digital media since the launch of its TechLab in 1998. We are pleased the Urban Screen venue has received international recognition for its partnership with artists as well as its innovative programming. We anticipate the venue will continue to showcase the capacity of artists to use leading-edge technology to create experiences that are meaningful to our community."

-Joan Owen, President, Surrey Art Gallery Association

Associated Links

Surrey Urban Screen

Surrey Art Gallery Association

Canada Cultural Spaces Fund

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Contact Information:

Marisa Monnin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages
819-997-7788

Anna Gravelle
A/Regional Communications Manager
Canadian Heritage
Western Region
604-666-6504

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