The Polygon asks City of North Van for deficit help

The Polygon Gallery will be getting a top-up from North Vancouver taxpayers after falling into a deficit.

Gallery director Reid Shier appeared at council Monday night asking for an additional $225,000 annually, over and above the operating grant they already get from the North Vancouver Recreation and Culture Commission.

“This contribution is the amount we require to support the operations of our new building at the foot of Lonsdale Avenue and in order that we might accomplish the goal we share with the City of North Vancouver to animate the foot of Lonsdale with engaging cultural programing, creating a vibrant community hub at the centre of the Shipyards District,” he said.

Shier said the annual cost of running the gallery has grown from $981,000 when it was still Presentation House Gallery at Third and Chesterfield to a projected $3.2 million.

“The need for greater staffing was exponentially larger than we had anticipated and that was a significantly big wrench in our budget,” he said.

Currently, the commission puts $175,000 per year into the gallery, about five per cent of their operating budget. Of that, $85,000 comes from the city. Shier cited larger subsidies to other museums, galleries and cultural facilities around the province as comparables. Presentation House Theatre, for example, gets $119,575 or 13 per cent of its operating budget from the city. The Kamloops Art Gallery receives $450,229 or 34 per cent of its total budget from its municipality.

Admission to the gallery is by donation only. That is thanks to a $100,000 per year grant from the Bank of Montreal, intended to ensure that cost is not a barrier for anyone to attend.

Shier said he’d brought up the funding shortfall with members of District of North Vancouver council but was left with little reason to make a formal request for more money there.

“We did not receive encouraging words of support from the mayor in particular, although he was diplomatic,” he said.

While the city council wasn’t prepared to give an additional $225,000 annually, Coun. Angela Girard got unanimous support for a motion asking staff to find another one-time $125,000 in the 2019 budget to help cover the shortfall.

Coun. Tina Hu noted that supporting arts and culture is a major aspect of the city’s recently approved strategic plan.

“I think it’s really important for people to learn about their arts and culture. Having said that, I do think it’s important to review your business plan just to come up with a revenue stream other than what you currently have to support your expenses on an ongoing basis,” she said.

Mayor Linda Buchanan said the request for a top-up had her wholehearted support because of the Polygon Gallery’s contributions to the neighbourhood.

“I think this is a world class organization and gallery within our city. For years, we’ve talked about the waterfront and the revitalization of the waterfront and all the pieces that we need to have to make that a success. Like any business, it sometimes takes several years to get your feet on the ground and get successful and move forward,” she said.

Coun. Holly Back, however, expressed more concern about the stability of the Polygon Gallery’s business plan over the longer term.

“At this point, with the information that I was given tonight and the dollars that we’re talking, I just think that it is a Band-Aid and I don’t feel confident with it,” she said. “It’s not that we don’t appreciate the arts. It’s a beautiful centre. It’s on a prime piece of property in the City of North Vancouver. It’s got every opportunity to make money and so I feel disappointed at this point in time that it’s in a deficit.”

Following the meeting, Shier said he was “tremendously grateful” for the city’s support.

“That goes a long way to addressing [the deficit]. We’ve already cut a number of programs. So we’ll be reviewing all of that and hopefully adding in the programs that had been cut. And we plan to balance the budget regardless. One way or another we’ll make that happen at the end of the year,” he said.

Shier said it’s possible he will be back before council with a similar request next year, but he said the gallery remains on very solid footing.

“We’re in no danger of going anywhere. What we’re looking to do is build on our success and make sure that what we’re offering to the city is everything the city wanted to see at the foot of Lonsdale. We’re in good shape,” he said.

The Polygon Gallery welcomed 40,000 guests in its first year, which Shier said they are expecting to greatly surpass in 2019, including 10,000 visitors in the last two months alone.