Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO: Standing Committee on City Services & Budgets
FROM: Directors, Office of Cultural Affairs and Finance
SUBJECT: Vancouver Museum Commission
- Annual Review and 2000 Operating Grant Request
 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGERS’ COMMENTS

COUNCIL POLICY

Council has approved annual operating grants to the major exhibiting institutions to support their ongoing operations since their formation as independent non-profit societies in 1971.

Approval of a grant requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

This report provides a review of the Vancouver Museum Commission's 1999 activities and presents for Council's consideration their 2000 Operating Grant request.

BACKGROUND

The City of Vancouver owns an extensive and valuable collection of archeology, ethnology, human and natural history artifacts which it has entrusted to the Vancouver MuseumCommission. The Museum was operated by the City until 1972 when it became part of the Vancouver Museums and Planetarium Association. In 1987 Council agreed to the dissolution of the VMPA into three distinct organizations: the Vancouver Maritime Museum Society, the Vancouver Museum Association and the BC Space Sciences Society.

In 1996, Council approved a series of actions to undertake the process to revitalize the Vancouver Museum including the creation of a new governing society, the Vancouver Museum Commission (VMC), as well as capital investment in the City-owned building. Phases 1 and 2 of the capital project are complete -- improvements to the public areas of the museum, a new orientation gallery and upgrades to "A" wing. Phase 3 will complete the gallery renovations, add a new learning centre and install state-of-the art exhibits for The Vancouver Story, an exhibit of the past, present and future histories of Vancouver.

The City currently provides capital and operating support through grants to the Vancouver Museum Commission as well as janitorial services, grounds and building maintenance and through the City’s Building Management Department.

1999 Year In Review

The Vancouver Museum Commission has submitted an annual report for staff review. Highlights of the year's activities included:

Exhibits & Programs
Mounted three unique and critically acclaimed special exhibits: City Lights: Neon in Vancouver, All About Blue, and Toy Soldier: Playing for Keeps, and hosted a major touring exhibit, Dresses for Humanity, co-sponsored by B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation, in addition to the permanent exhibits and galleries. Each of the exhibits was sponsored and received good press coverage.

Several advisory committees have been created to inform the Commission's exhibits and program planning, including a First Nations Advisory Committee, a Programming Committee and an Educators Advisory Committee.

Attendance doubled in 1999 to 52,000 visitors. Revenue from admissions increased 56%.

Collection
A new database was designed and progress made in the transfer and entry of records for each of the Museum's 100,000 artifacts. This system allows greater public access to the collection and work is underway to launch a portion of the database information online.

A major gift was received in 1999 bringing the value of the collection up to $45 million.

Planning
As part of the physical and exhibition planning for the final phase of the Museum's capital revitalization program, a series of consultations were initiated with community representatives to seek their input into the future permanent exhibit, The Vancouver Story.

A capital fund raising feasibility study was completed. While it found good support for the Museum, it recommended a series of actions prior to the launch of a public campaign.

2000 Plans

Exhibits & Programming
Currently on exhibit or planned for 2000: Backyard BiodiverCITY, an exploration of our urban ecological environment, This Other Eden, a touring exhibit of Canadian folk art from the Museum of Civilization and Portrait V2K, the City of Vancouver's Millennium Project First quarter attendance is up 11% over 1999.

Collection
A draft collection policy is now complete and Museum staff, along with their colleagues at the other major exhibiting institutions are working with Office of Cultural Affairs staff to develop a common framework for the City's collection management.

Planning
The Master Plan for the Vancouver Story has been completed and reported back to the community representatives. Design development on the exhibit will commence in the summer. Development approvals have been received for Phase 3 of the capital expansion and contract documentation is scheduled to begin in July. A Capital Campaign Plan will be completed in July.

DISCUSSION

In 1996 when Council approved a series of recommendations for the revitalization of the Museum, it granted supplementary funds of up to $200,000 per year for three years. This was in recognition of the challenge in rebuilding the Museum's revenue generating capacity. The funds were targeted to marketing, education, collection registry and fund raising. A full report of the three-year supplementary program is on file and available from the Office of Cultural Affairs.

Revitalization has taken longer than planned. While significant progress has been made, the Museum is not yet in the financial position projected in 1996. Many of the cultural objectives set out by the City through the Sears report of 1995 have been addressed. The Museum, through extraordinary efforts by staff and the Commissioners, have re-engaged with the community and funders, mounted highly professional and acclaimed exhibits relevant to the mandate of the institution and completed the first 2 phases of their capital improvement project on time and under budget. They have not, however, achieved the revenues projected in areas of fund raising, attendance, or ancillary revenues (parking, food service, gift shop etc.).

The challenge for the Museum in 2000 is in operating without additional supplementary funding and, at the same time, increasing these revenue streams and their public service. The Museum has submitted a budget proposal for 2000 which staff have reviewed and support in principle. The plan calls for the reallocation of staff and resources to fund raising and the capital project, and a very aggressive program of revenue generation and budget controls. While it requires City staff approval for the allocation of previously approved capital and supplementary funds, it does not request an additional supplementary grant.

Staff recommend that the Museum continue to focus their energies in increasing their audience base which will drive their ancillary revenues and development potential. The VMC will need to invest in professional marketing and development staff and monitor and their investment to ensure that they are maximizing opportunities. The VMC, in partnership with their co-tenants, the MacMillan Space Centre, should implement an aggressive plan for joint ancillary revenue generation through rentals, parking, food services, etc.

Staff are recommending a 2000 operating grant of $633,954, based on the 1999 approved operating grant funding level. The 2000 grant has been increased by 1% over the 1999 grant to cover inflation based on Council policy. It has also been reduced by .5% consistent with the City's budget reduction program. It does not include any supplementary funds.

The VMC's 1999 financial statements are attached to this report as Appendix A. The VMC had a deficit of $17,740 on a budget of $1.8 million. The VMC has an accumulated surplus of $152,817 in unrestricted funds in addition to an endowment of $333,000, and funds restricted for capital in the amount of $1.578 million.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The source of funds for the Operating Grant is the “Other” Grants allocation in the 2000 Budget.

CONCLUSION

Staff commend the Vancouver Museum Commission and its staff for their extraordinary efforts and recommend continued operating support for the Vancouver Museum Commission in the amount of $633,954.

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APPENDIX A ON FILE IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE

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