GRAND FORKS GALLERY 2 RESTORATION PROJECT

by Margaret Tessman

A major grant from the B.C. Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program (CERIP) and the support of Grand Forks city council have given Gallery 2 the wherewithal for a much-needed facelift.

Work began on a major exterior restoration and conservation project this spring, with a projected completion date of September. The gallery and visitor centre are housed in the city’s 1911 heritage courthouse, one of only two municipally listed heritage buildings in Grand Forks.

Director/Curator Tim van Wyck describes the reno as “an intersection of life cycle maintenance and heritage restoration. It’s way easier to do maintenance before elements start to fail.”

Heritage restoration specialists were involved in the initial assessment of the building’s condition and stayed on hand to ensure best practices. The actual work used local tradespeople as much as possible. Van Wyck cites the contribution of Grant Mattick, a third-generation painter. “He has worked on literally every building in Grand Forks,” he says.

Work plans followed Parks Canada’s Standards & Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada, a pan-Canadian set of conservation principles and guidelines. As much as possible, materials approved by Heritage Canada, such as a linseed-oil-based paint, were used. The project’s scope included constructing scaffolding around the entire building, window frame restoration and repainting and masonry cleaning and repair. Custom-built storm windows will replace the yellowed Plexiglas that covers the stained-glass windows flanking the front entrance.

Van Wyck says that the layers of complexity made it a learning curve for local workers. “It is a big job, but the building will look fabulous when it is complete.”

The gallery building is owned by the city of Grand Forks, but van Wyck firmly believes that as tenants, “it is our civic duty to help maintain significant infrastructure. We have the vision because we’re in the building all the time.” He has nothing but praise for the city’s financial and philosophical support for the project.

gallery2grandforks.ca

Banner photo: Grand Forks Gallery 2 wearing its restoration shroud. Photo courtesy Gallery 2—Grand Forks Art Gallery