Vancouver Art Gallery’s Director Honoured with DVBIA Award

Vancouver Art Gallery’s Director Kathleen S. Bartels has been selected as a recipient of the 24th annual Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association’s (DVBIA) Appreciation Award for Outstanding Individual, in recognition of her significant contribution and commitment to downtown Vancouver. The Awards are presented as part of the Association’s Annual General Meeting held at 4:00pm on Thursday, June 18 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, where it will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

As Director of the Vancouver Art Gallery, Kathleen Bartels has led the 84-year old institution through a period of unprecedented growth since joining in 2001. Her artistic direction has resulted in a transformation of the Gallery’s programming, melding a dynamic mix of contemporary and historical exhibitions that bring the best of the art world to Vancouver, and the best of Vancouver to the world.

“Under Ms. Bartel’s leadership, the Vancouver Art Gallery has experienced significant growth in its membership, art collection, and institutional endowment,” says Peter Raptis, Chair of the DVBIA. “Most impressive is Ms. Bartel’s tenacity and the work she has done to date to provide a much needed new home for the Gallery. We share her passion to provide people opportunities to experience art. We believe this experience needs to be downtown and we thank Ms. Bartels for championing this project in the heart of the city.”

The DVBIA Appreciation Awards recognize outstanding contributions to downtown Vancouver by individuals and organizations. Categories include: Outstanding Individual, Outstanding Organization, the Art Jones Lifetime Achievement and the new Emerging Leader Awards.