Sean and Ken Sargent with artwork by Teresa Sargent in Permanent Collection (Supplied: Art Gallery of Grande Prairie)

By Abby Zieverink

endowment for grande prairie art gallery

Sargent Family Foundation $1M endowment creates sustainability for Grande Prairie Art Gallery

Aug 20, 2021 | 2:02 PM

The Art Gallery of Grande Prairie along with the Sargent Family Foundation have decided to endow the family foundations donation of $1 million made over a decade ago and put it towards special projects.

Executive Director Jeff Erbach says this donation was gifted through community generosity when the gallery was rebuilding after their roof collapsed in 2007.

“So, people were coming together and making donations to ensure the future sustainability of organizations like the gallery,” Erbach said.

As an endowment, Erbach tells EverythingGP it’s a gift that comes with parameters on how the family foundation wanted it used.

After discussions with the foundation on what those wishes were, Erbach says they agreed to endow the money to ensure the gallery’s sustainability.

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“It’s really what ensures the impact we can have on the community for today, tomorrow, and for generations,” he stated.

“Coming out of the pandemic, it was decided, that endowing the funds was a really, special thing to do. The large ‘S’ of that support is going to a special projects endowment in which the gallery can take extraordinary exhibitions and public programs.”

“It’s a gift that makes a fundamental, massive impact on the social and cultural life of our community, so it can’t be undervalued, as to what this will mean,” said Erbach.

Erbach says although they cannot put a number on how many projects the endowment fund will allow the gallery to do, he says this donation will generate funds for future projects at the gallery for 10 to 15 years.

“Because we can draw upon the endowment fund over the course of many, many, many years, and different amounts, depending on what the projects are.”

Erbach adds they will be announcing the first project supported by the Sargent Family Foundations endowment early this fall.