VPL Receives $20,000 Donation from The Vancouver Foundation for its Group Search: Art in the Library

For Immediate Release, January 9, 2007

(Vancouver, British Columbia) -- Vancouver Public Library is pleased to announce the generous donation of $20,000 from the Vancouver Foundation in support of its Group Search: Art in the Library program. Group Search: Art in the Library is a 21-month program featuring temporary library-specific artist projects, whereby the Library is offered to artists and curators as a site for research, development, and presentation of artworks relevant to the library context. The project investigates the library's public space as a node in the flow of information, as an architecture designed for contemplation, and as a system of categorization, containment, and dispersal.

"We are very grateful for the support of the Vancouver Foundation for this project," said City Librarian Paul Whitney. "Inside the Library initiatives like Group Search and the Aperture project allow VPL to offer the public an opportunity to explore their library in new and exciting ways, and gives local artists a fresh venue to inspire their work and share their vision with new audiences."

Beginning January 20, 2007, new projects by Mark Soo and Laiwan will join on-going artworks by Antonia Hirsch, Kathy Slade, Marina Roy, Dan Starling, and Jillian Pritchard.

The Group Search: Art in the Library project is funded by proceeds from the Library Square Endowment Fund, with additional assistance provided by the Canada Council for the Arts, Spirit of BC Arts Fund, and the BC Arts Council.

Founded in 1887, the Vancouver Public Library is one of Canada's largest library systems, dedicated to meeting the lifelong learning, reading, recreation and information needs of the people of Vancouver. Its 22 branches serve over 370,000 patrons, offer over 2.5 million items and countless online resources to the public, and answer over one million reference questions each year.

For more information contact:

Lorna Brown
Group Search Curator
groupsearch@othersights.ca