[Echoes]

A lot riding on Remai gallery

By Gerry Klein, The StarPhoenix June 13, 2013

The StarPhoenix editorial board was introduced this week to Gregory Burke, the simultaneous executive director of the Mendel and Remai art galleries and head of the transitional team.

Upon his shoulders he carries a set of formidable responsibilities.

Although Burke is by reputation a quiet and cerebral individual, it seems the very weight of these challenges is why he wanted the job. The construction of the new gallery is one of the most exciting things happening on the Canadian art scene, and he will be at the centre of it.

Burke points out that, like the transition from the Mendel to the Remai, Saskatoon is also going through a dramatic transition. This transformation of Saskatoon is reminiscent of what was going on in Calgary half a century ago - including the debate over how it would project itself to the nation and the world.

Calgary's population grew to 235,000 in 1966 from 180,000 a decade earlier. That frenetic growth caused the city to rethink its image. It was decided that this optimism could best be demonstrated by building the tallest free-standing structure in North America. The Husky Tower, subsequently dubbed the Calgary Tower, was Calgary's tribute to Canada's Centennial, and an effort to rejuvenate the downtown core.

When I moved to Calgary in 1971, the tower was still source of pride - especially after San Antonio tried to outdo it with the Tower of the Americas, only to learn the Canadians lied about the Calgary tower's height and it was still taller than its Texas counterpart. This was Calgary's statement. Bold, brash and ready to take on the world.

There were still many who believed the tower and the revitalization of the downtown were fools' causes. Far better, they claimed, to pour that concrete into roads and bridges to break the gridlock on the streets.

It didn't take long for the Calgary Tower to go from casting a long shadow over the Prairies to being dwarfed by other buildings. When a proposal was floated in the 1980s to add another layer and make the building taller, those responsible decided against it. There was no longer a need.

Calgary had arrived. It continues to be considered one of Canada's major cities in terms of architecture, art, planning and development. Its mistakes have been noted and its successes emulated - particularly in Saskatoon, which is now debating how we should announce our arrival to the nation.

A major art gallery seems a more dignified entry point than a tower. There are still those who suggest pouring money into an art gallery is an act of elitism, whereas pouring it into asphalt for potholes, parking spots and snow removal would be more egalitarian.

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