A win for Maritime Museum and Bateman Gallery

A plan for the Bateman Foundation Gallery and the Maritime Museum of BC to swap spaces makes sense for both organizations. The idea is for the Bateman Gallery to set up a temporary exhibition space at 744 Douglas St., where the Maritime Museum currently resides.
 
The board chair of the Bateman Foundation, David Schneider, said the move will allow their organization to “re-imagine how we can connect people to nature through the power of art in a community-focused interactive space.
 
It would also achieve a major goal of the Maritime Museum, which has had its eye on setting up in the CPR Steamship building.
 
“We do want to get a toehold in the building,” Maritime Museum chair Jamie Webb told the Times Colonist. Webb added that he’s hopeful BC’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, which manages the Steamship Building, will agree to the plan and provide a “favourable lease” that lets the museum establish itself in the new location. Webb received good news yesterday when the estate of Cora Shaw donated $1 million to help secure the museum’s long-term viability.