I believe our city has a deep sense of protecting things that are important to us. I’ve seen countless letters on this page in the past year that show one resounding thing about the readers of the TC — they care deeply about the cultural institutions of the region.
Like many of your readers, I believe the capital of our province deserves to be a cultural hub. And I know there are many organizations that do everything possible to keep that spirit alive.
I’ve had the distinct privilege to be part of the board for the Bateman Foundation, and we are coming up on 10 years of residing in the Steamship Terminal Building in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
Throughout this time, we have offered our community and visitors diverse, engaging exhibits to experience, enjoy, and learn from. We made a renewed commitment to our mission of connecting people through art through our learning program, NatureSketch, which encourages people of all ages to see the beauty of nature and enjoy its inherent benefits using art to bridge that connection.
Despite the difficult couple of years, we’ve continued to adapt and be resilient in serving our community and being a beacon of art and culture.
Just recently, we announced a special exhibit that shares many pieces and artwork never seen by the public. The exhibition is called Robert Bateman: Heart and Home, and it is an intimate look at a legendary and prolific artist who created a wide variety of personalized art he gifted to his family and friends.
Robert and the entire family all agreed that it was time for everyone to see them because of the subtle and important reminder (often lost in our everyday routine) — our connections to each other create a full life. And to sustain these connections we have to actively protect and preserve them.
This is a philosophy he lives by when it comes to creating his iconic artwork and his close relationships. The Bateman family has truly provided a special gift to the community and the city.
We hope people will take away something special from seeing it. It will be open for the public on Saturday and will continue to be in the Bateman Gallery until February 2023. You can get more information on the website batemanfoundation.org.
We hope it serves as a hopeful reminder — let’s cherish and protect the things we care about — of our relationships and the art and cultural institutions that express our humanity.
