Construction has begun on the Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum at Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby campus.
Opening in 2025, the Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum will offer a stunning 12,000 square foot space that will provide free exhibits and programming for SFU and neighbouring communities. Scott Construction is construction manager.
“The Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum will support our academic mission and enrich the experience of SFU students, faculty and staff while also acting as a vibrant community hub that attracts art lovers from far and wide,” says SFU president Joy Johnson.
Designed by Siamak Hariri of Hariri Pontarini Architects in collaboration with Vancouver-based Iredale Architecture, the single-level building extends across its site as a series of interconnected spaces.
Relaxed and informal in its design, the museum—affectionately known as the Gibson—will replace the current SFU Gallery on Burnaby campus, providing vastly improved public access to SFU’s Art Collection.
The SFU Art Collection consists of more than 5,800 modern and contemporary paintings, photographs, sculptures, works on paper, and large public installations.
It will also be home to a range of new artist-led learning and community engagement offerings, such as artist residencies, hands-on sessions for university and K-12 students, and weekend family programs. An expansive indoor common area will further accommodate performances, readings, screenings and other community-focused events.
The Gibson’s 12,000 square feet of galleries and program spaces include an art studio, courtyard, salon, and forum.
“What makes Edward and Marianne Gibson’s vision so extraordinary is that it inspires an entirely new kind of visual arts facility,” said SFU Galleries director Kimberly Phillips. “As a result, we are committed to creating a space that will extend the ways we support artists, strengthen the arts ecology of our region, and manifestly reimagine what an art museum can do, and for whom it exists.”
