Regina's Mackenzie Art Gallery to close temporarily, citing cap on gatherings in public spaces
Saskatoon's Remai Modern Art Gallery will continue operating with regular hours
Art galleries in two Saskatchewan cities are taking different approaches to new provincial guidelines around public gatherings in light of COVID-19's spread in the province.
Regina's Mackenzie Art Gallery will temporarily close the public as of Saturday, with no set date for when normal operations will resume.
Saskatoon's Remai Modern Art Gallery said Friday it is planning to operate with regular hours, but has reduced its programming and postponed a performance by Bridget Moser that was set to take place on Tuesday.
The Mackenzie's CEO, Anthony Kiendl, said the move is in keeping with the provincial chief medical health officer's order to cap gatherings at no more than 250 people in any one room.
"Our mandate and our mission is to provide access to art and transformative experiences of the world through art. And that's our primary reason for existence, so it's hard to make this decision," Kiendl said.
The salon at the gallery can hold up to 400 people. Close quarters are an issue for people going through the Mackenzie's halls, where dozens of people touch doorknobs and walk through a single passageway in the gallery in a day.
Sanitation in high-traffic areas at the Remai Modern has been increased at the Saskatoon art museum, a statement from interim CEO Lynn McMaster said.
The demographics of the people who frequent the Mackenzie are a concern with COVID-19, Kiendl said.
"A lot of young children, a lot of elderly people. It's something we didn't want to be cavalier about, or have a kind of rose-coloured glasses in looking at it," he said.
His decision follows the lead of other galleries, including two in Calgary, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.
Although the temporary closure will impact revenue, Kienel said the gallery wants to put people and safety first.
While the Mackenzie is closed to the public, non-public business functions will continue.
The Remai is keeping a close eye on the situation as it unfolds, the Saskatoon gallery's statement said.
As of Friday, there were two presumptive COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan.