Simon Fraser University (SFU) is celebrating its 60th anniversary with the unveiling of an over 12,000-square-foot art museum.
The Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum — the newest addition to SFU’s Burnaby campus — is both a tribute to and a gift from the late professor Edward Gibson, who shaped the university’s commitment to arts.
“Dr. Gibson was a cultural geographer,” said director Kimberly Phillips.
“I think because of that, he really understood art was part of its environment. It comes out of a social environment and is key for understanding our world, so I think he envisioned an art museum that becomes a container to hold many ideas. Many different disciplines could meet there.”
While museums and art galleries can often feel intimidating and exclusionary, the Gibson was designed to be less formal and to serve as a hangout spot for students on campus.
“The museum is designed for people to spend different kinds of time, with lots of spaces where you can sit and hang out with your friends, you can study,” Phillips said.
“We specifically designed this space to feel porous, to feel open and welcoming.”
The current exhibition, titled Edge Effects, features artists who push boundaries and highlight different ecological communities.
Artist Liz Magor says she photographed high school students in San Diego and across the border in Tijuana back in 1997.
Magor says her works represent how borders can change people’s lives.
“You don’t even choose where you’re born, but where you’re born, the politics, are your destiny,” she said.
“People try to cross those borders to change their fate. It’s even more exaggerated now.”
The Gibson has four formal galleries and will also house the university’s entire art collection.
Admission is open to the public at no cost.