User:Kanuk/Montreal Museum of Fine Arts begin

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts subheading

The Beginnings

Founded in 1860 by Bishop Fulford, the Art Association of Montreal was created to encourage the appreciation of fine arts among the people of the city.

Since it did not have a permanent place to store acquisitions the Art Association was not able to acquire works to display nor to seek works from collectors. During the following twenty years, the organization had an itinerant existence during which its shows and expositions were held in various Montreal venues.

In 1877, the Art Association revived an exceptional gift from Benaiah Gibb, a Montreal businessman. He gave the core of his art collection consisting of 72 canvases and 4 bronzes. In addition he donated to the Montreal institution a building site on the north-east corner of Carré Philips (Montreal) and further the sum of money of $8,000. This latter gift was on condition that a new museum be constructed on the site within three years. On the 26 May 1879, the Governor General of Canada, Sir John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, inaugurated the Art Gallery of the Art Association of Montreal, the first building in the history of Canada to be constructed specifically for the purpose of housing an art collection.. The Art Gallery at Carré Philips was comprised of an exhibition room, another smaller room reserved for graphic works as well as a lecture hall and an embryonic art school. The museum was enlarged in 1893. The Art Association held an annual show of work created by its members as well as a Spring Salon devoted to living Canadian Artists.

The gift made by Benaiah Gibb was a watershed event in the founding of the collection. The generous gift engaged a keen interest in the public and, because of it, the donations multiplied.