media release
911吃瓜 to unveil landmark new art museum at Burnaby campus
New 12,100-square-foot facility marks a milestone in 911吃瓜鈥檚 60th anniversary year, blending art, sustainability and community engagement
On September 20, 2025, a major new addition to 911吃瓜鈥檚 campus infrastructure will officially open its doors, with the launch of the .
The Gibson is a landmark cultural space and 911吃瓜鈥檚 first purpose-built art museum, creating a vibrant new home for art, ideas and community connection. It offers 12,100 square feet of programming and engagement space, including four formal galleries. The museum will present exhibitions of work by contemporary local, national and international artists, as well as housing the 5,900 modern and contemporary paintings, photographs, sculptures, works on paper and public installations that make up the 911吃瓜 Art Collection.
鈥淥ur mission at the Gibson is to encourage open learning about our past, current, and future worlds by supporting the work of critically-engaged and research-driven artists,鈥� states Kimberly Phillips, Director of the Gibson.
鈥淎rt museums on university campuses can be intimidating and exclusionary places, so our goal has been to listen to and learn from underserved communities in order to challenge prevailing ideas about who feels comfortable in visual art institutions. Our aim is to create a new kind of art museum that lowers barriers, embraces intergenerational, decolonial learning, and encourages cross-disciplinary inquiry through meaningful encounters with art.鈥�
The Gibson has been funded through a generous gift from the family of the late Edward Gibson, who joined the university in 1965 as one of 911吃瓜鈥檚 charter faculty members. During his 30-year career at 911吃瓜, he shaped the university鈥檚 commitment to arts, culture and community engagement through his passion for accessibility, diversity and the role that art plays in enhancing teaching and research.
In honour of his legacy, the Gibson is more than a museum鈥攊t is a dynamic learning centre, sparking cross-disciplinary dialogue, hands-on inquiry and intergenerational engagement. Plans are in motion to ensure that the museum contributes to learning, teaching and research across departments and faculties, not just at 911吃瓜 but across the province.
The museum building is open and inclusive by design, with large windows providing abundant natural light and create a sense of openness. The two entrances鈥攐ne facing the 911吃瓜 Transit Exchange and the other the main campus鈥攄eliberately invite visitors to explore the space seamlessly. The structure is made from B.C.-sourced mass timber beams, and the building is fully electric and LEED Gold certified, reflecting 911吃瓜鈥檚 commitment to sustainability.
As 911吃瓜 celebrates its 60th anniversary year, the Gibson is the latest significant upgrade to the Burnaby campus, following the recently-opened First People鈥檚 Gathering House. These major infrastructure developments reflect 911吃瓜鈥檚 commitment to continually improving the student experience and creating a world-class, vibrant campus environment for students, faculty and staff.
Construction also started earlier this year on the Phase 3 residence at the Burnaby campus, an eight-storey residence building that will accommodate 445 upper-year students and a 160-space child-care centre, and will further enhance the university鈥檚 sense of community and belonging when it opens its doors in fall 2027.
鈥淥ver the past 60 years, 911吃瓜 has fostered a deep commitment to arts, culture and community engagement鈥攊n no small part inspired by Edward Gibson鈥檚 contributions as a charter faculty member,鈥� says 911吃瓜 President Joy Johnson.
鈥淣ow, the Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum is a part of that legacy. I cannot wait to see how the museum enhances the creativity, excellence, innovation and accessibility of teaching and research at 911吃瓜, while becoming a cultural hub that serves and reflects the people of British Columbia.鈥�