Saskatoon's Remai Modern looks to build on momentum as it celebrates 1st-year success

It's large, impressive — and crossing goals off its anniversary list.

When Saskatoon's Remai Modern art gallery opened to Saskatoon and the art world on Oct. 21, 2017, CEO Gregory Burke told CBC he wanted the gallery to become "a legend."

It will be several years before anyone might throw the term around, but by almost any measure, Year 1 was a success, and the Remai says it's ticking off boxes on its business plan.

And for now, the city is celebrating, with a Friday evening anniversary party featuring musical performances and a DJ set.

The Remai had an ambitious goal when it opened on Oct. 21, 2017 — to get 190,000 people through the doors in the gallery's first year of business.

Staff have so far recorded more than 450,000 visits.

Visits peaked in December 2017 and again in June, with over 41,000 in each of those months.

According to tallies provided by the museum, the Remai Modern hit several goals of its business plan, including admission revenue, at $484,579 — $70,000 more than expected.

The gallery is now hoping that momentum will continue, to allow it to reach its goal of 220,000 visitors a year by its third year of operation.

Missing the Mendel

Some patrons, though, have the same complaints and worries they had before the Remai opened. They're missing the more inclusive, less expensive Mendel Art Gallery.

"It's nice in there and the natural light is great. It's pretty expensive," said Chelsea Bleau, who frequents the gallery.

"[I] would like to see a lot more local and youth stuff, since it replaced the Mendel."

I'm hoping that comparison will stop. It's not meant to be a replacement, per se.- Board member Alison Norlen

Still, Saskatoon is buying in. The gallery has sold memberships to 9,138 people, in 4,884 households.

The board anticipated selling  just 1,000 memberships in the Remai's first year.

"The comparison to the Mendel has been really difficult and I think there's a kind of hangover effect that's happened," said Remai board member and artist Alison Norlen.

"The Mendel was a really warm lovely place. This is a different animal. I'm hoping that comparison will stop. It's not meant to be a replacement, per se."

Different, indeed. The Remai Modern has five times the exhibit space the Mendel had.

"Not just the building, but the scale of the operation is much, much larger than the Mendel," Burke said.

Building a reputation

The Remai says 40 per cent of its visitors this year came from outside Saskatchewan.

"Almost everybody that I know is really excited. They're watching the shows to figure out when they can come visit," said Norlen.

"I do think that there's some momentum coming from outside."

The gallery has hit a few speed bumps throughout its first year — most notable for CEO Burke are the challenges of new construction.

"There's a lot of issues that continue and need to be remediated and fixed," he said, citing unreliable mechanical doors as one example.

But there are higher-level issues to think of, like how an art gallery in the middle of the Prairies can continue to challenge people without hurting its bottom line.

"We just need to continue to be really forward thinking, keep on our feet, not become apathetic," said Norlen.

"It's a big undertaking and it's going to take a lot of work to keep it going. You can't just say, 'OK, it's a success now.'"

With files from Saskatoon Morning.