* The Glenbow Museum houses an art gallery, a museum, a library and an archives, all under one roof. Collections in Art, Cultural History, Military History, Ethnology and Mineralogy total over a quarter of a million objects, and include:

• the largest Mounted Police collection in Canada
• a world-class armour collection
• the 100,000 piece Cultural History collection, documenting the lives of western Canadians and cultures from around the world
• historical and contemporary works of western Canadian artists
• collections from aboriginal peoples in Alberta and globally

* Glenbow has brought you internationally acclaimed art exhibitions such as:

• Diego Rivera: The Veracruz Collection
• The Group of Seven in Western Canada
• Pop Impressions Europe/USA: Prints and Multiples from the Museum of Modern Art
• ancient and rare artifacts in the exhibition Mysteries of Egypt
• Henri Toulouse-Lautrec: The Baldwin M. Baldwin Collection
• The Spirit Sings: Artistic Traditions of Canada's First Peoples
• Judy Chicago, The Dinner Party

* Glenbow makes two unique historical resources accessible to you:

• Canada's largest non-governmental archives, with 900.000 photographs ad 10,000 manuscript collections occupying 3.2 shelf kilometers.
• a western Canadian research library of more than 100,000 books, periodicals, newspapers, trade catalogues and maps.

* The diversity of Glenbow's collections enables our staff to provide unique insights into the history of the Canadian West, including:

• exhibits featuring the works of historical artists such as The Group of Seven, wildlife artist Carl Rungius, and H.G. Glyde.s
• - our contemporary art exhibition series, Connections to Collections, which has showcased works by artist such as Jin-me Yoon, Bob Boyer, and Allan Harding MacKay
• - new permanent exhibits exploring the rich cultures of the First Nations, including the ground-breaking gallery created by Blackfoot advisors and Glenbow staff called Nitsitapiisinni: Our Way of Life, telling the story of the Blackfoot people in their own words.
• - lively exhibits tracing the settlement of the Canadian West, our military history, and the history of childhood in western Canada
• - Permanent exhibits ranging from Asian art, West African art, and Warriors to Treasures of the Mineral World

* Over our thirty-five year history, Glenbow has emerged as one of the top six museums in Canada specializing in the western Canadian region, its people, arts, cultures, communities, and military service.

Glenbow is renowned for:

• loans of artifacts to other museums, galleries, and organizations which showcases Glenbow's multi-disciplinary collections
• professional research and creative exhibit production translated into many types of traveling exhibits which tour to institutions across Canada, North America and Europe
• innovative, award-wining outreach programs, including Museum School, Youth Curator exhibits, and Reminiscence Kits (available to extended care facilities).
• outreach programs for youth [Youth Curator] and seniors [Reminiscence Kits]
• informative and lively programs for all ages and interests including:
• hands-on activities in the Discovery Room
• After Hours with Singles and Friends
• Terrific Tuesday Talks for life-long learners
• museum theatre live interpretation performances
• Family Fun Saturdays, and more
• - standards of excellence in wide-ranging information services to scholars, students and the public on questions ranging from land claims and treaty rights to family history and genealogy, art and artifact identification, and conservation advice
• - professional collections care and conservation that ensures Glenbow's collections are housed in a safe, secure environment
• - expert assistance to artists, craftspeople, designers, students, researchers, and community organizations.
• - interesting, stimulating volunteer opportunities throughout the museum

IT'S YOUR HERITAGE… AND IT MAY BE AT RISK

Did you know only one half of one percent of Alberta's entire provincial budget goes to arts and culture, the fourth largest sector in our economy? Arts and culture now competes with the sectors of Health and Education for funding, sectors once supported by tax dollars. This diminished government support has negative consequences for cultural organizations Alberta-wide. As recently as 1999, per capita spending towards arts and culture in this province was the second lowest in Canada (Statistics Canada Cat No. 87-004-XIE, Vol 12, No 3). Lack of adequate funding stifles Alberta's heritage, just as our province nears its centennial.

The Glenbow Museum is charged with preserving and interpreting the collections on your behalf, yet the province contributes just $2.563 million of the $5.4 million Glenbow needs annually for these services. Glenbow prides itself as being Canada's most self-sufficient museum, receiving only approximately 25% of its funding from the Government of Alberta. Glenbow management has balanced the annual budgets, but at a cost.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES?

Glenbow Museum is a large institution, however professional staff are an important resource and the key to maintaining accessibility to the collections. In the past ten years, Glenbow staff has been progressively downsized through layoffs, attrition, and early retirement packages. Current staff is challenged to sustain quality public services, leading-edge programs and exhibitions, and consistent collections care.

Here are examples of how Glenbow staffing levels have been affected over the past ten years.

• In 1993, 31 employees are laid off to address a 26% drop in provincial funding.
• In 2000, four out of five library staff positions were eliminated. The Library and Archives closes to the public on Saturdays.
• In 2001, the Senior Military History Curator position was eliminated.
• In 2002, 15 positions were eliminated through layoffs, position freeze, voluntary retirement and attrition. The Museum is closes on Mondays.

As well, other Glenbow professional services and programs have been compromised.

• Future projects could be restricted. As an example, the wartime experiences of Alberta soldiers won't be included in an upcoming exhibit on Canadians at war, using Glenbow's own outstanding military history collection.
• There are fewer Library staff to manage reference inquiries from historians, students, writers, genealogists, film makers, artists, researchers and community groups, while striving to ensure on-going maintenance of the collection.
• Loans from Glenbow's collections to community museums, art galleries and other organizations are decreased.
• Glenbow's rural loans service, which took traveling mini-exhibits to rural communities throughout Alberta has been discontinued.
• Dedicated research and development for quality, cutting-edge programs and interpretation has become restrictive.
• Public viewing times have been reduced. The Museum is closed on Mondays, does not open until noon on Sundays, and has no public hours after 5:00 pm.
• There is a longer rotation schedule for regular maintenance and upkeep of the permanent exhibition galleries.
• Reduced staff means limited public access to the collections and longer response time to your inquiries.

Without adequate provincial funding, there is always the risk of further cuts… cuts that will further restrict the services Glenbow provides for you.

Alberta Heritage Campaign - March 4 2003

Heritage Fund Article

CUPE 1645 Information for Distribution to Members - March 7, 2002

Board of Governors Rejects Union Advice - March 15, 2002

CUPE 1645 Information for Distribution to Members - March 26, 2002