Calgary's National Music Centre receives $1 million donation from bank

A $1 million donation to help cover the construction costs of the National Music Centre’s (NMC) Studio Bell in Calgary’s East Village has been offered by the National Bank of Canada.

According to a news release, the Montreal-based bank’s contribution will be recognized by naming a fifth-floor gallery after the financial institution: the National Bank Private Banking 1859 Gallery.

This particular gallery space will be used for temporary exhibitions of collections from other national and international museums, cultural institutions, and private collections. As well, a 2,000-piece collection of rare instruments and artefacts owned by the NMC will also be showcased in this space.

“We are proud to support an organization that uses music to explore and inspire our nation,” said Meghan Meger, President of Private Banking 1859 for National Bank of Canada’s Western Canada division, in a statement. “We look forward to the opportunities that Studio Bell will bring both to Alberta, and also Canada.”

The 160,000-square-foot building will be one of Calgary’s most striking structures with its terra cota tiled facade and multi-storey bridged section hovering high above 4th Street SE. It will house the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Collection, acoustic and electric sound lab facilities, a 300-seat performance space, visual and audio broadcast facilities, learning spaces for students, and other amenities and functions.

The cultural facility will cost $190 million to build, but to date only $130 million has been raised during the middle of Alberta’s provincial recession. As of this week, ahead of its summer 2016 opening, construction has reached 95 per cent completion.