-The Centre will soon welcome visitors back to the Gallery, The Story of Confederation, arts camps, the Public Library, and The Showcase-

The Centre for All Canadians is set to open its doors again. After a three month closure due to the pandemic—with all programs cancelled and dozens of staff sent home—Confederation Centre of the Arts is set to welcome visitors back, beginning this Friday, June 12.

“We are thrilled to be opening our doors again and sharing the joy of the arts with our community,” states CEO Steve Bellamy. “We have been working hard and are now ready to invite visitors, members, artists, and staff back to the Centre. On behalf of all of us here at Confederation Centre, we invite you to back to enjoy our many programs.”

He continues, “We deeply appreciate the efforts of government, the Public Health Office, and front-line workers. They’ve kept us safe and able to re-open, and we are grateful for their leadership and dedication to our community.”

New protocols are in place to help ensure the health and safety of patrons and staff. These include: adjusted entrances and exits, added hand sanitizer stations, new directional arrows and signage, plexiglass at service counters, and stanchions to divide foot traffic and ensure social distancing throughout the complex.

Each space is being closely monitored to ensure capacities are not exceeded and visitors are following these guidelines. Click here for information on new health and safety protocols at the Centre.

“Based on advice from the Public Health Office, we have implemented a comprehensive set of safety protocols across the Centre,” shares Chief Operations Officer Kelly Dawson. “Visitors can rest assured that we are taking extra steps to secure their health and safety, including constant sanitizing and cleaning, capacity limits on each public space, and more.”

Beginning June 12, the hours of operation at the Centre will be as follows:

• • Building hours: 8 a.m.–6 p.m. (7 days a week)
  • The Showcase: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (Mon to Sat)
  • The Story of Confederation/Confederation Chamber: 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (Mon to Sat)
  • Art camp registration at the box office: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Tues to Thurs)
  • The Art Gallery (beginning June 16): 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Tues to Sun)

The Centre announced last week that Summer Art Camps will be offered in July and August; the registration has been brisk to date. For more information, please visit the website.

The Confederation Centre Public Library will reopen for counter service on Friday, June 12. This institution is administered by the Province and more information and complete hours of operation can be found on their site online.

The Confederation Centre Art Gallery will reopen to the public this Tuesday, June 16. Patrons can explore the website for a complete listing of summer exhibitions. These range from historic to contemporary Canadian art, and from touring exhibitions to those curated from the permanent collection.

Stay tuned for more updates coming soon about select performing arts programming at the Centre this summer, both on site and online.

Photo cutline: (top) Art Gallery Director Kevin Rice is ready to welcome patrons back to the Art Gallery next week; (bottom) Sandra Jeffery and Mary Hemphill have been busy reorganizing The Showcase Gift Shop for visitors (submitted).