Harcourt House is celebrating a $100,000 donation to help it buy its building, but it is asking for three more years to raise the rest of what it needs.
The Flanagan Foundation in Calgary made the pledge to help the Where Edmonton Community Artists Network (WECAN) Society take a substantial step toward its $3.5-million fundraising goal.
"It's a very significant contribution," WECAN president Edmund Haakonson told Taproot. "The fact that it's coming from Calgary really speaks to the necessity and the importance of Harcourt House to the province."
WECAN has been trying to raise the money since the province said in 2022 that the lease would not be renewed on the building at 10215 112 Street NW. It got a one-year reprieve until Nov. 30 of this year, but that's still not enough time, Haakonson said.
"It's just not possible for us to raise the money in that timeframe," he said, noting that many of the organizations that could invest significant sums have already allocated their budgets. "The norm for something like this is three to five years for a project this large."
When WECAN was offered the one-year extension, optimism prevailed, but raising that much money that quickly has proven to be challenging, he said. A GoFundMe campaign for individual donors has raised just over $56,000 so far.
"We took what was offered," said Haakonson. "We honestly did believe last year that we could manage this."
A spokesman for Infrastructure Minister Pete Guthrie said WECAN's request for an extension into 2026 is under review.
A detail from D'Artagnan by Shannon O'Blenes, which will be part of [RE]ConFIGUREd, Harcourt House's 31st Annual Naked Show, running July 7 to 15. [Shannon O'Blenes/Harcourt House]
If WECAN can't raise enough money to buy the building before the lease is up, Harcourt House would move, but that would mean the loss of 42 artist studios, which would fundamentally change the services that Harcourt House provides. Revenue from renting space to artists funds the operational costs of the buildings, as well as programming and exhibitions.
"If the organization is forced to move, there will be a massive change to the structure," Haakonson said.
Harcourt House hosts the longest continually running life-model program in Alberta, which operates on a drop-in basis three times a week. The artist studios offer a community atmosphere that allows artists to practice their craft in proximity to each other, allowing for organic mentorship and collaboration opportunities.
"It's not something that would happen through Facebook or email or things like that," said Haakonson. "It happens because people are physically there."
Harcourt House's exhibitions are free to attend. NO FEAR!, the 35th annual member's show, is on until July 8. Next up is [RE]ConFIGUREd, the annual "naked show," which will explore the human figure and raise money for Harcourt House from July 7 to 15.
"It really isn't just about artists," Haakonson said. "This is about the citizens of Alberta, and their ability to walk into a gallery for free to see an exhibition… and you get to experience art that maybe you wouldn't normally encounter."