History of the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives

The history of the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives starts with the Peel County Historical Society in the 1950s, with the first test exhibits in 1962.

Prehistory

Conception

The first attempts to create a historical society were apparently in the early 20th century; the issue went nowhere. For many years, the William Perkins Bull collection of art and artifacts was housed in the Brampton High School. In the 1950s, the Board of the school decided to renovate and redecorate, and asked the collection be removed. Bull Collection publisher C. V. Charters, Everett Briggs, Alex McKinney and other citizens moved to create a historical society, focused on life in Peel County from the late 18th century to the 1930s. There was an apparent disinterest in heritage, during the immediate post-War era, and the Peel County Historical Society Association became inactive in 1957.

In February 1961, interested citizens met in the basement of the Carnegie Library to discuss reorganization; Mrs. Carroll was elected president. Association chairman Don Featherstone and a committee (which included Russell Cooper) met in March 1961, to establish a constitution. The County Council of Peel allowed the organization use of the basement of the old Registry Office on Wellington, for its meetings. Regular meetings began in 1962, and included an address by "Mr. Colucci", designer of the Black Creek Pioneer Village in north Toronto.

Early PCHS exhibitions

With aid of the Women's Institutes of Snelgrove and Cheltenham, an art exhibition was held in an old school house, on the 3rd Line, west of Chinguacousy. Meant to raise funds for the creation of a museum and art gallery, it featured works by Geoffrey Rock, Hilton Hassell, Tom Matthews, John Agg, George Broomfield, Tom Roberts, and items from the Bull Collection.

A temporary home for the collection was found in 1963, at the Credit Valley Conservation Authority offices. Not winterproof, organization president B. Harper Bull expressed hopes that the location would be a forerunner to a larger, permanent museum, beyond the Belfountain Conservation Park. Thousands attended the location, available only on summer weekends, staffed by members of the North Peel Women's Institute.

In 1963, the organization became an affiliate of the Ontario Historical Society oncemore, and displayed during the fall at the International Ploughing Match, held in Caledon by Colonel Conn Smythe. The society tried to gain access to Hawthorne Lodge, the original home of the Bull family, on what is now Kennedy Road. Enlisted to help was the founding President of Trent University, Thomas H. B. Symons, who is the "custodian" of the Bull Collection. Funds were not then available, but Symons provided various rural artifacts from Peel, some of which have been restored and displayed.

Peel County Museum and Art Gallery (1968-1986)

Peel County Council passed a 1966 resolution, stating that the Registry Office be vacated by county employees, and be available for the society to set up a museum.

The official opening took place November 17, 1968, featuring professional designed exhibits and displays, "a very fine variation from the more frequently encountered county museums", according to a 1973 text on the Society. Museum displays focused on the rural past and technical present of the area. The gallery's initial exhibit was of Brampton watercolourist Clifton Train, and Alton found iron-work sculpture Andres Drenters; one of Drenters' work was donated, and placed on the lawn, and later the steps of the museum.

In 1984, the Region of Peel took over the facility.^[1] Architect Carlos Ventin of The Ventin Group was hired to design a renovation of the Peel County Jail and Peel County Registry Office,^[1] including a connecting building.

Peel Heritage Complex (1986-2010)

The architecture won awards for The Ventin Group at the 1986 City of Brampton Award of Excellence, Development Design Awards and at 1987 Ontario Renews Award from the Ministry of Housing for Non-residential Renovation (Public Sector).^[2]

Noting the abundance of pioneer-era exhibits at Ontario museums, curator Bill Barber aimed to feature historical topics like the Great Depression. The approach drew criticism from some patrons, who lived through the era.^[1] A show themed to Christmas around the world eventually was reformatted to include other festivals at that time of the year, and another exhibit looked at Ukrainian Christianity around the world.^[1]

Attendance grew from 6000 in 1985, to 18000 in 1987, and 24000 in 1989.^[1]

References

1. Jordan, Richard (18 October 1990). "Peel Museum keeps up to date with history". The Toronto Star. Toronto ON. p. W14.
2. "+VG Awards" (PDF). +VG Architects. 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.