Art Gallery of Alberta is a two-star charity. It has a below average results reporting grade and is not financially transparent. For every dollar donated to the charity, 65 cents are available to go to the cause, which is just outside Ci's reasonable range. 

Founded in 1924, Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) is a museum in Edmonton focused on developing and presenting original exhibits of contemporary and historical art from around the world. AGA’s vision is to become the creative hub of Alberta and transform people’s lives through art. Outside of its general art exhibits, AGA runs educational workshops, art rental and retail services, and a travelling exhibition.

In F2022, Art Gallery of Alberta acquired 11 new works of art. Since its founding, AGA has acquired over 6,000 works of art. During the year AGA ran 19 exhibitions. The charity reports there are 2,786 AGA members, which is a 25% increase compared to F2021.

The museum runs various arts education programs throughout the year, targeted at both children and adults. Art Gallery of Alberta states that it ran 377 education and learning programs in F2022, serving 8,576 participants. These included 134 school programs and 84 family programs. AGA’s other learning programs include weekend art classes, open workshops, and children’s camps.

Art Gallery of Alberta also runs an Art Rental and Sales (AR&S) program. The program allows members of the public to acquire art for their homes or offices at affordable prices. In F2022, AGA had 1,600 pieces of art available for rent and purchase from 161 artists. The charity rented an average of 154 artworks each month by 75 artists to 37 clients.

The Travelling Exhibition (TREX) program helps Albertans view art in their own communities. TREX is a collaboration between five arts organizations and galleries, including the AGA, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Alberta Society of Artists, and Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre. In F2022, the TREX program received 89 bookings and 52,194 visitors.

Art Gallery of Alberta’s F2022 T3010 was not available at the time of this review. The charity’s audited financial statements do not use activity-based costing. As such, Ci uses the charity’s T3010 to report program costs, administrative costs, and fundraising costs. The most recent year of data available is F2021.

Art Gallery of Alberta received $1.1m in donations and special events revenue in F2021. Administrative costs are 10% of revenue (excluding investment income), and fundraising costs are 26% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 35%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 65 cents are available to go to the cause, which is just outside Ci’s reasonable range.

AGA has $4.4m in reserve funds, of which $1.4m are donor endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, AGA can cover 88%, or 11 months of its annual program costs.

This report is an update that has been sent to Art Gallery of Alberta for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated July 14, 3034 by Liam Chapleau.