Grunt gallery celebrated the unveiling of a high-tech media lab called gruntKitchen, a transformation that modified the previously existing kitchen space. The opening represented the culmination of several years of fundraising and planning, and two solid months of renovation. In addition to the support of funders and the work of grunt’s staff and volunteers, this project was realized through the particularly strong show of support in donations made by the individu- als that make up grunt’s community.

The Media Lab is a key component of grunt’s Activating the Archive project. Activating the Archive is a multi-year project that involves bringing the archive of grunt’s 26+ years of production into the digital realm through the development of an online, interactive, database-driven website. The MediaLab provides facilities for the digitization of records and capturing of video. It is also a site for a curated program of contemporary artists to develop and from which they can present new media and performance-based work in response to materials found in grunt’s archive.

Grunt’s kitchen has been central to grunt’s history as the literal and metaphorical heart of the organization. This small room has been the ‘think-tank’ of our collective where programs and exhibitions have been developed while sipping a cup of coffee. It has also been the place where many new ideas and organizations have come into fruition. With the establishment of the Media Lab, grunt gallery looks forward to meeting its continued commitment to provide artists new ways of presenting and disseminating their work.

This project was made possible in part through financial support from the City of Vancouver, through the Capital Grants and Infrastructure Grants programs; Canadian Heritage, through the Cultural Spaces Program; the British Columbia Arts Council, through the Capacity and Sustainability Program; the Canada Council for the Arts, through SOFI; and radio stations 103.5 QM/FM, the Beat 94.5 and TEAM Radio, through the ArtsFACT program. This renovation was also supported by in-kind donations from Coast Decorating Benjamin Moore Paint and Cantu Bathroom Hardware Ltd.