Mary Hofstetter President & CEO

At the intersection of art and ideas

The first thing you notice when you walk into the Kinnear Centre for Creativity & Innovation is the light. Natural light spills through every public space, infusing this new building with a sense of openness and possibility.

The second thing you notice isn’t in the Kinnear Centre at all. Sweeping mountain vistas and limitless skies fill the floor-to-ceiling windows, inviting exploration and discovery. If ever a building could be said to inspire thinking outside the box, the Kinnear Centre is it.

This splendid building was designed with great respect for its magnificent location in Banff National Park by renowned Canadian architect Jack Diamond, of the award-winning firm Diamond and Schmitt Architects Inc.

The opening of the Kinnear Centre for Creativity & Innovation this July represents the dawn of a new era at The Banff Centre. Situated at the heart of our campus, the Kinnear Centre will function as an interdisciplinary crossroads – a meeting place where innovative arts and ideas, and creative leadership will flourish.

The Kinnear Centre will support intensive learning opportunities for the thousands of artists and leaders who attend Centre programs and conferences every year. Its flexible learning spaces, state-of-the-art audiovisual systems, and generous informal meeting areas will draw participants together, and spark new dialogue and collaboration.

The emergence of the Paul D. Fleck Library & Archives from the basement of Lloyd Hall to its new central location in the Kinnear Centre means the resources of this remarkable collection are more accessible to all of the Centre’s participants, and independent researchers. And throughout the Kinnear Centre you will find art from The Banff Centre Permanent Collection, showcasing the creative legacy of visual Arts’ alumni.

The ground-floor Maclab Bistro offers a warm welcome, a space where old acquaintances can be renewed and new friendships established over a shared meal, a cappuccino, or a glass of wine.

But the heartbeat of the Kinnear Centre is the programming that will take place inside these interdisciplinary spaces. Those creative and professional development opportunities will be supported by the $28 million raised through the Campaign for The Banff Centre to enhance programming and to provide scholarship assistance to emerging and established artists and leaders.

Throughout the construction of the Kinnear Centre, and associated Revitalization projects, respect for the environment has been key. These projects all incorporate highly energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, LED lighting, and innovative water conservation measures. Over 75 per cent of the construction waste generated has been recycled, and the Kinnear Centre has been designed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Green Building Rating System® standards.

Next summer the Centre will unveil the Shaw Communications Inc. Outdoor Amphitheatre, a magnificent new outdoor performance facility capable of seating over 1,600. The views of the amphitheatre from the Husky Great Hall and from the Kinnear Centre patios and balconies will be truly astounding.

None of this would be possible without the support of the Governments of Alberta and Canada, and the many generous donors who have invested in the future of The Banff Centre. To each of them we offer our profound gratitude.

When next your pathway takes you to Banff – and we hope that will happen this summer during our Summer Arts festival -  we would be delighted to offer you a personal tour of this amazing new facility.