Ten arts and culture groups on Vancouver Island and the islands in the Salish Sea are getting more than $440,000 help to improve their spaces or buy equipment.

“Arts and culture groups operate vitally important spaces of belonging in communities throughout B.C., and this funding will help enhance their facilities so they can come back strong after the pandemic,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “We’re supporting arts groups to upgrade their spaces, improve safety features, increase accessibility or buy equipment so they can continue to offer virtual programming and contribute to B.C.’s economic recovery.”

As the first recipients of the BC Arts Council’s new program, arts and culture groups on the islands are getting dedicated funding to improve arts infrastructure and buy special equipment. For example, Nanaimo Art Gallery received $75,000 to expand its Art Lab, the gallery’s education programming space. This expansion will allow more kids, youth and adults to participate in educational programs.

In total, 50 arts and culture organizations across B.C. received nearly $2 million in grants to help improve arts and culture spaces and support the sector’s resilience.

Quotes:

Bob D’Eith, Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film –

“These are grants that make a big impact in our communities. This program shows that the B.C. government is listening and responding to the needs of arts and culture groups. I look forward to continuing to work with the arts and culture sector as our economy recovers.”

Sheila Malcolmson, MLA for Nanaimo –

“Art and creative expression are so important for people to maintain healthy lifestyles, especially right now. We are supporting arts and culture spaces across the province and here in Nanaimo, assisting them through the pandemic and helping to make them better for the future.”

Carolyn Holmes, executive director, Nanaimo Art Gallery –

"We are thrilled with this opportunity to expand Art Lab. These renovations will make it possible to increase the capacity of our programs and involve more members of our community in art-making experiences. This recent year has showed us just how important these creative outlets and learning opportunities are for our well-being. Thank you to the Province for investing in Nanaimo's arts infrastructure."

Quick Facts:

• Through the Arts Infrastructure Program, arts and cultural organizations can get grants of up to:
  • $75,000 to improve arts and culture spaces; and
  • $40,000 to buy special equipment to support art programming.
• The BC Arts Council administers the Arts Infrastructure Program. A peer committee reviewed the funding applications.
• As part of StrongerBC: BC’s Economic Recovery Plan, the Province is providing $21 million to support arts and culture organizations’ recovery through the BC Arts Council.

Learn More:

To see a full list of recipients, visit: https://www.bcartscouncil.ca/funding/recipients/