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About North Van Arts

Our mandate is to enable emerging and professional artists in all disciplines, bridge cultures and build strong & healthy communities through the arts.

About

North Van Arts, founded in 1969 as The North Vancouver Community Arts Council, is a grassroots, non-profit, charitable cultural organization dedicated to maximizing the intrinsic value of the arts in all media.

OUR MANDATE IS TO ENABLE EMERGING AND PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS IN ALL DISCIPLINES, TO BRIDGE CULTURES, AND TO BUILD STRONG AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE ARTS

Located in CityScape Community ArtSpace, the organization consists of a volunteer Board of Directors, an Executive Director and support staff, and over 100 dedicated volunteers. Our membership is over 400 strong and includes individuals, students, seniors, families, cultural groups and businesses.

Safer Spaces Guidelines

North Van Arts’ Safer Spaces Guidelines is a resource for staff, volunteers, partners, artists, visitors, and the general public. This document is not a policy, but is rather a living document that will shift and grow along with the organization, as we continue to learn. These guidelines apply to all spaces that North Van Arts programmes, including, but not limited to, CityScape Community ArtSpace, Maplewood House, our community exhibition spaces, our digital communications and social media, and all spaces we programme for events.

Annual Report 2022-2023

Please contact the office if you’re interested in acquiring a copy of the printed report.

Strategic Plan 2021-2024

The Board of Directors and Staff have worked together to develop the strategic plan for the North Vancouver Community Arts Council. The document below outlines the priority directions for the organization to 2024.

View the 50 Years Presentation from the 2019 AGM View the Annual Report-2018-19 here.

Achievements:

  • Established the first Heritage Committee in North Vancouver
  • Preserved the former City Hall of North Vancouver, a 1902 heritage building, originally the North Vancouver School, which was rededicated as the Presentation House Arts Centre in 1976
  • Created and produced the first North Shore arts promotional vehicles:  Arts Access Magazine and Arts Access Television Show, forerunner to the Arts Alive Magazine and Arts Alive monthly fresh sheet in the North Shore News
  • Instrumental in creating a tri-municipal Arts Commission designed to assist local governments in the development and promotion of arts and culture in their communities
  • Organized, fund raised for and installed a number of community public art pieces including: Cathedral by Douglas Senft (steel sculpture at Waterfront Park, 1986), Bugs by Jacqui Berglund (meandering mosaics along the waterfront walkway, 1998), Friendship Gate by Chilean Ceramic Group (a community garden gateway, East 2nd Street, 2004), Centennial – Imagine Our Future City Overpass by youth contestants (etched granite slabs, 2007)
  • Instrumental in saving and preserving the Fred Amess Art Collection
  • Instrumental in producing three community murals created by local youth
  • Created a scholarship fund for art students at Capilano University
  • Created a Youth Cultural Development Endowment Fund
  • Facilitated the million dollar regional millennium project Visions of the North Shore
  • Recipient of the 2009 Business Excellence Award in Arts & Culture, North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce
  • Instrumental in the creation of CityScape Community Art Space, an interactive community art gallery and cultural administration offices
  • Spearheaded the North Shore Cultural Mapping Project (began 2016)
  • Celebrated 50 Years of the organization (click link to learn more about 50th anniversary)

The North Vancouver Community Arts Council is a member of:

North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce
Canadian Network for Arts and Learning
Creative City Network of Canada
Destination Vancouver
BCAssociationCommunityGaming