Arts BC

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Working for the People Powering the Arts: Community Arts and Culture Leaders in BC We are a provincial arts service organization.

Our job is to give individuals and organizations the tools and support to excel at arts and cultural leadership, of all types and forms. We connect people and promote partnerships. We champion artistic endeavors across all disciplines, emerging and established

We are artist-centered and dedicated to creative empowerment

We share our deep knowledge and expertise and foster exchange through peer learning

10/15/2026

M E M B E R S P O T L I G H T: 𝗡𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻 & 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹

Consider this a free pro-D day for your arts practice. 🎨

On Sunday, October 25, the Nelson & District Arts Council’s annual Rural Artist Support Weekend returns with virtual workshops designed to make the business side of being an artist feel a little less daunting.

From marketing your work to writing stronger grant applications, the day will offer practical information artists can put to use. It is free, online and open to artists anywhere. You do not need to live in Nelson to participate.

Presenters, workshops and registration details are coming soon! Follow the Nelson & District Arts Council for updates: ndac.ca

📸 1: Carla Stephenson from Rural Arts Inclusion speaking. Photo by Electrify.
📸 2: Speaker panel at Rural Artist Support Weekend. Photo by Electrify.
📸 3: 2026 Rural Artist Support Weekend poster graphic.
📸 4: Participants taking in a workshop at Rural Artist Support Weekend. Photo by Colin Burrell.

10/14/2026

Buckets catching leaks. A freezer running since 1968. A 20-year-old iPod used to power exhibitions.

The Museum of Vancouver’s Austerity Tours bring people behind the scenes to see what decades of stagnant funding actually look like inside a cultural institution. The details can be funny, frustrating and a little unbelievable, but the risks to collections, cultural spaces and the people who care for them are very real.

MOV is making visible something the sector often works hard to keep out of public view. Across BC, arts, culture and heritage organizations are stretching aging buildings, equipment and limited resources far beyond what is sustainable. These pressures affect what can be preserved, what can be presented and whether communities can continue to access cultural spaces at all.

On Wednesday, October 21, join MOV CEO Ryan Hunt for the final Austerity Tour, followed by a panel of cultural workers and advocates discussing how these same pressures are being felt across the sector.

🏛 Final Austerity Tour
5:30–6:30 pm

💬 Austerity Tour Discussion Panel
6:30–8:00 pm

📍 Museum of Vancouver
🎟 By donation on a sliding scale
Separate RSVPs are required for the tour and panel.

With the provincial election just days away, this is also a reminder to ask candidates how they will support the cultural infrastructure communities across BC rely on. Then make a plan to vote.

Find event details and reserve your spot: museumofvancouver.ca

10/12/2026

A little long-weekend reading from across BC’s arts and culture sector. ☕️

From honest sector conversations and practical resources to stories from artists and organizations across BC, the Arts BC blog is where we share what our community is learning, creating and working through.

Have something to add? We want to hear it. Read the latest posts and find out how to submit your own story through the link in our bio or artsbc.org.

10/09/2026

We’re taking a short break to rest and recharge. 🌿

The Arts BC team will be out of office and back on Tuesday, October 13. We’ll respond to messages when we return.

See you soon!

10/07/2026

Culture already builds BC. This election, let’s make sure every party has a plan to strengthen it.

Arts, culture and heritage create jobs, support local businesses and bring people together. They make our communities places where people want to live, work and visit. They also give BC the creative capacity to imagine what comes next.

In 2024, BC’s arts, culture, and heritage sector contributed $24.2 billion to the provincial economy and supported more than 132,400 jobs. But its impact reaches far beyond those numbers. Culture creates places to gather, stories that connect us and opportunities for people across the province.

We are calling on BC’s next government to:

• Strengthen the BC Arts Council by increasing its funding to $58 million and indexing it to inflation
• Create BC’s first Cultural Strategy
• Invest $1 billion over 10 years in green cultural infrastructure
• Reinstate B.C. Fairs, Festivals, and Events fund

This is a non-partisan call for every party and candidate to recognize what culture already contributes and commit to helping it thrive.

Read the full platform at coalitionbc.ca/culturebuilds, share this post and ask your local candidates: What will you do to support arts, culture and heritage in BC?

Then vote on October 24. 🗳

10/06/2026

Arts BC hit the road in Northeast BC! 🚗✨

With stops in Fort St. John, Hudson’s Hope, Chetwynd and Dawson Creek, our team connected with the people strengthening arts and culture across the region.

A highlight was presenting at the Arts in Partnership Conference, hosted by FSJ Arts Council, alongside Arts BC Board member Ovvian.

Thanks so much for having us, Fort St. John Community Arts Council, Peace Valley Arts Society, North Peace Cultural Society, Chetwynd Community Arts Council, & Dawson Creek Art Gallery!

Where should Arts BC go next? 👇

10/05/2026

“𝘈𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯; 𝘸𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.”

Shay Paul, Arts BC’s Thompson Okanagan Regional Director, has received this year’s John Hobday Mentorship Award in Arts Management from Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada. 🏆

Shay is a Secwépemc multidisciplinary artist and arts leader. She founded the Indigenous Resurgence Project, curates Stínesten Gallery and works to strengthen opportunities for Indigenous artists across the Southern Interior.

Through the mentorship, Shay hopes to gain the experience she needs to build a space where Indigenous artists can feel at home, no matter how far they are from home.

We’re grateful to have Shay’s voice and leadership on the Arts BC Board, and so glad to see her work recognized in this way. Congratulations, Shay! 🫶

Learn more about Shay’s work:
www.indigenousresurgenceproject.ca

10/02/2026

The work you do is creative. The work that keeps it running isn’t always.

Arts BC Shared Services offers practical support for the essential behind-the-scenes work that can take up so much of your time.

Take what you need:

📱 Social media support
🧮 Bookkeeping and coaching
📋 Employment agreement templates
📊 Equity-informed data tools
💡 Guidance tailored to your organization

Less time trying to figure everything out on your own. More time for the people, programs and ideas at the heart of your work.

Explore our Shared Services program at artsbc.org and tell us: what could your organization use a hand with right now? 👇

Address

Victoria, BC

Telephone

+18449111778

Website

http://artsbc.org/

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