Chapter Twelve: People and Premises

“Unquestionably, one of the most important measures of the cultivation and sophistication of a community is the standard it has achieved in the production and appreciation of the arts.”

– Alvin Balkind, who along with Abe Rogatnick introduced Vancouver to Modern Art.

The Arts Council’s current premises at 837 Davie Street are a far cry from the small room in the crowded Seymour Street office of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the first office of the council in 1946. It was Councillor Marguerite Ford who proposed a new civic rule that would make it possible for contractors to increase the allowable density of a building by allocating space to the city of Vancouver for use of non-profit groups. The Arts Council’s impressive Davie Street gallery space, offices and board room make possible public gatherings and programming which could not have been undertaken earlier. The City of Vancouver is the kindly landlord. The first two Arts Council employees, Dorothy Chipping and Gertrude Elliot came from New York and worked out of make-shift offices.

The Arts Council’s first independent office was established in the early fifties when a room was rented above James Inglis Reid’s popular butcher shop on Granville Street. By then the stature of the Arts Council was such that the UBC School of Architecture held a contest among its students for the interior design of the office. The winner, K.E.R. Kerr, was awarded $25. The Vancouver Vocational School made the furniture and the Interior Designers Institute installed curtains and screens. Some members painted. There were disadvantages, however, to these comparatively splendid quarters. There were two steep staircases to climb, and the room was always cold. Nora Gregory remembers that pigeons flew into the washroom and perched on the fixtures! Nora, a board member, assumed office duties until Margaret Evans, a permanent secretary, was employed. Frank Applebee, who had been associated with the Arts Council since the early days, was hired as part-time Executive Director. He arranged the Arts Council’s subsequent move to an upstairs office in the Arts Club’s Seymour Street building.

In 1969, when the Arts Council became heavily involved in the preservation of Gastown, it was decided the council should demonstrate its commitment by moving to that part of town. Frank Low-Beer negotiated a long-term lease for 315 West Cordova in the lovely old Home Building. The premises had long been derelict. Rudi Kovach, the most sought-after designer at the time, planned the space, with silvery mylar, burlap and rough cedar wall coverings. These were extremely exciting days for Arts Council members in their attractive custom designed surroundings. For the first time, there was gallery space for new artists and meeting space for member groups.

The next major move for the Arts Council took place in 1986, following President Genevieve Lemarchand’s successful efforts to secure the spacious Davie Street premises with a 2200 square foot gallery and performance area as well as offices and meeting rooms. This venue suits the role of the Arts Council today, one of more emphasis on programming musical and literary events and workshops for the arts community. There is a substantial resource centre offering information to local artists and arts groups. Furthermore, the Arts Council is now suitably located to make its presence felt in Downtown South, the city’s new and growing downtown neighbourhood.

The administration of the Arts Council has always been conducted by an Executive Committee drawn from an elected volunteer Board of Directors. This Executive works collaboratively with the Executive Director while projects are developed by various committees and administered by the office.

The efforts of Arts Council volunteers have been made more effective through the guidance and support of dedicated Arts Council staff. In 1957, Frank Applebee, who acted as Executive Secretary, was particularly valuable in keeping the Arts Council’s finances in order. Moira Sweeny, after two years as Executive Secretary, resigned but became a very active volunteer. In 1978, Anne Macdonald became the first Executive Director. Her exceptional energy and enthusiasm were the driving force for many Arts Council endeavours in particular, for the fundraising efforts of the two Studio Fairs and of later Paper Fairs. It was likewise her initiative that prompted the Arts Council’s participation in the World Conference on Arts, Politics and Business.

Since 1985, the Arts Council has been most fortunate to have as its Executive Director, Ingrid Alderson, who has guided successive boards and members with her particular tact and wisdom. Her professional knowledge, experience and creativity continue to contribute greatly to the Arts Council’s effectiveness. Under her leadership and tutelage, a series of dedicated office staff have contributed substantially to the success of Arts Council events and the smooth running of its often hectic everyday work.

Volunteers have always been the backbone of the Vancouver Arts Council: on the board committees, and especially in the office. The first newsletters were addressed and stamped by a troop of Girl Guides. Later membership mailings involved operating cumbersome manually controlled imprinting machine into which one fed engraved metal plates. For years, Jessie Richardson and her committee kept the nameplates and their respective members up-to-date and paid up.

An important contribution made by the Arts Council office has been to provide a local mailing address as well as telephone answering and administrative services to a variety of arts organizations. These include the various B.C. Crafts Guilds, the Canadian Conference of the Arts, the Vancouver International Festival, the World Conference of the Arts, Politics and Business, the first B.C./Yukon Heritage Conference, New Life for Old Buildings, Arts Access, B.C. Assembly of Arts Councils, Heritage Canada, Vancouver Theatre Co-op, the New Music Society, The Bard on the Beach and many others.