When the CACV established the Civic Arts Committee in 1950/51 its initial concern was for the improvement of the appearance of downtown Vancouver. The CACV lobbied for the installation of well designed telephone booths, litter bins, bus shelters, and benches. Next the CACV pushed for trees to be planted along streets, and the preservation of open areas for citizens to gather. Flash …
The Queen Elizabeth Theatre
CACV Board Executive Frank Low-Beer, and other members, lobbied the Vancouver City Council (with a 20,000 name petition) to include a theatre in the late 1950's five year plan. The plan was approved in 1953 and in 1954, CACV President Douglas Nixon lead a team that established the land on which the theatre would be built. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre, opened in 1959, and the impact of its …
1949 – Design For Living: Does this home fit you?
The Arts Council presented an ambitious exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery, titled Design For Living. The display consisted of four architecturally designed houses, decorated and furnished by local manufacturers. The prototype homes integrated creative elements (such as music, painting, ceramics and furniture design) with architecture to demonstrate the practicality of a house that incorporated …
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1947 – First Community Arts Programs Launch
CACV launched its first major project: the initiation of acting and dancing classes for children in four community centers culminating in two productions featuring performances by over 120 children. This venture eventually became reorganized as the Vancouver Children’s Theatre. …
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October 29, 1946 – The Formal Launch
“An expectant crowd jammed the Mayfair Ballroom at the Hotel Vancouver to celebrate the forming of the CACV (then known as the Community Arts Council). Founding Members of the Board included: Ira Dilworth (Chair), Nora Gibson (Secretary Treasurer) Jean Russell, Elena Arkell, Alex Walton, Howard Goodwin, and Dr. Norman McKenzie (the president of UBC) …
1946
The Community Arts Council of Vancouver is the first Arts Council to be founded in North America. Founded by two dedicated women, Jean Russell and Elena Arkell. They recruited Virginia Lee Comer, an Arts Consultant from New York, to help them prepare a community arts plan designed to bolster community spirit in the post war years. …