Community Arts Council of Vancouver. Originally an advisory body, it was established in Vancouver in 1946, the first organization of its kind in North America. A model for many later community arts organizations, the council has helped to initiate the construction of the
Queen Elizabeth Theatre and Playhouse, the planning of the
Vancouver International Festival, the development of a music department at the
University of British Columbia, the founding of the
Vancouver Opera, the establishment of the
Vancouver Academy of Music, and the preservation of the Orpheum Theatre. In these and other cases the projects have been completed under the supervision of other organizations. Financed by membership fees, grants, and donations, and operated by its volunteer members, the council has undertaken to act as a clearing-house for information on the arts in Vancouver, publish a quarterly magazine Arts Vancouver 1985- (formerly known as Community Arts Council News 1965-72; News 1973-83; and Images 1983-5), act as liaison between arts and government bodies, adjudicate provincial grants to small and non-professional arts organizations and semi-professional and amateur performing arts groups in greater Vancouver, and display the work of local emerging artists and community groups at its downtown premises. In 1986, the council began its sponsorship (in its gallery) of the Vancouver Composers' Showcase concerts; in 1989 and 1990 it offered a recital series, 'Performer's Choice,' and in 1990 it supported a further noon-hour series called 'Mozart in Canada' - both programs were coordinated by
Ian Hampton. In 1991 the council's stated goal was 'to increase and broaden the opportunities for Vancouver citizens to enjoy, to appreciate, and to participate in cultural activities and to improve the quality of life in the city'.
Author: Max Wyman, Bryan N.S. Gooch
