During the period between finger painting and retirement, art seems to seep away from people’s lives, Sean Lumb says.
“For me the arts are a part of my life, but it is a neglected part of my life,” said Lumb, a director on the Squamish Arts Council. “It needs to be featured more prominently.”
The arts council is aiming to make art a more central part of the community as it kickstarts a survey and meetings with stakeholders. Through the summer, the organization fine-tuned its mission and vision and assessed Squamish’s needs related to the arts.
The council also collaborated with Quest University students to hone in on ideas regarding a community arts space and ways to improve the art council’s website.
“We have just kind of thrown everything up in the air and want to see where it goes,” Lumb said.
The arts council aims to raise awareness of and provide access to arts, culture and heritage in Squamish.
The council incorporated in 2012 and currently has a board of 11 members. It operates on an annual budget of approximately $6,000 and distributes approximately $10,000 worth of annual grants to local artists and arts and culture organizations.
The council is seeking better ways to serve both the arts community and the general public, said arts council director Zena Harris. Having completed the strategic planning and visioning, the next step was to reach out to the community, she noted. The arts council is set to sit down with Tourism Squamish, the chamber of commerce and several non-profit and youth groups.
“We’ve been to see four organizations so far,” said Harris.
A resounding theme that has arisen is the community’s need for an encompassing arts and performance space, Lumb said. That need has been incorporated into the arts council’s vision, which calls for an arts, culture and heritage hub with resources, education, programming and performance space for the community.
“We are working hard to identify any options,” Lumb said, noting the ultimate ‘blue sky’ plan is to have a dedicated arts centre.
“In the meantime we need to make do with any available space.”
The council wants to help promote the arts initiatives already taking place and fund groups and individuals. The group represents the collective arts voice and can lobby the District of Squamish on their behalf, Harris noted.
“We now have a clear path forward,” Harris said. “It’s exciting times.”
The arts council encourages all residents to take part in its online survey.
“We need to take the pulse of the entire community,” Lumb said, noting the council wants to hear back from everyone – not just people involved in art.
To take the survey, visit www.squamishartscouncil.com and click on the blue survey tab button.
