Online Fundraiser

We're the first arts council in North America and we've had a history of supporting artists in Vancouver since 1946. We're now in a phase of growth supporting artists as part of our Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival, Annex events, free workshops and more. All our programming are either low-cost or free! We're now looking for support (like you!) to help our ongoing programming! We're looking to raise $2,000 this campaign and all proceeds go towards programming for artists and our community!

Our online auction starts February 15 and it will end March 15, 2024! 

Auction items include original artworks from past VOAF artists, theatre tickets, Vancouver Art Gallery tickets, Vancouver Canadians tickets, wine & delicious treats baskets, comedy tickets, White Caps tickets and much more!

Our generous donors:
Alini Eliza Garcia | Calen Michel | Leef Evans | Sheila Letwiniuk | Vancouver Art Gallery | Everything Wine | Arts Club Theatre | Ballet BC | Bard on the Beach | Vancouver Canadians | YVR Cookies | Rain or Shine | Earnest Ice Cream | Righteous Gelato | Baskits | The Keg | Cactus Club | BC Lions | The Improv Centre | BC House of Comedy (New Westminster) | Purdy's Chocolatier | Singh Beans | Zasou Salon & Academy | Vancouver Whitecaps | Royal BC Museum | The Burchant Gardens | VIFF

OUR STORY
The Community Arts Council of Vancouver (CACV) was the first arts council in North America. Since its beginning in 1946, the Community Arts Council of Vancouver has been a contributor to shaping the cultural life of Vancouver. CACV has been a powerful force in creating and advocating for many of the institutions, traditions, and policies in Vancouver that we benefit from today. CACV is an independent non-profit organization, registered charity, unaffiliated with any government department.

CACV was instrumental in the creation of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, the Vancouver Museum and Planetarium, the UBC School of Music, the first Vancouver Film Festival, and many other of Vancouver’s cultural institutions and events. For many decades, CACV has been contributing to the cultural and community development of Vancouver by creating art projects that engage the community and facilitating, supporting, and advocating for initiatives, facilities, and programs that increase community participation in the arts. Our interests are to increase understanding of how the arts create community, grow our appreciation of our cultural differences, and engage Vancouver’s citizens in the art of developing community.

Heritage Vancouver began as the Civic Arts Committee of CACV and separated in 1991 to become the first independent heritage group in Vancouver. It operates today as an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Vancouver’s built, cultural, and natural heritage.

The Community Arts Council of Vancouver played a vital role in the early preservation of, and the initiation of the heritage preservation movement. CACV also advocated for street banners, outdoor furniture, and the cherry trees that line Vancouver’s streets.

The Arts and Our Town: The Community Arts Council of Vancouver 1946–96 written by Elizabeth O’Kiely covers CACV’s early history and accomplishments in more detail. There are multiple copies available through the Vancouver Public Library.

OUR VISION & MISSION
CACV’s vision is of a socially-engaged, inclusive, and vibrant city alive with community arts.

CACV’s mission is to further the development of community arts throughout Vancouver.

OUR WORK NOW
We advance our vision in Vancouver through community arts programs that address social exclusion and accessibility to creative opportunities, Indigenous and non-Indigenous relationships, sustainability in the arts sector, and our collective resilience in the face of growing social and environmental challenges.