North Coast art organizations to receive portion of $12.4 million

Seven North Coast artistic organizations will benefit from a portion of $12.4 million in one-time funding Art Impact Grants to assist in pandemic recovery, Jennifer Rice, North Coast MLA, announced on April 1.

“The past couple of years have been difficult for many artists and cultural organizations,” the MLA said. “Our government is providing the arts community with support so they can recover and rebuild even stronger than before.”

The Impact Grants recognize the pandemic’s crunch on sector organizations. The funding allows recipients to prioritize what activities will provide a significant and most meaningful impact on their organization, practice or community.

The Museum of Northern British Columbia benefits by $39,200, with Prince Rupert Community Arts Council receiving $5,000. Three Haida Gwaii organizations received funding, with Haida Gwaii Arts Council $5,000, Haida Heritage Centre $30,000, and Haida Gwaii Museum at Kay Llnagaay $75,000. Bella Coola Music Festival received $9,200, and Bella Coola Valley Arts Council received $9,890.

This funding to local artists and organizations comes from single-time funding to the BC Arts Council, which will distribute $7.9 million in resilience supplements to more than 300 organizations already receiving operating assistance. Additionally, BC Arts Council will direct $4.5 million to top up the Arts Impact Grant program.

“This grant program signals a new focus on flexibility, equity, inclusion and diversity in how the BC Arts Council supports arts and culture organizations,” Rice said.

Funding is available to organizations and collectives with an arts and culture mandate and/or offering dedicated arts and culture programming, including non-profit organizations and Indigenous governments and community organizations.

The BC Arts Council’s budget is at a record high of $39.6 million that supports more than 600 organizations and hundreds of artists and cultural practitioners throughout B.C. The province has the highest concentration of artists and cultural workers in Canada.

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Melanie Mark said the government recognizes the hardships and severe impacts artists and creative people have faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This additional funding responds to a call to action to empower people to overcome challenges brought on by the pandemic. We know that this funding is crucial for B.C. artists and cultural organizations to begin their road to economic recovery and to rebuild a thriving and dynamic sector that supports our communities’ economic and social well-being throughout B.C.,” Mark said.