Pitch for Arts & Culture Centre made by CVCAS

It’s time for the rubber to hit the road, or rather, brushes to meet big-picture canvas, for supporters of an Arts & Cultural Centre in Chemainus.

Spearheaded by the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society Past President Peggy Grigor, who has talked to just about anyone who would listen, the concept of an A&CC will be put the test at a March 6, 7 p.m. meeting in the Chemainus Legion Hall, with a pitch to people with the skills, persuasiveness and drive to make the dream come true, to get behind the initiative.

“All the people I’ve talked to have told me that they love the idea, and that they are in support of it,” Grigor told MIF. “So now we’re asking them to step up with us, and make it happen together.” More to the point, Grigor will be looking for people to volunteer for a board that will be formed to continue pressing forward with a project proponents say will benefit not only Mural Town, but the whole Cowichan Valley Regional District.

“As the arts council of Chemainus, we’ve carried this project forward as far as we can,” Grigor said. “We’ve talked to all sorts of community groups, we’ve talked to schools, we’ve talked to artists, and everybody’s on board to bring an arts centre to town, but now we’re looking for people to come forward and help us.”

The proposal includes: a small theatre with ‘state of the art sound and production’ facilities; a couple of galleries and classrooms; and ‘some public use space,’ possibly retail space where art supplies could be sold.

CVRD Arts & Culture Division Manager Kirsten Schrader, while she was careful to point out it’s a long way from concept to approval, said there’s lots about the CVCAS initiative that would serve the larger region well. “It would definitely be an asset to the entire Cowichan Valley region to have an arts centre, a fully equipped black-box theatre, a public art gallery for example,” Schrader told MIF.

Proponents of the project note that the Cowichan Valley does not have a ‘climate controlled’ public art gallery, which could attract national and international travelling exhibits. And there is a lack of professionally designed performance space for shows targeting smaller audiences than can be housed in the 730 seat Cowichan Valley Performance Centre – the CVCAS proposal calls for a smaller 100-seat auditorium.

That’s music to CVCAS Director Bob Johns ears. “As a musician I’d like to say that it would be nice to have a good facility for performance in Chemainus here,” he said, pointing out that high quality shows, which draw a hundred people or less are out there for the booking, but that there is no adequately designed space in the CVRD to host them.

Festival of Murals President Tom Andrews said an Arts Centre would complement and complete the artistic range of Chemainus by adding classroom, gallery and performance space to a town that is already a destination for its mural art and theatre. “I think it’s something that would really add to the town and enhance its art theme.”

Chemainus Residents’ Association Chair Bernie Jones said no community can be complete without a vibrant arts and cultural scene. “The sociologist in me can’t think of a community without including culture as a component of it,” he said. “So creating a healthy, liveable community means creating an environment where the cultural arts can have full expression.”

Schrader, although she had encouraging words, didn’t downplay the hard work that lies ahead. “There’s a lot of consultation work that’s going to have to take place in order to establish a need and a community desire,” she said. “There are lots of people that are interested in this, but there has to be a formal process of community consultation.”