The Bulkley Valley Community Arts Council, Smithers Gallery Association and Bulkley Valley Museum, are asking for a combined total of approximately $130,000, as part of their annual funding from the Town.
At council’s Dec. 28 meeting, the groups presented their 2023 results, then asked for the same amount of funding they received last year, plus an inflation adjustment.
During discussion, Mayor Gladys Atrill underscored the importance of arts and culture.
“People move to a community for the things that meet community needs,” she said. “Arts and culture and recreation do provide the soul for a community.”
As the requests are all within the defined policy granted for annual funding, they are likely to be approved, explained Atrill.
The organizations all reported a post-COVID boom in people accessing their services.
The Bulkley Valley Community Arts Council asked for $5,972 in funding for 2024.
“Personally, I find arts and culture to be the measure of the health of a community,” said Bulkley Valley Community Arts Council president Sharon McGregor.
The organization provides grants and affordable arts programming, from traditional forms of art such as music and performing arts, to more unconventional forms of art such as puppetry.
“We’ve been thrilled with the grant requests,” explained McGregor. In the previous fiscal year, the organization dispersed 18 grants to member groups.
Music teachers can also reach out to the organization with funding requests, if their students are struggling to pay tuition.
Bulkley Valley Community Arts Council director Heather Gallagher said the organizations are “victims of our own success.”
“I started with the arts council about seven years ago, when I started there we had about one grant request a month,” said Gallagher. “And now we get five, six, seven a month.”
Smithers Gallery Association asked for $39,366 in funding for 2024.
“The Smithers Gallery Association is an integral part of arts and culture in Smithers and the surrounding region,” explained gallery manager Nicole Chernish.
Last year saw a successful youth arts exhibition. In 2024, the gallery will host a collaborative exhibit with the Bulkley Valley Museum, as well as a Northern Indigenous exhibit.
“Access to the visual arts is the main guiding principle of our organization,” said Chernish. “Visiting the gallery in-person, remains free”
Sixty per cent of the gallery’s operations rely on grants, the other 40 per cent are generated through other means such as sales and membership.
Town funding supports the lease of the gallery’s workshop space, Creation Station, as well as grants and financial aid for those in need.
“The town’s support cannot be overstated in relation to how this space impacts a broad cross-section of our community,” explained Chernish.
Bulkley Valley Museum asked for $87,343 in funding for 2024.
“I was blown away and extremely pleased with the level of engagement we’ve seen this year, and all of the positive feedback we’ve received from the community about our events, programming, and the exhibitions this year,” said curator Kira Westby.
The museum’s woolly mammoth exhibit saw tremendous success, as “classroom kid visits were well over doubled.”
The Old Church was used as an events space for the museum on several occasions, with many people in attendance.
“Balancing affordability with diverse community groups” is a priority, explained Westby.
The museum operates with “no financial barriers,” which means entrance to events and exhibits are free or by donation.
The Community Heritage Register project, operated by the museum, saw a successful start despite initial hesitancy from respondents.
The goal of the project is to bring awareness and education to heritage sites, and explore “what specifically makes Smithers, Smithers,” said Community Heritage Project coordinator Alison Watson.