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Arts Planning: Visioning


Council Report: April 24, 2023



Draft Vision and Guiding Principles

The goal of this engagement (Arts Planning: Visioning) is to develop a working vision and concept for a replacement arts facility.

Over the summer, community members shared their ideas and priorities by taking a survey and attending workshops.

Your input was used to develop the draft vision and mission. This work will inform the development of a proposed governance model and funding planning.

Draft vision, mission, and guiding principles

Open houses were held in November and December to review the draft vision, mission, and guiding principles. Thank you for your feedback.

Open house information boards

Next steps

Staff will report the engagement results to Council in 2023 and seek direction on next steps.

Results of the survey, workshops, and open houses will be presented in an Engagement Summary Report, which will be included in the Council Report.


Visioning together—survey and workshops

Thank you to everyone who took the survey. The survey closed on Friday, September 16 at 4 p.m.

Survey questions

Five workshops were held in June. Thank you for your participation.


How did we get here?

Current state of District arts facilities

The District's three dedicated arts facilities (Art Museum, Music Box, and Silk Purse), originally built as single-family cottages, are in poor condition and are at the end of life. West Vancouver's arts and culture community is in need of adequate space to continue carrying out their activities.

Following Council direction, the District is in the process of planning an accessible, purpose-built arts facility as a replacement for these three facilities. The new facility will meet the current and future demand for arts and culture for years to come.

Confirming the vision for the future arts facility

The District's Arts Facility Plan, developed in 2019, identified the need for 21,000 sq. ft. of space to continue providing art programs for all ages, exhibitions, small rehearsal and performances, administration space for arts groups, and multipurpose space for a variety of community uses.

Consultation in 2021 to select a site for the facility indicated a split in community opinion and raised several questions about aspects of the proposed sites. Council chose not to move forward with any of the proposed sites and wants to engage with the community to confirm the vision and concept for a future arts facility.

Latest Council direction

December 12, 2022

At the December 12, 2022 meeting, Council updated their direction to the Arts Facilities Advisory Committee. They asked the committee to:

  1. complete the work of confirming an arts and culture facility vision and concept, including the community engagement summary report
  2. complete the work of recommending a governance model through research and input from community organizations and groups who will use a new facility
  3. complete the framework for a capital funding plan including a funding options analysis and eligibility for Provincial and Federal Funding
  4. immediately pause all work related to the Fundraising Feasibility Study, including developing a case for support, conducting interviews with potential donors, and determining a gift chart; and
  5. provide a report to Council regarding the completed work by end of first quarter 2023

April 2022

The Arts Facilities Advisory Committee will:

(a) confirm an arts and culture facility vision and concept, by:

  • engaging with the arts and culture community, community user groups, and the public;

(b) recommend a framework for capital fundraising, by:

  • researching best practices in capital fundraising for arts and culture facilities; and
  • confirming best practices and developing a framework to guide capital fundraising; and

(c) recommend a governance model, by:

  • researching and collecting data on a variety of governance models;
  • soliciting public input and participation from community organizations and groups;
  • confirming values that will guide the development of a governance model; and
  • ensuring the long-term sustainable operation of an arts and culture facility.

Visit the committee's webpage to learn more.

September 27, 2021

September 27, 2021 Council Report: Replacement of the Arts Facilities Advisory Committee Terms of Reference

Council created the Arts Facilities Advisory Committee in 2019 to consider existing needs (exhibition, performance, storage, workshop/studio, and program spaces) and future needs for facilities to support arts and culture. As a result of this work, a single consolidated, purpose-built replacement facility was proposed.

Part of the work directed by Council on July 26, 2021 is to develop a governance model and a fundraising plan to replace the facilities for arts and culture in West Vancouver. Under their new terms of reference, the 2022 Arts Facilities Advisory Committee will undertake that work.

Council approved the new terms of reference.

Background - site selection

On April 21, 2021, Council directed staff to proceed to public consultation to select one of two site options for a consolidated, purpose-built replacement arts and culture facility. The community engagement took place between May 18 and June 16, 2021, and this report presented the engagement and proposed the next steps.

The community consultation presented two potential sites and asked the public to select a preferred option. Respondents were also asked to provide their reasoning for their choice. The consultation results indicated a split in community opinion in terms of acceptance of either of the sites. In addition, they raised several questions and concerns about many aspects of the project.

On July 26, 2021, Council did not select either proposed site. To address the concerns and questions remaining in the community, and to raise awareness of the current condition of municipal arts facilities in West Vancouver, Council resolved that:

  1. the Arts & Culture Center Site Selection - Engagement Summary Report be received for information;
  2. $150,000 of the $270,000 originally allocated from the COVID Safe Restart Grant be expended to develop an additional community-wide engagement program on the next steps for arts and culture facilities in West Vancouver and the development of a governance model and a fundraising plan for the replacement of the facilities for arts and culture in West Vancouver; and
  3. staff report back to Council on the results


Council Report: April 24, 2023



Draft Vision and Guiding Principles

The goal of this engagement (Arts Planning: Visioning) is to develop a working vision and concept for a replacement arts facility.

Over the summer, community members shared their ideas and priorities by taking a survey and attending workshops.

Your input was used to develop the draft vision and mission. This work will inform the development of a proposed governance model and funding planning.

Draft vision, mission, and guiding principles

Open houses were held in November and December to review the draft vision, mission, and guiding principles. Thank you for your feedback.

Open house information boards

Next steps

Staff will report the engagement results to Council in 2023 and seek direction on next steps.

Results of the survey, workshops, and open houses will be presented in an Engagement Summary Report, which will be included in the Council Report.


Visioning together—survey and workshops

Thank you to everyone who took the survey. The survey closed on Friday, September 16 at 4 p.m.

Survey questions

Five workshops were held in June. Thank you for your participation.


How did we get here?

Current state of District arts facilities

The District's three dedicated arts facilities (Art Museum, Music Box, and Silk Purse), originally built as single-family cottages, are in poor condition and are at the end of life. West Vancouver's arts and culture community is in need of adequate space to continue carrying out their activities.

Following Council direction, the District is in the process of planning an accessible, purpose-built arts facility as a replacement for these three facilities. The new facility will meet the current and future demand for arts and culture for years to come.

Confirming the vision for the future arts facility

The District's Arts Facility Plan, developed in 2019, identified the need for 21,000 sq. ft. of space to continue providing art programs for all ages, exhibitions, small rehearsal and performances, administration space for arts groups, and multipurpose space for a variety of community uses.

Consultation in 2021 to select a site for the facility indicated a split in community opinion and raised several questions about aspects of the proposed sites. Council chose not to move forward with any of the proposed sites and wants to engage with the community to confirm the vision and concept for a future arts facility.

Latest Council direction

December 12, 2022

At the December 12, 2022 meeting, Council updated their direction to the Arts Facilities Advisory Committee. They asked the committee to:

  1. complete the work of confirming an arts and culture facility vision and concept, including the community engagement summary report
  2. complete the work of recommending a governance model through research and input from community organizations and groups who will use a new facility
  3. complete the framework for a capital funding plan including a funding options analysis and eligibility for Provincial and Federal Funding
  4. immediately pause all work related to the Fundraising Feasibility Study, including developing a case for support, conducting interviews with potential donors, and determining a gift chart; and
  5. provide a report to Council regarding the completed work by end of first quarter 2023

April 2022

The Arts Facilities Advisory Committee will:

(a) confirm an arts and culture facility vision and concept, by:

  • engaging with the arts and culture community, community user groups, and the public;

(b) recommend a framework for capital fundraising, by:

  • researching best practices in capital fundraising for arts and culture facilities; and
  • confirming best practices and developing a framework to guide capital fundraising; and

(c) recommend a governance model, by:

  • researching and collecting data on a variety of governance models;
  • soliciting public input and participation from community organizations and groups;
  • confirming values that will guide the development of a governance model; and
  • ensuring the long-term sustainable operation of an arts and culture facility.

Visit the committee's webpage to learn more.

September 27, 2021

September 27, 2021 Council Report: Replacement of the Arts Facilities Advisory Committee Terms of Reference

Council created the Arts Facilities Advisory Committee in 2019 to consider existing needs (exhibition, performance, storage, workshop/studio, and program spaces) and future needs for facilities to support arts and culture. As a result of this work, a single consolidated, purpose-built replacement facility was proposed.

Part of the work directed by Council on July 26, 2021 is to develop a governance model and a fundraising plan to replace the facilities for arts and culture in West Vancouver. Under their new terms of reference, the 2022 Arts Facilities Advisory Committee will undertake that work.

Council approved the new terms of reference.

Background - site selection

On April 21, 2021, Council directed staff to proceed to public consultation to select one of two site options for a consolidated, purpose-built replacement arts and culture facility. The community engagement took place between May 18 and June 16, 2021, and this report presented the engagement and proposed the next steps.

The community consultation presented two potential sites and asked the public to select a preferred option. Respondents were also asked to provide their reasoning for their choice. The consultation results indicated a split in community opinion in terms of acceptance of either of the sites. In addition, they raised several questions and concerns about many aspects of the project.

On July 26, 2021, Council did not select either proposed site. To address the concerns and questions remaining in the community, and to raise awareness of the current condition of municipal arts facilities in West Vancouver, Council resolved that:

  1. the Arts & Culture Center Site Selection - Engagement Summary Report be received for information;
  2. $150,000 of the $270,000 originally allocated from the COVID Safe Restart Grant be expended to develop an additional community-wide engagement program on the next steps for arts and culture facilities in West Vancouver and the development of a governance model and a fundraising plan for the replacement of the facilities for arts and culture in West Vancouver; and
  3. staff report back to Council on the results

  • Past work, direction, and research

    Past work, Council direction, and research

    • 2018: the District conducted extensive community engagement to inform the creation of an Arts & Culture Strategy. The strategy lays a foundation for the advancement of arts and culture and sets the stage for detailed planning for enhanced facilities.

    • 2018: Council created the Arts Facilities Advisory Committee to consider the existing needs of arts and culture activities in West Vancouver and to develop an arts and culture facilities plan.

    • 2019: The Arts Facilities Advisory Committee worked with Cornerstone Planning Group to create the Arts & Culture Facilities Plan (June 2019). This document identified and quantified West Vancouver's need for exhibition, performance, workshop/studio, programming and storage spaces to support West Vancouver’s current and future arts and culture community for the next 20 years.

    • 2020: The Arts Facilities Advisory Committee worked with Cornerstone Planning Group to create the Arts Facilities Site Identification Analysis (February 2020). This document identified the most suitable locations for developing a new facility or facilities.

    • 2021: After rigorous data collection, analysis, and forecasting; consultation with local stakeholders, community groups and business leaders; and careful consideration of local aspirations as expressed in the Official Community Plan and Economic Development Plan, the findings revealed that West Vancouver requires a new building of approximately 25,000 square feet to replace its unsuitable facilities and to meet future demand.

    • 2021: Community engagement focused on the work done by the previous Arts Facility Advisory Committee; in particular, the outcomes of the Arts Facilities Site Identification Analysis completed by Cornerstone Planning Group. That study analyzed the Ambleside region for suitable sites for future arts facilities and ranked them based on site selection criteria. The outcomes of that study, and subsequent Council decisions, was the recommendation to present two site options for public consideration.

    • 2021: Consultation results indicated a split in community opinion in terms of acceptance of either of the sites. In addition, they raised several questions and concerns about aspects of the project. Council did not select either proposed site.

    • 2021: To address the concerns and questions remaining in the community, and to raise awareness of the current condition of municipal arts facilities in West Vancouver, Council directed that additional community-wide engagement program on the next steps for arts and culture facilities in West Vancouver and the development of a governance model and a Capital Funding Plan for the replacement of the facilities for arts and culture in West Vancouver be undertaken.

    • June 2022: The goal of this engagement is to develop a working vision and concept for a replacement arts facility. This work will inform the development of a proposed governance model and Capital Funding Plan.
Page last updated: 23 Oct 2023, 12:03 PM