After an extensive review process involving city staff and an expert panel of local and international arts leaders, Mayor Gregor Robertson is announcing his support for a new, innovative and expanded Vancouver Art Gallery on the City-owned site at 688 Cambie, formerly known as Larwill Park.

“A new, expanded art gallery at Larwill Park is a huge opportunity to bolster our creative sector, showcase local artists from Vancouver and across BC, and make a clear statement that Vancouver makes arts and culture a priority,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson.

“We’ve done a lot of work to support the arts in recent years, but this has the potential to really elevate our creative economy to the next level. I hope that all of City Council will support the recommendation.”

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Ahead of a City Council vote on Wednesday, the Mayor is urging unanimous support from Council on plans to invest over $7.45 million in Vancouver’s vibrant arts and culture sector.

The City is recommending awarding the 2013 Cultural operating and project grants to 165 Vancouver organizations supporting dance, film, music, visual arts, literary arts and more, selected from a pool of 191 applications. This year’s grants span an impressive range, from the Arts Club Theatre (celebrating its 50th year), Bard on the Beach, the Vancouver International Writers Festival, and the DOXA Film Festival, to the Raven Spirit Dance Society and Vancouver Theatre Sports.

“The City of Vancouver is committed to using every tool at our disposal to support our vibrant local arts and cultural community, understanding that Vancouver’s leading creative sector is a substantial contributor to the strength of our local economy,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “The grants recommended to 165 organizations demonstrate the breadth of support the city shows for our local arts and culture groups, and I hope all of Council will join me in supporting them.”

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City Council has approved a new program for indoor arts events, as part of ongoing work to make it easier for artists to hold events, showcase their work, and perform in Vancouver. The city is now the first in Canada to allow arts performances as a temporary use in warehouse and retail buildings.

“This is another solid boost for Vancouver’s arts scene and one that we’re going to keep building on,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “Vancouver’s artistic community is a major economic driver and we want to do all we can to ensure local performers thrive and people have more opportunities to enjoy music and dance in our city.”

The pilot program is the latest step by City Council to modernize and streamline regulations for artists and to make it easier to hold events. The new program, approved unanimously by City Council, will:

• Change the City’s zoning to permit indoor arts or cultural events in commercial and industrial areas;
• Exempt arts events from requiring a development permit, reducing excessive costs;
• Create a single-point of contact for event organizers when seeking approvals, avoiding costly delays.

“These changes will make it easier for artists to perform in Vancouver, and bring our by-laws into the 21st century,” added the Mayor. “Now, if people want to hold events in galleries, warehouses, or studios, it’s far easier to do so.”

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On March 17th, the City Of Vancouver granted cultural organizations, including the Vancouver International Children’s Festival and the Vancouver East Cultural Centre,  more than $7 million in grants.

In all, over 171 organizations received  operating, theatre rental and project grants.

The funds support music, dance, visual and media arts, film screenings, theatre, festivals, multi-media exhibits and more. Many of the organizations receiving grants participated in Vancouver’s 125^th anniversary celebrations, showcasing the city’s vibrant and diverse arts and culture.

Major institutions receiving grant support include the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, the Museum of Vancouver, Science World, the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Vancouver Maritime Museum.

More information is available in the reports at: Cultural grants report and the theatre rental grant report.

Would you like to discuss Arts & Culture in Vancouver?
Visit the VanMayorsOffice on facebook to tell us what you think of our efforts to maintain Vancouver’s artistic venues and performance spaces.

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There are 19 new tasty ways to explore Vancouver’s celebrated foodie culture without making reservations.

Delicious eats purveyors, including Vancouver chefs Vikram Vij and Karen Barnaby, were among the experts reviewing applications for the sought after spots located in and around the downtown core, adding to the close to 100 vendors offering a wide variety of choices along our city’s pedestrian-heavy streets.

“Adding these new street food options to our streets this summer will enliven our public spaces while supporting diverse and nutritious food choices that benefit our local economy,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “These affordable street food options reflect Vancouver’s diverse communities and expand employment opportunities for local food entrepreneurs.”

This year’s vendors are sharing a diverse array of items such as Baja-style tacos, matzo balls, seafood chowder and Korean fusion.

With almost 2,000 people responding to the City’s street food survey, public interest in street food options appears to be high.

Check out our map of the 2011 Food Cart Vendors & Locations:

View 2011 Food Cart Vendors & Locations in a larger map

For more information please visit the vancouver.ca Media Room.