Grant helps gallery remove barriers for artists in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside

From 2018 to 2020, Gallery Gachet will continue to dismantle the barriers faced by marginalized residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside who are interested in the arts.

Making the arts more accessible to marginalized community members

As one of the few low-barrier exhibition spaces openly available to residents of Vancouver’s historically disadvantaged Downtown Eastside, Gallery Gachet is a neighborhood fixture. An artist-run centre, it aims to empower participants as artists, administrators and curators, and offers its members workshops, training and support. It uses artistic means to demystify and challenge issues related to mental health and social marginalization. Since many of its participants live in poverty, the gallery also serves as a drop-in space where they can access water, food, telephone, Internet and washrooms.

Multi-pronged support for artists

The gallery is committed to helping Canadian artists, particularly those in the Pacific north and territories. Its efforts to support them include professional development through liaison positions, teacher training, workshops, mentorship, exhibition opportunities, promotions and a strong community.