Its obituary was written six years ago.
But the remaining board members of ArtsConnect, a nonprofit promoting the arts, culture and heritage in the Tri-Cities, held on for another year to get it to its 50th anniversary, in 2019.
Then the pandemic hit and, like many organizations, ArtsConnect laid low.
Now, a well-known arts leader who grew up in Coquitlam wants to breathe new life into the once-vibrant umbrella group that, not so long ago, had an executive director, funding from the municipalities and the provincial government, and a mission to bring people, businesses and the creative community together.
For the past few months, Gregory Elgstrand, a former curator at the Art Gallery at Evergreen and a Dr. Charles Best Secondary graduate, has been gathering information and building a vision in his new role as president of ArtsConnect.
He’s been speaking with artists and supporters about what’s needed to relaunch the organization, as well as poring over past materials donated to the Coquitlam Archives.
“ArtsConnect did so much,” Elgstrand told the Tri-City News during an interview in Port Moody, where he now lives with his partner Sarah Graham, a visual artist.
“They had big events and a monthly events calendar in the newspaper. They were really the hub of it all.”
Supported by current board members Sherry Carroll, Manfred Kraus, Bill Atwell and Rose Kapp, Elgstrand said his immediate goals are to gauge feedback from the artistic community about how to move forward “and find out what they’re looking for to be able to make art every day”; populate the website ArtsConnect.ing with Tri-City events, resources and directories; find partnerships and potential funding sources; and organize a Cultural Summit for 2025.
Memberships will also restart this fall, ranging from $20 to $100 per year.
To sign up for a membership, or to comment on the revival of ArtsConnect, you can email [email protected].
Five decades of ArtsConnect
Established in 1969 as the Coquitlam Fine Arts Council, ArtsConnect became the Coquitlam Area Fine Arts Council in 1983 when it included all municipalities in the Tri-Cities.
In 1992, it rebranded to become the ARC Arts Council then again in 2003 as ArtsConnect, with Helen Daniels as the executive director until 2012 when she stepped down following the election of a new board that included Carroll, a former Port Coquitlam city councillor.
Over the years, ArtsConnect thrived by supporting and sponsoring programs and projects in the Tri-Cities; it held workshops, offered financial aid to emerging artists and hosted administrative meetings.
Its records were stored in an office at səmiq̓ʷəʔelə/Riverview Lands and, in 2018, were turned over to the City of Coquitlam for preservation.
With the light now returning to ArtsConnect, Elgstrand said he’d like to bring back the diverse voices and gatherings to create more opportunities in a region where affordability and accessibility are tough.
He laments that new arts infrastructure hasn’t been added in the Tri-Cities in about 30 years, which, with the uptick in population, puts pressure on existing venues and makes it hard for artists and performers to find suitable space at a reasonable price.
“We are taking a long look at ArtsConnect to see what it can offer, but we don’t want to reinvent the wheel,” Elgstrand said. “We want to be a viable resource again for the arts and culture in the Tri-Cities.”
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