A non-profit Society established 1998
“We respectfully acknowledge with gratitude that we are living, working and sharing on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Tla’amin Nation, the shíshálh Nation, and the Skwxwú7mesh Nation.”
Vision
The Coast Cultural Alliance is a network of arts, cultural and heritage groups and individuals working to enhance the economic vitality of the Sunshine Coast through cultural sector development and cultural tourism.
Mission
To encourage and participate in the development of employment and business opportunities for the arts, cultural and heritage sectors on the Sunshine Coast.
Values
In order to maintain the apolitical, nonpartisan and respectful intent of alliance, the Coast Cultural Alliance will be governed by a set of guidelines defined as the Basis for Unity.
Basis For Unity
Cultural services are an essential component in our community’s standard of living and economic well-being. The Coast Cultural Alliance will facilitate and encourage community Arts and Culture involvement and economic development by providing and coordinating cultural opportunities. We seek to encourage and support individuals and organizations to develop their full potential in their chosen endeavours. The Coast Cultural Alliance will represent all segments of our community equally, and without bias.
Therefore:
- We seek to support existing services on the Sunshine Coast, and to assist new endeavours.
- We provide nonjudgmental support for all the arts and culture on the Sunshine Coast.
- We do not get politically involved or take sides in any issues. As an organization we are apolitical and non-partisan.
- We do not necessarily represent the values or politics of either our sponsors, members or clients.
- We do reserve the right to warn that a work may be offensive to some and the right not to support work that is in contravention of the Canadian Criminal Code.
- We also believe that each person involved with the CCA as a member, volunteer, staff or board member:
- can make a unique contribution to the CCA and will be given the opportunity to do so
- must respect the philosophy, objectives, policies and procedures of the CCA;
- will endeavour to work cooperatively with each other in furtherance of the CCA’s goal of a successful arts economy and strong and healthy arts and culture community
- We will practice cooperative problem-solving, respect for individual differences and mutual support in the day-to-day activities of the CCA
- We understand that as the CCA grows, this Basis For Unity may also grow and change but its importance to the alliance will always remain vital.
Mission Statement
The Coast Cultural Alliance was established in 1998 as a non-profit society to enhance the arts and cultural tourism economies of the Sunshine Coast and to project a single, strong voice for local culture. The Alliance includes groups and individuals from the visual, performing, literary, and media arts on the Sunshine Coast.
Through nonpartisan collaboration, partnerships and representation, all arts groups and individuals may participate in such services as:
- Collective marketing and promotional campaigns
- Online training programs in marketing, communications technology & entrepreneurial skills
- Listings in and access to a cultural & skills-based database
- Dialogue with purchasers, supporters or producers of local culture, and
- Increased local and global visibility and recognition
In order to maintain the apolitical, nonpartisan and respectful intent of alliance, the Coast Cultural Alliance will be governed by a set of guidelines defined as the Basis for Unity.
Whenever possible, all marketing, training, or technical contracts will be linked with Sunshine Coast businesses and members of the Alliance.
What we cannot do alone, we can do together. In finding commonality of purpose, the Coast Cultural Alliance hopes to provide services more effectively than many individuals and organizations working separately — such savings of energy and monies to be directed back to the artist, performer, or organization.
Purposes of the Society
- To enhance the arts and cultural tourist economies of the Sunshine Coast.
- To project a single, strong voice for local culture.
- To encourage communication and cooperation within the Sunshine Coast’s visual and performing arts organizations and individuals, various levels of government, funding bodies, businesses and foundations.
- To assist artists, performers, and cultural workers to maximize their potential by offering ongoing education in marketing, communications technology, and entrepreneurial skills.
- To assist amateur to professional groups and individuals with collective marketing, promotion, and to provide resources for that assistance.
- To, whenever possible, utilize Sunshine Coast businesses and members of the Alliance for marketing, training or technical purposes.
- To acquire, hold and dispose of any real or personal property in furtherance of the purposes of the society.
- To apply for, raise and receive grants, fees, gifts, legacies, devises and bequests and to hold, administer, invest, expend or deal with same in furtherance of the purposes of the Society.
- To do all such other acts and things as are conducive to the attainment of the purposes of the Society.
For a PDF of the Coast Cultural Alliance Constitution and Bylaws click here
For a PDF of the Society Act Bylaws click here
What do Arts & Culture contribute to a community besides creative & social benefits?
- A healthy business environment
- A growing tax base and attractive, environmentally & socially friendly new business
- Employment opportunities, especially for younger residents
- Quality education & lifelong learning opportunities … to name a few.
Constitution and Bylaws
CONSTITUTION OF COAST CULTURAL ALLIANCE SOCIETY
- The name of the Society is: COAST CULTURAL ALLIANCE SOCIETY
- The purposes of the Society are:
- To enhance the arts and cultural tourist economies of the Sunshine Coast.
- To project a single, strong voice for local culture.
- To encourage communication and cooperation within the Sunshine Coast’s visual and performing arts organizations and individuals, various levels of government, funding bodies, businesses and foundations.
- To assist artists, performers, and cultural workers to maximize their potential by offering ongoing education in marketing, communications technology, and entrepreneurial skills.
- To assist amateur to professional groups and individuals with collective marketing, promotion, and to provide resources for that assistance.
- To, whenever possible, utilize Sunshine Coast businesses and members of the Alliance for marketing, training or technical purposes.
- To acquire, hold and dispose of any real or personal property in furtherance of the purposes of the society.
- To apply for, raise and receive grants, fees, gifts, legacies, devises and bequests and to hold, administer, invest, expend or deal with same in furtherance of the purposes of the Society.
- To do all such other acts and things as are conducive to the attainment of the purposes of the Society.
- In order to maintain the apolitical, non-partisan and respectful intent of the alliance, the Society will be governed by a set of ethical guidelines defined as the Basis for Unity, in addition to the Society’s bylaws.
BYLAWS
The bylaws of the society are those set out in Schedule B to the Society Act, with the following variations, deletions and additions:
- Bylaw 4 of Part 2 – Membership – to be revised to:
A person or organization may apply to the directors for membership in the Society and on acceptance by the directors shall be a member. All members in good standing shall be voting members. The Coast Cultural Alliance shall have the following categories of membership:- Non-Profit Organization Member: Any non-profit arts or arts umbrella association which endorses the mandate of the Coast Cultural Alliance.
- Profit Organization Member: Any for-profit arts organization which endorses the mandate of the Coast Cultural Alliance.
- Individual Member: Any individual, working in the arts/cultural sector or with an interest in supporting the interests of the sector, and who endorses the mandate of the Coast Cultural Alliance.
- Associate Member: Any non-arts organization, with an interest in supporting the interests of the arts/cultural sector, and which endorses the mandate of the Coast Cultural Alliance.
- Bylaw 5 of Part 2 – Membership – to be revised to:
Every member shall uphold the constitution and comply with these bylaws in accordance with the Basis for Unity. - Bylaw 6 or Part 2 – Membership – to be revised to:
The membership dues shall be determined from time to time by the directors of the Society.
Benefits of Membership
- Listing on www.coastculture.com including 10 images, 3 videos, description and links to your website and social media networks.
- Ability to sign in to your own account on the website and make your own changes.
- Ability to sign in to upload and make changes to you events listed in the calendar.
- Access to joining the annual on-line and printed Sunshine Coast Art Crawl
- Access to joining the yearly on-line and printed Purple Banner Tour Studio & Gallery Guide and Art Map – 20,000 printed each year and available on BC Ferries, info centres and many outlets on the Sunshine Coast and Mainland
- Access to closed CCA Members facebook group to share ideas and reach out (facebook.com/groups/2431940773603404)
- Subscription to weekly e-newsletter including event, workshop, opportunity & funding updates. Plus opportunity to be marketed as feature artist in the e-newsletter.
- Advocacy on your behalf.
- Networking with other artists.
2023/2024 Board of Directors
Marlene Lowden, Langdale, Gibsons – Chair
Marlene Lowden is an abstract painter and facilitator. She was raised at Armours Beach in Gibsons as was her Dad and her Grandmother. She has co-hosted an annual art and yoga retreat in Spain and connects to her community as an instructor in schools and at art festivals. She is a proud alumni of Thrive Art Studios, an international collective of female artists. Marlene was named one of 28 contemporary Canadian artists to know by Create Magazine and she is honoured to be included in the All She Makes curated artist directory. Her work appears in private and public collections in Canada and internationally.
Linda Williams, Davis Bay, Sechelt – Executive Director
Linda Williams was one of the founders of the Coast Cultural Alliance in 1998 and has been an active member on the board ever since. Her work was instrumental in the formation of the Purple Banner Tour Guide, the website, events calendars, and the Art Crawl. She is a strong advocate for the ‘Big Picture’ of the value of Arts and Culture on the entire Sunshine Coast. She continues to be active on the boards of Sunshine Coast Tourism and the Sunshine Coast Jazz & Entertainment Society / Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival and many more. She also performs in two local musical groups, ‘Sokole,’ singing songs from the Balkans and a woman’s marimba band, ‘The Knotty Dotters.’
Marleen Vermeulen, Granthams Landing, Gibsons – vice chair
Marleen Vermeulen received most of her art education in the Netherlands where she was born and enjoyed an extensive international and award-winning career in graphic design; in 1994 she moved with her family to the Sunshine Coast. Inspired by the natural beauty of the Pacific West Coast she began to focus her talent towards creating large oil paint canvases. The sheer scale of the canvases and the texture of the oil paint interpret the expanse and rawness of nature. Over time she has developed her own signature style; up close her work feels impressionistic, sometimes almost abstract, while from a distance it takes on a realistic perspective. Marleen has been represented by The Kurbatoff Gallery in Vancouver for over ten years.
Angela Letman, Davis Bay, Sechelt – Secretary
Angela grew up in Ontario’s historic towns of Cobourg and Perth, where her keen eye and interests in architecture, art and photography began. Moving to Gibsons in 1998 she quickly became involved in the community: elected to Gibsons Town Council; volunteering on various Boards of Directors; and arts and culture events. In 2003, she led the very first meeting of GPAG- the Gibsons Public Art Gallery. In 2019, Angela opened Very Coast Planning and Design as a consultant with a focus on planning, community engagement, and accessibility design. In her spare time you’ll find Angela drawing, renovating, gardening, photo taking, travelling, or enjoying music, books and laughter with family and friends.
Patricia Bowers, Gibsons
Although grounded by family and friends, Patricia has travelled the world to push the boundaries of personal experience. And whether it be New Zealand, Sicily, California, or even in Monet’s own garden in Giverny, she is always drawn to water. I feel extremely fortunate to live in Gibsons, where throughout the year our beautiful coastal surroundings provide an endless source of creativity.
Lee Turnbull, Granthams Landing, Gibsons
Lee Turnbull is a strong supporter of the artistic community on the Sunshine Coast, and has been on Coast Cultural Alliance Board for 6 years. She was an elected SCRD Director for West Howe Sound for 4 terms. Lee’s been involved in the field of conflict resolution since 1982, and held many positions with diverse groups and developed good analytical, strategic planning and problem-solving skills. She specializes in the development and use of collaborative processes with the goal of improving the relationship as a better alternative to adversarial decision-making. Lee likes to ensure such processes are fair and inclusive, culturally appropriate, respectful of diverse opinions and result in completed agreements which parties can reasonably implement.
Kandice Keith, Roberts Creek – Treasurer
Kandice is best known for her landscapes and portraits of native British Columbia wildlife. Kandice’s journey as an artist began with an acrylic painting class in 2001. Her early work was predominantly trees and landscapes inspired by Emily Carr and The Group of Seven Canadian landscape artists. In 2012, Kandice completed a still life painting class and expanded both her process and subject matter through the practice of daily painting. Kandice’s loose, impressionistic style and use of bright, luminous colour is evident throughout her work. Her work is both alluring and meditative. Many of her paintings feature bold layers of acrylic that build to reveal the magnetic stares of her animal subjects.
Allan O’Meara, Gibsons
Allan O’Meara is an artist who has been developing his abstract painting vision and style over the past several years. Working primarily in acrylics, he is always experimenting with different medium and new techniques. Allan’s career in laughter yoga and recreation therapy for seniors tapped into his passion for creating laughter and joy; and he continues expressing this passion in painting. Allan finds inspiration in his feelings about connecting with play, processing the world around him, expressing a passion for life, and finding joy in exploring the world through travel to over 50 countries.
History of the CCA
History of Coast Cultural Alliance to 2021: A volunteer run non-profit Society founded October 1998
First gathering of interest in 1998 at the Butcher shop in Sechelt
- Developed Basis for Unity (see details above)
- 1999/2000 SEARCH program – Employment and business skills for artists – HRDC
- 2001-2003 Artesia Initiative
- Cultural Tourism (trade shows, SCCEDP, SCT – one of the founding members of SCTP)
- Artesia Tours (Malibu Arts Retreat, Arts on the Waterfront, etc.)
- Arts Inventory
- “Art as a Living” workshop series
- ePaedia (learning arts on-line) (in partnership with Malaspina College, Powell River)
- Artesia Gallery (volunteer/not part of funding) – 1st in Molly’s Lane then downstairs in old GPAG gallery in Gibsons
Transition
- collapse of funding (2004)
- closed gallery in Gibsons (2005) and moved to ‘virtual’ organization with sub office at Rockwood Centre, Sechelt
- reassessment (Basis of Unity) & evolution of Board to current configuration
- Website (original site in 1998 moved to a interactive database format 2005)
- conversion to database driven site
- now an excellent communication & management tool
- SC Regional Cultural Strategic Scan/Plan – leading force in it’s development (2006-2007)
- moved out of Rockwood office to home office 2009
PRESENT DAY:
- Website (24/7 – updated 2019 now interactive and effective on all devices)
- E-newsletter (weekly to all members plus over 2200 ‘friends of CCA’)
- Arts & Cultural printed calendar (distributed monthly since 1999 – 2021)
- Coffeehouse monthly fall to spring 2003 – 2012, spring only 2013 – present
- Purple Banner Tour Studio & Gallery Guide (yearly since 2001 – 20,000 copies in 2019)
- Creation of Music for Youth Endowment Fund 2009 ($10,000, now up to $54,000 in 2023)
- changed to Daniel Kingsbury Music for Youth Endowment in 2015 – yearly grants given to youth
- Sunshine Coast Art Crawl, annual, 2010-75 venues, 8,000 visits, $30,000 sales … 2023-188 venues, 47,000 studio visits, $470,000 sales directly to artists.
- Advocacy (perpetual)
- 2020, 2021 – working under Covid-19 pandemic health regulations
- 2022 to present Peer 2 Peer Mentoring Spring Series
CCA Membership 2023:
- 384 members includes: 32 businesses, 42 non-profit organizations, 307 individuals
Current Members of:
- Tourism Vancouver – allows extensive brochure racking
- Sunshine Coast Tourism
- Arts BC
- Art-BC + BC’s Guide to Arts & Culture
- BC Alliance for Arts and Culture
- Sunshine Coast Arts Council
- qathet Arts Council
- Sunshine Coast Volunteer Centre
- Sunshine Coast Resource Centre
Affiliations with:
- Sunshine Coast Community Foundation
- Sunshine Coast Community Services
- Sunshine Coast Resource Centre
- Gibsons Chamber of Commerce
- Downtown Sechelt Business Association
- Gibsons Visitors Centre
- Sechelt Visitors Centre
- Powell River Visitors Centre
- Malaspina Arts Council
- … many others
Daniel Kingsbury Music For Youth
As a Grade 12 student at Chatelech, Daniel created the Waking Life Records project. He brought his musical friends together to fundraise by producing a double CD of original music and holding performances.
Daniel’s purpose was to create a lasting fund to help youth in their musical endeavours. In 2005, Daniel and Matt Posnikoff presented $8,243 to Sunshine Coast Community Services Society to start the fund.
The Coast Cultural Alliance had funding from radio station CKAY FM, so in 2009 the funds were combined to establish the $10,000 Music for Youth Endowment at the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation. In less than five years, the fund doubled to $20,000.
After Daniel’s passing in 2015, the fund was renamed the Daniel Kingsbury Music for Youth Endowment. The Community Foundation matched donations up to $5,000, and over $10,000 was added to the fund. Further donations brought the fund to $53,000 in 2022. Grants to young musicians are funded annually by interest earnings from the endowment. Over $14,200 has been dispersed as of 2022.
Through an annual application process, a young musician is selected to receive the grant. Applications are open to Sunshine Coast youth aged 13 to 19 who have an interest in creating, performing or recording music, and need financial help to fulfill their goals.
The fund has made possible the purchase of an instruments, music lessons, studio recordings, aboriginal drum making, software, apps, participation in youth orchestras and more. Daniel always included his friends in his projects, and selflessly shared the credit. They describe him as encouraging and inspiring, getting people to believe in themselves and their power to contribute. He had vision, and the passion and ability to move ideas from dream to reality.
