The Community Arts Council of Vancouver (CACV) enters a new organizational phase with the hiring of Chris Gilpin as Executive Director. Gilpin joins the CACV bringing a strong background in arts administration and community engagement. Gilpin most recently worked as Executive Director for Vancouver Poetry House and Director of Development for Thursdays Writing Collective. He continues to serve as Treasurer of Spoken Word Canada and Director-at-Large for the Accordion Noir Society.
“The Community Arts Council of Vancouver’s legacy of building Vancouver’s cultural infrastructure is unparalleled. CACV’s mission is building community through the arts with a commitment to focus on making a difference in the Downtown Eastside,” said Chris Gilpin, Executive Director. “I am honoured have the opportunity to join the organization and strengthen its position in the arts community moving forward”.
Pierre Leichner, President of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver said, “CACV’s Board welcomes Chris to the organization as both a community engaged artist, and an individual who possesses superior administrative knowledge and skills. He will be a tremendous asset as we refocus the organization’s mission. Chris will insure we remain a major leading resource and networking body for community arts people and organizations in Vancouver”.
Gilpin’s work as an advocate in the spoken word movement includes a successful letter writing campaign to preserve the term “spoken word” within guidelines of the Canada Council for the Arts. With Vancouver Poetry House, he oversaw the event production over 100 events and 100 workshops each year from 2012-2015. Many of these spoken word events focused on social justice themes as a way of affecting change and turning the spotlight on voices from marginalized communities. Gilpin will be hosting several spoken word and poetry events at the upcoming 2015 Vancouver Writers Festival.
Community Arts Council of Vancouver (CACV)
Founded in 1946, CACV was the first arts council in North America. CACV was instrumental in the creation of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, the Vancouver Museum and Planetarium, the UBC School of Music, the first Vancouver Film Festival, and many other cultural institutions. For more than 60 years, CACV has been contributing to the cultural and community development of Vancouver by creating art projects that engage the community and facilitating, supporting, and advocating for initiatives, facilities, and programs that increase community participation in the arts.
For more information, contact Chris Gilpin at 604.681.2715