Brackendale Art Gallery Theatre Teahouse

For over 51 years the Brackendale Art Gallery (BAG) has been at the center of art in Squamish. After 18 months of construction, it reopened, rejuvenated to be a landmark for art, culture and community. Since that reopening in March, the team at the BAG has worked to match our programming with the history and potential of the building and population. In the approximately 6 months of operations, we have hosted more than 120 events of all shapes and sizes all while providing a space for people to gather, eat and socialize daily. Many of these events and programs are in collaboration with the dozens of local groups, organizations and community members. The public areas of the BAG include a theatre/cafe, gallery, community building, rooftop patio and large garden that we striving to make a comfortable space for people of all backgrounds and identities. To explore how we do this we can start by looking at the 3 core businesses: the gathering space, the celebration space and the entertainment space.

The gathering space part of the business is practice of just having space for people to come. This is funded by food and beverage but in reality, is giving space for people to get together. We have collaborated with over 30 artists create a viewing experiece which supports artists and allows people to enjoy good art. Our history allows for an interesting artistic and architectural experience while enjoying our culinary delights.

The celebration space is our ability to host people as they share their most exciting moments with a particular group of people. This includes all weddings, corporate outings, anniversaries, celebrations of life etc. Though these events are not public they are very important and there are very few locations that can host with the amenities and accessibilities we have.

The entertainment space is the most diverse and spanning function of the BAG space. The BAG has the occupancy of 308 people which allows a very big variety of entertainment events. From the BAGS nude modeling and painting workshops to regular concerts, movies, theatre, comedy and informational talks the amount of entertainment available is astounding. Many of these events are collaborations with community groups and organization of all kinds. Though many of our events are ticketed, we offer and run several events a month that are accessible without the financial constraint of a ticket.

The Brackendale Art Gallery should receive this award because it will encourage it to do more. The operations have been happening for only 6 months and it needs community support to continue. The BAG is also the convergence of Art and Entertainment and is working to be as inclusive as possible. If you are still not convinced, please come see for yourself.