Profile of Hornby Island Arts Council
The mandate of the Hornby Island Arts Council (HIAC) is to serve as an umbrella organization for the Hornby Island arts community. HIAC encourages membership of local artists and supporters of the arts, holds regular meetings and disseminates information concerning arts events and funding opportunities.
HIAC's main goals and artistic objectives as laid out in the constitution are as follows:
1. To foster and promote the involvement of Hornby Island artists in collaborative community projects.
2. To promote awareness in the arts community of potential funding resources for individual or group 
projects.
projects.3. To sponsor community events and festivals that provides opportunities to showcase local artists and groups.
4. To facilitate youth and senior involvement in community arts projects, and to broaden understanding and awareness of the importance of art in our lives.
A long-term goal is to obtain funding, with matching volunteer labour, to create a permanent Arts Building on the island with Gallery and Studios for Exhibitions and Workshops, serving as a space for the proposed Hornby Island Arts Resource Centre, to benefit youth, seniors, teaching artists, island artists and visitors.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HORNBY ISLAND ARTS COUNCIL
While the Arts Council has striven to fulfil the mandate as defined at its inauguration, it is felt that ongoing fundraising is a highly important element. We have been fortunate with the support we receive from the community. Over the last two years we were able to receive approximately $27,000 in donations from our building fund drive. This enabled us to purchase a used building. With the backing of HIRRA, our local governing body, we were able to place it on the shared lands, a parcel of land that is community owned and operated. Through the efforts of many volunteers we transformed this small building into an Artist Resource Centre. This building now houses an Arts Council office, an artist resource library, and a meeting room and a public display gallery; a major step towards a new building for the Arts on Hornby Island. We were also able to begin an endowment fund in partnership with the Vancouver Foundation to ensure that the Arts Council generates funding that is not overly reliant on Grants or Government. We will continue to add to this endowment over the years. This year’s major fundraising event is an Artist Trek. Conceived by artist Brian Scott, the idea was to invite 12 artists to paint a specific geographic location on Hornby Island. Each of the artists involved has generously donated not only the original painting, but also the rights to reproduce it so that we can also sell prints for further ongoing funding. The artists involved include Robert Bateman who has generously donated an original painting. Each of the artists involved is well respected in their field. These paintings will be posted on a website so that people can view them ahead of the on-line auction which will be held through the Heffel Gallery.
Our second fund raiser is the Golf Tourney which is open to all. This involves not only the local community but also many off island people who come just for this event. It is a great opportunity to not only raise funds, but to also raise the profile of the Arts Council both on and off Island.
The Hornby Island Arts Council will continue to build for the future while maintaining what has already been created. HIAC is incorporated as a non-profit organization with charitable status. To reach us phone call the Arts Resource Centre at 250-335-2070.
