Vancouver Foundation

4 | V A N C O U V E R F O U N D A T I O N | 1 9 4 3 - 2 0 1 8 GR ANTS AT A GL ANCE Becky Hynes; Surrey Art Gallery Art stimulates the mind and the senses, imparts a sense of well-being and even excitement, and has the power to bring together friends and strangers alike in an appreciation of beauty. This was very much on the minds of social worker Becky Hynes and school teacher Kathryn Best when they recently opened the Art Drift Outpost on the corner of Argyle Street and E. 35th Avenue in Vancouver. Supported by a $350 Neighbourhood Small Grant from Vancouver Foundation, the Outpost consists of a five-by-four-foot case filled with paintings, prints, and photos, along with a sign stating "free art." Hynes says, "We thought a free art exchange would provide locals with an accessible and affordable art collection, and serve as a place to create community connections and conversations – a social hub." The Outpost was initially stocked with art from Best's private collection, but Best notes that locals were initially baffled by the sight of the street corner case – and left money instead of rummaging through the contents. Now, however, the case is replenished weekly. "The feedback is very enthusiastic, and we hope to follow the journey of the art and enhance community connections by encouraging patrons to chat online through #VanArtADrift," says Best. The City of Surrey welcomes 1,000 new residents every month, 50 percent of whom are under 24 years of age. Given this, the Surrey Art Gallery is responding to the needs of young people with initiatives to strengthen their voices through art. Supported by a three-year Vancouver Foundation grant of $225,000, the Surrey Art Gallery is building on two years of research and pilot projects to implement its Youth Engagement Strategy (YES) Program, intended to empower young people to learn and make art with artists and art educators. This is taking many forms: Art Together sees young people working shoulder- to-shoulder with mentoring artists to create do-it-together art projects. A teaching/training program that not only develops the knowledge of art for the youth involved, but also hones their communication skills and confidence as they learn to lead activities. "We support more newcomer tours and workshops, in-school art workshops, pop-up art booths, and youth digital art screenings at the Gallery's award- winning UrbanScreen," says Alison Rajah, the Gallery's Curator of Education and Engagement. Rajah adds that the youth-initiated and -led programming has benefits that go beyond developing creative, cognitive, and social skills. "It's about building a sense of belonging in more connected and growing communities," she says. Art Adrift Outpost YOUTH ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY FREE ART EXCHANGE HELPING TO CONNECT THE COMMUNITY Projects Vancouver Foundation and our donors recently supported

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