Tofino Arts Council

MISSION

The Tofino Arts Council nurtures the creation and sharing of art within the outer coast communities by being an independent, inclusive voice for local artists and cultural organizations. We believe that arts and cultural activities are essential to the vitality and sustainability of our remote community, its residents, and visitors.

MANDATE

The Tofino Arts Council champions the creation of local artworks and productions, thus supporting the livelihoods and economic development of artists and creative industries. We achieve this through programming, workshops, small grants, and community partnerships.

VISION

The Tofino Arts Council sees our community as a hub and lab for artistic expression, creative exploration and cultural education. We dream of a community art space and thriving residency program. 

Respect | Innovation | Collaboration | Community | Creativity

We practice these values by:

• Supporting high quality arts and cultural activities that enrich our communities

• Encouraging and promoting the work of emerging and established local artists

• Providing educational activities in arts and culture for residents and visitors

• Celebrating artistic excellence and cultural diversity in the Tofino and the Clayoquot Sound region.

• Respecting and following the cultural safety guidelines and nation protocols of Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations in our region. These guidelines include addressing power imbalances and practicing cultural humility ensuring everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

From 1974-1980 the Gust o’ Wind Arts Centre operated in a community space in Tofino. For the next 32 years Tofino was without a dedicated arts organization until the Tofino Culture Scan in 2012 determined a need for a credible advocate for the arts in the communities of Clayoquot Sound.

As a result, the Tofino Arts Council (TAC) society was established and included some of the original founders of the Gust o’ Wind Arts Centre. In the past 10 years TAC has steadily grown to offer a variety of artistic programs and events for our community, operating without a physical programming location.

Our mandate is to support and encourage arts and culture in Tofino and the surrounding Clayoquot Sound communities, as we believe this is a responsibility and opportunity to help our communities grow in a healthy, vibrant way.

In 2022 Tofino Arts Council hired their first Executive Director - Carly Butler - a local artist and arts professional with a background in fundraising. Carly is excited to lead TAC into its next stage as a non-profit and expand our support for artists and the arts in Tofino and Clayoquot Sound.

Our policies on cultural appropriation, diversity, equity and inclusion, and decolonizing statement can be found here.