Call for Artists: Silver Jubilee

Silver Jubilee: 2024 Centre A Holiday Market

Submission deadline: November 4, 11:59 PM

Artist notification: November 9

Opening party: November 30, 4 – 7 PM

Exhibition / auction period: November 30 – December 14, 2024

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This year, we are excited to bring back our holiday market. If you are an artist based in the Lower Mainland, this is your chance to submit your unique artwork to be shown at our gallery space and auctioned off through a silent auction, and/or giftable craft items to be purchased during the exhibition period.

This year’s theme is Silver Jubilee, which marks the 25th anniversary of the accession of Centre A to the rank of public art gallery, starting from our humble beginnings as an artist-run centre. Hopefully we will celebrate our next jubilee in a world without monarchs or commonwealth, but for now we invite you to blasphemize the legacy of the queen in a drag of wealth and prosperity!

In addition to our usual art auction, we are opening up this year’s submission for handmade / small batch items that fall under the category of craftwork: cards, prints (<11”x14”), jewelry & accessories, candles, customized clothing, and so on. Please read through the different requirements for art and craft submissions below.

Submission is free and will be juried by the Centre A team. Artists who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and members of other equity-seeking groups will be prioritized.

Artists will be notified about submission results by November 10. Accepted artists will receive a complimentary Centre A membership for a year with various perks, including a 10% off of Boutique items.

Art auction requirements:

• Each work must be priced between $20 and $300 CAD.
• Max three artwork submissions per artist.
• Works must be ready-to-hang, or 3D works smaller than 15″W x 20″L that could be safely displayed on top of one of our five plinths.
• Selected artworks will be up for silent auction in person and online for the duration of the market. You will receive 60% of the winning bid amount, paid to you no later than February 22, 2025.
• Selected artworks must be dropped off Centre A between November 18 – 23, 2024, between 12 – 6 PM.
• Centre A will coordinate buyer pickup of sold artworks. Any unsold artworks have to be picked up by the artist between January 6 – 11, 2025, between 12 – 6 PM.

To apply, please fill out the Silver Jubilee: Art Auction Form by November 4, 2024, 11:59 PM.

 

Craft submission requirements:

For craft submissions, artists are encouraged to submit unique/handmade items and products. Alongside the artworks, these craft items will be displayed at the gallery for sale, but are not part of the art auction; customers will be able to take the items home at the time of purchase. 

We welcome artist-made items that would be great gift ideas for the holiday season: cards, stickers, handmade/small-batch jewelry & accessories, candles, prints (<11”x14” in size), customized clothing (we have one clothing rack), and so on. You can think of this as an extension of our Boutique.

Requirements:

• Maximum 3 craft item submissions per artist; please indicate how many counts per item are available (eg. crochet beanie in assorted colours, 5 available).
• Please do not submit duplicate items that are already consigned at our Boutique.
• You will receive 60% of the sale, paid to you no later than February 22, 2025.
• Selected works must be dropped off Centre A between November 18 – 23, 2024, between 12 – 6 PM.
• Any unsold artworks have to be picked up by the artist between January 6 – 11, 2025, between 12 – 6 PM, unless alternative arrangements have been made.

To apply, please fill out the Silver Jubilee: Craft Sale Form by November 4, 2024, 11:59 PM.

If there are any questions, please email [email protected].

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Job Opportunity: Executive Director

Job Description – Executive Director

Reports to: Board of Directors

Type: Full-Time (35 hours/week)

Compensation: $50,000 – $60,000 with extended health benefits.

 

Organization Overview: 

Centre A was founded in 1999 and is Canada’s only public gallery devoted to contemporary Asian and Asian diasporic art. Our mission is to uplift globalized Asian experiences through contemporary art, multi-disciplinary practices, and critical engagement and dialogue. Our values are to lead with compassion, empathy, and respect in our pursuit to uplift and represent diverse voices. We pursue our mission by producing exhibitions of contemporary Asian art, developing innovative public programs, and creating ongoing learning opportunities for artists, cultural workers and organizations.

Centre A is a unionized workplace with a collective agreement as part of the Arts and Cultural Workers Union, IATSE B-778. (Collective Agreement – document).

 

Position Summary:

Centre A is celebrating its 25th anniversary and is going through a transitional phase in 2024. In 2024, the organization has recently ratified a collective agreement with staff  to create better working conditions and has completed a 3-year Strategic Plan from 2024-2027. Centre A has also recently renovated its physical space to increase the size of its artist boutique. Now, the organization is embarking on a search for a new Executive Director to lead the organization in this new phase of growth.

The Executive Director will be reporting directly to the Board of Directors and work alongside the Artistic Director who develops, implements, and manages the creative programming of the organization. They will be responsible for organizational leadership, operations, planning, human resources, financial management and community relations. The successful candidate will have experience working with arts and culture / non profit organizations, labour relations experience and have strong progressive values.

 

Overview of Duties:

Leadership

• Manage the overall strategic direction of Centre A’s administration and programming
• Work with the Board of Directors and staff to fulfill the objectives of the Strategic Plan 2024-2027
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to advance Centre A’s mission, values, and strategic plan
• Establish a positive, inclusive, healthy and safe work environment for staff, volunteers and board members

 

Operations and Planning

• Work collaboratively with the Board of Directors including reporting, supporting its committees, and liaising between staff and external parties.
• Identify and evaluate risks to the organization’s people, property, finances, perception and implement measures to control risks
• Coordinate maintenance and repairs of facilities, exhibitions, and other infrastructure
• Maintain administrative organizational systems, archiving, and office resources
• Responsible for reviewing, approving, and signing any notes, agreements and other instruments made and entered on behalf of Centre A

 

Human Resources

• Oversee the recruitment, selection, training and termination of staff and volunteers
• Maintain a positive, inclusive, healthy, and safe work environment for one (1) full-time staff (Artistic Director), several part-time contract staff, and student workers and volunteers.
• In collaboration with staff, develop administrative processes and forms including human resources policies, contracts, and artist agreements
• Determine staffing requirements for organizational management and program delivery
• Work collaboratively with the Union, staff and Board to follow and implement the collective agreement.

 

Financial Management

• Work with the Board to develop, implement, and oversee the operating budget, program budgets and annual audit
• Manage day-to-day financial transactions and cash flow, including accounts payable and receivable, payroll, remittances, and reporting
• Prepare and submit operation and project grants applications, interim reports, and final reports for public and private sources of funding
• Ensure effective and efficient financial processes and systems with input from the auditor, bookkeeper and Finance Committee
• Prepare, review and analyze monthly financial reports with the Board Treasurer

 

Revenue Generation/Fundraising

• Work with the Board and Fundraising Committee to secure funding and investigate new sources of revenue through grants, donor cultivation and sponsorship activities
• Ensure Centre A maintains strong and positive relationships with funders and sponsors
• Manage fundraising and sponsorship campaigns
• Cultivate and maintain a steady donor database

 

Marketing and Community Relations

• Act as a spokesperson for Centre A
• Cultivate and steward relationships and partnership with members, community groups, peer organizations and stakeholders
• Extend Centre A’s audience reach via strategic communications and public relations
• Produce clean and professional copy, press releases, and other written materials
• Oversee the development and implementation of digital and social media strategies to enhance the profile of the organization

 

Role Qualifications

• Post-Secondary Degree in a relevant field such as, but not exclusively in, Art History, Asian Studies, Curatorial Studies, Arts Administration
• 3-5 years of management experience or equivalent combination of training and experience within the non-profit and cultural sector
• Knowledge and commitment to contemporary Asian art and its concerns
• Understanding of working in progressive and grassroots cultural spaces and its intersections with equity, access, and social justice
• Knowledge of the national and local Asian Canadian and Vancouver art scenes. An understanding of the history and culture of Vancouver’s Chinatown is a strong asset.
• Demonstrated skills in financial management and control
• Demonstrated success in grant writing and knowledge of funding structures
• Superior organizational and administrative skills, detail-oriented focus and the ability to manage multiple priorities and projects
• Proven ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing
• Excellent interpersonal and public speaking skills to represent the organization
• Ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively at all levels of operation in a fast-paced environment
• Knowledge of one or more Asian languages is a strong asset
• Strong systems thinking and proficiency in using and leveraging software and technology to build organizational capacity and efficiency
• Flexibility to work occasional weekends and evenings
• A valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle is an asset

 

Personal Skills 

• Exceptional verbal and written communication, including being highly adept with service calls via phone and in person, as well as through web tools, text message, email, etc.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, projects, and priorities effectively.
• Able to work ethically and with respect with multiple stakeholders including staff, Board members, and community members.
• Working knowledge of labour relations, experienced working in a unionized environment.
• Discretion with confidential information.

 

Working Conditions

• The gallery and office is located at Unit 205, 268 Keefer Street, Vancouver, BC in the Sun Wah Centre within the Chinatown / Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood
• The gallery is located on the 2nd floor of the building with access to an elevator
• There may be work hours in evenings and weekends due to board meetings and gallery events

 

How to apply

Please send materials to the hiring committee in a single PDF with your name and the position in the title, in the following order to [email protected]: a cover letter, CV, and three reference contacts. Optionally, you may also provide a link to your website/portfolio and any other documentation of relevant projects.

Interviews starting late October. Review of applications will begin on October 16, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled. We thank you in advance for your interest, however only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Centre A is located in Vancouver’s Chinatown on the unceded and ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. We are committed to equity and inclusion and encourage applications from members of underrepresented and marginalized groups, including but not limited to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, and/or disability.