About Us

Vancouver's nonprofit print media hub since 1975.

Locations

1555 Duranleau Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6H 3S3

1265 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1R3

Contact

+ 1 604 688 1724

[email protected]

Board of Directors

Thao La (she/her/hers) Woojae Kim Josephine Choi
Vice President Director Treasurer

Pippa Lattey (she/her) Aileen Yadokoro Shanna Cheng (she/her)
President Director Director

Stephanie Gagne
Director

Staff

Justin Muir (he/they) Val Loewen (she/her)
Executive & Artistic Director Studio Access & Equity Manager

Mandate

We support and promote the contemporary visual arts through the critical and technical exploration of print media. Through the excellence of our facilities and programs, we create a vibrant, productive and sustainable community of artists and enthusiasts.

History

Malaspina is a provincially incorporated society and a registered Canadian charity, founded in 1975 by a group of printmaking students, fellows, and instructors from the Vancouver School of Art (now the Emily Carr University of Art + Design). Their objective was to secure federal funding for an international printmaking exhibition. In the past 45 years, Malaspina has developed into a support organization for print culture by building strong relationships with artists, organizations, and cultural practitioners throughout the world. Its programs have been expanded beyond exhibitions to include studio rentals, workshops, mentorships, archives, residencies, and sales. Malaspina has been situated in a 2,500 square foot facility on Granville Island since 1981.

Purposes

To increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of the arts by curating exhibitions and managing a public gallery for the display of contemporary art that pushes the boundaries of, and expands discourse around, print media;

To promote the development of, and excellence in, print media by providing studio facilities, which includes specialized equipment and tools, to enable artists to practice and produce their work, thereby increasing the affordability of, and accessibility to, resources that are otherwise rare or unavailable;

To advance education by providing structured learning activities, such as workshops, classes, demonstrations, and/or lectures, about print media, and by providing opportunities for students and artists to research and practice their work in conjunction with these learning activities;

To increase public knowledge and interest, and feature contemporary movements, in print media by archiving and/or collecting and making viewable to the public examples of high-quality works.

Statement of Solidarity

Malaspina Printmakers Society is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work. We believe that equity is fundamental to our mission as a non-profit artist-run society and we are committed to fostering a community that is inclusive, diverse, and actively anti-oppressive. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels welcome, valued, and respected.

To achieve this, we recognize the importance of addressing systemic inequalities and barriers that affect individuals and groups based on their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, socioeconomic status, religion, and other identities. We are committed to promoting equity and social justice through our policies, programs, and practices.

We acknowledge that we operate on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. We recognize the ongoing impacts of colonization, residential schools, and other forms of systemic oppression, and we commit to learning and engaging in meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

We are dedicated to actively seeking out and addressing barriers to participation and creating opportunities for underrepresented groups. We strive to build relationships with and learn from diverse communities and to center the voices and experiences of those who have been historically marginalized.

We believe in creating opportunities for artists who have been historically underrepresented and marginalized in the arts community. We are committed to providing accessible and inclusive spaces, programs, and resources that support artists in realizing their creative potential.

We recognize that achieving equity requires ongoing learning, reflection, and action. We commit to regularly reviewing our practices and policies to ensure they align with our equity goals. We also commit to listening to and engaging with the diverse voices of our community to inform our decision-making processes.

In all our activities, we will strive to create a community that is equitable, inclusive, and welcoming to all.