Eastside Arts Society
The Eastside Arts Society (EAS) has developed and produced some of Vancouver’s most innovative and cherished programming for contemporary visual arts.
Our Vision
Transforming community through the arts
The Eastside Arts Society (formerly the Eastside Culture Crawl Society) began in 1996 with a handful of artists and a couple hundred attendees and now heralds a festival that celebrates the art of over 500 artists with 45,000 attendees annually, as well as the CREATE! Arts Festival and the Eastside Arts District.
Our Mission
Inspire, educate, and engage the community in performing & visual arts.
Foster excellence and professionalism in the performing & visual arts.
Preserve, promote and grow production space in Vancouver’s Eastside in support of contemporary performing and visual arts.
Our History
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
1994
Paneficio has an open studio/fundraiser with 4 artists participating.
1995
1000 Parker Street has an open studio event with 25 artists called the Show and Sell. 300 people attended. Paneficio has an open studio event/fundraiser with 6 artists participating
1996
The “Open Studio Event” joined 1000 Parker Street, Glass Onion and Apriori Studios. About 50 artists participated and audience numbers more than doubled to 1000. Paneficio has an open studio event/fundraiser with 8 artists participating.
1997
The name Eastside Culture Crawl (thanks to Richard Tetrault) was adopted this year and 45 artists in three studios, Glass Onion, Paneficio and 1000 Parker Street. About 1000 people came to this visual arts festival.
1998
Attendance surged to 3000 people. Numbers jumped to eleven buildings and 100 artists participated.
1999
A volunteer coordinator, Valerie Arntzen organizes the 150 artists in 14 buildings event.
2000
Several one-person studios in the community joined the Eastside Culture Crawl bringing the totals to 16 buildings and 160 artists.
2001
This year 170 artists opened their studios in 20 different buildings. The Crawl partners up with the Strathcona Community Centre and opens the information booth with 3 artists creating work there. We sponsored the Strathcona Chinese Dancers to perform.
2002
The Eastside Culture Crawl has steadily grown to host more than 200 artists, 22 buildings and was attended by over 8000 people. The Crawl sponsors developmentally challenged artists at the Victory House who put on a sold out show.
2003
Firehall Arts Centre joined as a venue this year, which saw 250 artists in 25 buildings and about 10,000 attendees. Board president, Rob O’Dea, registerd the Eastside Culture Crawl as a Society.
2004
We have 35 buildings this year and over 250 artists—lots of small studios with one or two artists each. The Firehall Arts Centre hosted spoken word. St. James Society Victory House and The Kettle Friendship Society and The Purple Thistle Group participated as sponsored groups.
2005
Up to 38 buildings and 300 artists this year. We sponsored The Kettle Friendship Society and their art program featuring developmentally challenged artists, Firehall Arts Centre presented spoken word and a preview show with two of our artists and Bantleman Court, a residence for Youth at risk. We hosted a well attended Collectors Workshop (coordinated by Esther Rausenberg), combined with the Preview Show opening at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Our attendance this year was 10,000 people.
2006
Our 10th anniversary! We had our 10 year birthday party at the Yale Hotel on November 2, 2006. Two Crawl bands, fashion show by our artists, and a video screening of past Crawls by King Anderson. Preview shows at Firehall Theatre Gallery and Vancouver East Cultural Centre and Vancouver Home and Interior Design Show. A new website was launched, saying good by to Ryan Dalyrmple as our webmaster for the past seven years. The Echo Chamber was launched.
2007
Our 11th year and a very successful weekend. 45 buildings and 300 artists and 10,000 visitors. The Echo Chamber was our after party. Sadly the building at 901 Main is no longer studios
2008
300 artists in 50 buildings. This is our fifth year sponsoring The Kettle Friendship Society and Purple Thistle. The Yale Hotel once again hosted our launch/fundraiser. The third annual Echo Chamber was held at Chapel Arts with poetry, film, music and a 30-visual-artists show.
2009
Over 300 artists in 60 buildings and a regular buying excursion for art patrons. We are on the cover of the Georgia Straight, plus an eight page pullout with articles on some of our artists. Thanks to the over 10,000 people who came out to support our artists.
2010
We bid farewell to Valerie Arntzen after ten great years of service. Welcome to the new Executive Director, Jeffrey Boone. There is an increase in participation this year, with 401 visual artists in 75 buildings, and a boom in visitors and support from sponsors.
2011
We had 364 visual artists in 75 buildings. The Waldorf Hotel hosted the opening night of an expanded Echo Chamber, with site specific installations throughout Strathcona in celebration of Vancouver 125. The Cultch once again hosted the preview show. The biggest accomplishment of the year was the Crawl moving into its own office space at 1000 Parker Street. Studio 101 continues to be a success with young audiences.
2012
A record-breaking year with over 430 visual artists participating. The Cultch hosted the annual preview show and Studio 101 was a great success with our young art appreciators. The Crawl sponsored the participation of Union Gospel Mission, The Kettle Friendship Society and the Purple Thistle group.
2013
Our 17th year saw 450+ artists participating and 20,000 attendees. For the first time, we had food trucks at Parker St. Studios, creating a festive environment. Studio 101 worked with students at MacDonald Elementary. The Crawl continues to sponsor community groups using art as healing. Annual preview shows at the Cultch and the Firehall provided the public with a sampling of the work at the Crawl. We welcomed Esther Rausenberg as the new Executive Director. As a long-time participant and founding building member, she has a long history with the Crawl.
2014
18th year and growing! 25,000 studio visits and counting! New look, brochures and new signage all added to the success of the event. Annual preview shows at the Cultch featuring assemblage and collage work and the Firehall provided the public with a sampling of the work at the Crawl. The Crawl launched the 1st ever Moving Art Video and Film projections curated by Katherine Surridge. An expanded Studio 101 program provided workshops to 60 Strathcona School children.
2015
The largest Crawl event yet, with over 475 artists participating and 88 buildings. The weather gods cooperated with 3 full days of amazing weather. The area was alive with Crawlers from all walks of life. 2nd annual Moving Art Video and Film projections held at Strange Fellows Gallery. Studio 101 saw 60 Britannia Elementary students participating in animation, painting and mixed media workshops. “Hanging By a Thread” juried exhibits by Eri Ishii and Paul de Guzman at the CULTCH and “New to the Crawl” artists at the Firehall Arts Centre. The sold-out limited edition of Eastside Eats cookbook, coordinated by Mira Malatestinic and Connie Sabo, featured artwork and recipes from 19 of the original Crawl artists. We said goodbye to our web technician, Richard Eriksson and our graphic designer, Cliff Blank, welcoming graphic designers Kirsten May and Anthea Lee (Odwak & Sons).
2016
We are making history and celebrating with ART. We marked our 20th year by receiving charity status (!) and putting on a pARTy Celebration at the newly renovated Russian Hall. Hosted by Fred Lee, the sold-out event saw 250 art enthusiasts and artists celebrating together with an Art Draw (coordinated by Mira Malatestinic and with art by Crawl artists), music by Tom Artntzen, Frazey Ford, and the Dawn Pemberton band. The ECCS coordinated the “As the Crow Flies Exhibit”—a juried exhibit organized by Paul de Guzman, Eri Ishii and Katsumo Kimoto featuring art by 75 Crawl artists at the Arts Factory, Firehall Arts Centre and the CULTCH galleries. The 20th celebration Talking Art featuring conversations with Rachael Ashe, Marcus Bowcott, Haisla Collins, Britta Fluevog, James Kemp, Connie Sabo, and Richard Tetrault. Studio 101, coordinated by Laura Aliaga, returned to Seymour Elementary. It is a record breaking year as we reached the 500+ artist mark!
2017
Celebrating our 21st year with over 500 artists participating. We had an amazing year and opened with our Preview Exhibit “LIT” featuring work by 75 artists at the Arts Factory, Firehall Arts Centre, the Cultch and Alternative Creations Gallery. Our opening night Reception and Fundraiser Take Flight was hosted by none other than Vancouver’s Fred Lee. Studio 101 expanded to 120 students and included classes from Strathcona and Britannia Schools. The program is generoulsy supported by Ruth Schueing through the Michael Lawlor Fund, a prominent Vancouver photographer.
2018
Our 22nd year was a record-breaker on many fronts; with over 500 participating artists and over 45,000 attendees to the festival! Our Preview Exhibit, “Spaces, Places & Traces”, featured work by 80 aritsts at the Arts Factory, Firehall Arts Centre, the Cultch and Alternative Creations Gallery. The Crawl app launched this year, offering attendees a way to explore the festival at their fingertips. We raised record-breaking funds at both of our sold-out benefit events: the Art! Bike! Beer! Crawl and our Festival Launch Party, Take Flight. Studio 101 offered classes for 120 students from Britannia, Seymour and Strathcona Schools and was generously supported by Ruth Schueing through the Michael Lawlor Fund. We welcomed Erin Frizzell as our Managing Director.
2019
This year, we extended our programming to include a forum on “Displacement” as many artist studios are being displaced due to development. The forum also presented “A City With No Art? No Net Loss Plus.” report on the current state of the loss of artist production space in Vancouver’s Eastside which was recognized with a Gold Award from the Planning Institute of BC. Highlights include an exhibit on the theme of “Displacement.” Our Studio 101 program expanded again this year and we offered 150 inner city youth in-studio workshops by Crawl artists. The Culture Crawl festival featured 500+ artists and drew over 45,000 studio visits! Thankful to our sponsors who generously support us annually!
2020
Our 24th year saw the festival expand to two weekends and pivot to include virtual programming for the first time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were proud of offer a safe, controlled hybrid in-person & virtual experience that connected over 250 artists and the community, when there were few other opportunities to do so.
2021
We celebrated our 25th anniversary festival this year and welcomed over 25,000 attendees into over 400 artists’ studios. The two week-end format continued with a new, by appointment preview weekend and a classic open studio weekend. In addition, we were thrilled to continue to offer our Talking Art and Workshop Demonstrations series. After nearly 18 months enduring pandemic restrictions, both attendees and artists alike were thrilled to connect and engage about art, safely, in person!
2022
The 2nd annual CREATE! Arts Festival welcomed 750 participants to 60 different art making workshops, with the addition of public art projects, demonstrations, and a beer garden. We returned to a “Classic Crawl” format with a record breaking 70 buildings participating in the Culture Crawl. Over 30,000 visitors crawled through over 500 artist studios over 4 days, and the mood was exhilarating. 2022 was also our largest preview exhibit ever, with over 100 artists in 5 locations. Studio 101 engaged 220 young students in art making activities with professional artists from our community.
2023
2023 saw the 3rd annual CREATE! Arts Festival take place in Strathcona Park with over 800 attendees taking part in outdoor art-making workshops on the Saturday and indoor art-making workshops at Eastside artists’ studios on the Sunday, plus public art projects, demonstrations, a beer garden and food trucks. The Culture Crawl welcomed over 35,000 visitors to over 500 artists studios over the 4-day event. The preview exhibit featured over 75 artists in 4 venues and was joined by other preview programming such, as Moving Art and Talking Art, in the weeks leading up to the open studio event. Studio 101 artists hosted over 220 Eastside youth in their studios for hands-on art workshop. The EAS’ newest project, the Eastside Arts District took bold new steps releasing a second Report, ‘Seizing the Moment’, charting the path forward for a formalized arts district that protects, promotes and preserves art productions spaces, a cornerstone of the unique cultural ecology of East Vancouver.
Board of Directors
The Eastside Arts Society (EAS) is overseen by a passionate and committed Board of Directors who are responsible for the governance of the organization, including our vision and mission, and are key to the organization’s success and development.
EAS Committees
The Eastside Arts Society (EAS) is overseen by a passionate and committed Board of Directors who are responsible for the governance of the organization, including our vision and mission, and are key to the organizations’ success and development.
Read more about Our Committees
Contact Us Today!
- 778-379-4545
- 716 E Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6A 1R5
- Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10am-3pm
Esther Rausenberg
Artistic & Executive Director
Steph Touhey
Program & Office Coordinator
[email protected]Sierra Mactavish
Stakeholder Engagement & Artist Coordinator
[email protected]Kris Voveris
Special Projects & Grants Coordinator
[email protected]Board of Directors
Murray Patterson Marketing Group
Publicity & Media Contact
[email protected]
