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.
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 visual arts
Foster excellence and professionalism in the visual arts.
Preserve, promote and grow production space in Vancouver’s Eastside in support of contemporary performing and visual arts.
Our History
Paneficio has an open studio/fundraiser with 4 artists participating.
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
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.
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.
Attendance surged to 3000 people. Numbers jumped to eleven buildings and 100 artists participated.
A volunteer coordinator, Valerie Arntzen organizes the 150 artists in 14 buildings event.
Several one-person studios in the community joined the Eastside Culture Crawl bringing the totals to 16 buildings and 160 artists.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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!
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!
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.

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 organizations’ 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.

Contact Us Today!
- 778-379-4545
- 716 E Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6A 1R5
- Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10am-3pm * COVID-19 Protocols will be in place*
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Esther Rausenberg
Artistic & Executive Director -
ERIN FRIZZELL
Managing Director
[email protected] -
JeNelle Molyneux
Program & Office Coordinator[email protected]
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MURRAY PATERSON MARKETING GROUP
Publicity And Media Contact[email protected] -
Samantha NeWTon
Artist Coordinator
[email protected] -
Board of Directors
[email protected]