Sparked by the vision of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Artist and weaver θəliχʷəlʷət Debra Sparrow, the proposal centres around West Coast textile innovation that brings together traditional and contemporary practices of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) artists, as well as local textile companies committed to customizing, repairing, upcycling, and mending garments.
In Debra’s words: “sən̓aʔqʷ is a gathering place. A place where we as MST are rooted in our history. The Island over time has become a place to gather and represent cultures from everywhere in the world creatively—that reflects the city’s diversity. We at Salish Blanket Co. are excited to be woven back into this amazing place. Our goal is not only to weave our own history but to create an invitation to all weavers, to weave a diverse blanket we can all relate to.”
This idea would transform 125,000 square feet into a creative hub built on cross-disciplinary collaboration including:
- an arts market with cultural products produced on-site including fashion, jewellery, ceramics, and books;
- indoor arts and culture events like fashion shows and live music;
- expansive, affordable artist studios and production spaces;
- unique textile showrooms, artist residencies, and youth educational programming;
- emerging chefs and culinary innovation; and,
- opportunities for visual artists, designers, and musicians to collaborate with visitors on performance art makers.
Driven by ongoing community collaboration, the proposal is led by: 221A, which has grown to become one of Canada’s largest non-profit cultural space operator with 140,000+ square feet of artist studios and housing across 9 properties in Vancouver, Tomo Spaces with expertise in creative placemaking, including the revitalization of 75,000 square foot River Market in New Westminster and collaboration with Maenam, Sainam, Fat Mao, and more with the Full House Hospitality group; Burrard Properties, the family-owned development company related to the Chan Family Foundation and Burrard Arts Foundation; and Human Studio Architecture, who has collaborated with 221A in the past on improvements to 825 Pacific Street.
“I am excited about the transformative possibilities of this project, which could pilot a co-governance model that centres Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, and supports artists and organizations to have a say in its future,” says Kamala Todd, 221A Board Member and Associate Professor of Professional Practice at SFU’s Urban Studies Program.
Drawing from successful examples around the world, land trusts are an emerging viable solution to the city’s rapidly disappearing art and culture spaces—offering pathways for artists and cultural organizations in B.C. to have collective stewardship of land and buildings. While there’s readiness for 221A and its collaborators to move ahead, it requires long-term considerations from CMHC to vision the next 20+ years.
“The Arts & Innovation Hub at Granville Island could very well become the first Cultural Land Trust project,” says Michelle Fu, who co-founded 221A as a student-run collective out of Emily Carr. “Our community has been waiting for a space to connect with local artistic innovation, while the world has been looking for a destination that centres Coast Salish culture.”
“What makes 221A so prepared for the next steps is our commitment to the deeply relational work of bringing everyone to the table—not just artists, but organizers, grandmothers and neighbours too—to be actively part of this unique opportunity for an interconnected, community governed space.”
221A is in active conversations with a variety of artists and cultural organizations interested in participating in the proposal for the renewed facility as a multi-use arts and culture hub, including: Salish Blanket Co., Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week, local textile innovation companies, IM4 Lab, Sailworks, Macklam Feldman Management, Vancouver Biennale, Emily Carr University, Arts Umbrella, and more.
221A’s call for collaborators continues to seek:
- Potential ecosystem partners including arts and culture organizations representing historically-excluded communities and,
- Value-aligned infrastructure groups who are interested in joining 221A in the pursuit of this expression of interest.
Contact us at hello@221a.ca.
Collaborators
Watch: The Uncertain Future of Granville Island
Filmmaker Uytae Lee breaks down the issues surrounding Granville Island, asking: How did it end up here and how can it sustain itself over the long term? Check out About Here’s video below on the infrastructural concerns of the buildings as they reach the end of their usable life.
Credits for feature photo: Debra Sparrow working on her weaving (MOA Collection 3356/1) in the Museum of Anthropology. Photo by Alina Ilyasova, courtesy of Museum of Anthropology.