While the city of Port Moody celebrates its 100th year with a family picnic at Rocky Point Park on Saturday, the building where the municipality was born will have an anniversary party of its own this week.
Tomorrow (Thursday), members of the Port Moody Arts Centre (PMAC) - the first city hall - will unveil 30 pieces to mark the facility's 15th year of operations.
The display, titled Architecture: the built environment, runs until Sept. 8 and shows 26 artworks that use structures found in nature and society, said gallery co-ordinator Filio Kondylis.
Among the 2D and 3D media in the main, 3D and Plum galleries are textile arts; sculptural ceramics; watercolour, oil and acrylic paintings; digital collage; mixed media collage and sculpture; and photography.
Kondylis said the artists are PMAC members who have annual subscriptions that support the society's work and programming. Currently, the centre has around 200 members.
Opened in 1997, PMAC started with artists as volunteers running the heritage facility. The gallery and gift shop were open four days a week; however, two years later, a society was formed and arts classes were added for the community.
Today, PMAC has a board of directors (with Ann Kitching as president), an executive director (Bruce Campbell) and more than 300 classes for emerging and veteran artists. As well, the society runs a number of large-scale events that receive government and corporate funding such as the Port Moody Festival of the Arts, the Wearable Art Awards, the Port Moody Youth Arts Festival and Girls' Night Out.
And, later this year, the society plans to expand its space into the old Appleyard/Centennial House. In February, the federal government granted $480,785 to the society to renovate the former pizza parlour for PMAC workshops, training, ongoing programs and special events; the city is expected match the contribution.
The opening reception for Architecture: the built environment runs Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. The public is invited to meet exhibiting artists, society directors and PMAC staff and have a slice of birthday cake. In addition to the members' work, the Clay 4 U group will showcase its ceramics in the Plum Display Case until Sept. 8.
