The signs of change for the Western Front could not be missed. The view from the back porch of the old artist-run building in Mount Pleasant included, up until recent years, the jagged skyline of the city along with the North Shore mountains, a spectacular vantage of the orange and gold of summertime sunsets.
All that remains today is a keyhole peek of a mountain provided by the space of the north-south running Scotia Street and repetitious advance of dozens of condominiums. In with the new and out with the old, which meant the loss of affordable studio space and homes for people who earned livings by being creative.
This is why Caitlin Jones, Western Front Society鈥檚 executive director, decided to get creative herself by extending a welcome to the neighbourhood 鈥� and the artist centre鈥檚 new neighbours 鈥� with its first-ever Family Day Saturday.
鈥淲hat we鈥檝e noticed is four different and massive condo buildings in our direct vicinity,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淎nd with that comes young families 鈥� two of us directors have young families as well, so we just thought it was an opportunity as an organization to open things up a bit.鈥�
Since the Western Front鈥檚 reputation is built on experimental processes and supporting artists in new media, new music and through exhibitions, it was keen to represent itself honestly to those walking through the doors for the first time.
Kids were invited to participate in 鈥淪coring Sound鈥� where their drawings, helped along by artist Meichen Waxer, were musically interpreted by pianists Lisa Cay Miller and Marguerite Witvoet in the Luxe Hall. Artists Kara Hansen and Kathleen Taylor led a hat-making workshop while, in the lobby next to the square-cookie decorating table, there was a film fort made of blankets where kids and adults were invited to loll about and watch videos that weren鈥檛 necessarily made for children, but entertaining for young minds nonetheless. The day closed out with a performance by Cut Loop Assemble.
鈥淲e鈥檙e tying this back to who we are and what we do,鈥� said Jones. 鈥淭here used to be a ton of artist studios around here 鈥� they鈥檝e all disappeared except for the ones across at the Gene Building鈥� That鈥檚 what鈥檚 happening, the demographic is shifting and obviously we鈥檙e very critical of that process and we鈥檝e done a lot of programming about gentrification, but there鈥檚 a whole new group of people moving in here who we don鈥檛 know, and they don鈥檛 know us. We鈥檙e trying to figure out what鈥檚 the best way to reach them.鈥�
Despite the changing landscape, the Western Front isn鈥檛 going anywhere. It鈥檚 been a part of the neighbourhood and the city鈥檚 artistic foundation since it was founded by eight artists 43 years ago and has built a reputation in national and international arts communities. The society purchased the building from its original owners in March thanks to a $1.5-million community amenity contribution from the developers of the RIZE building (developers have to give building space or money to a community fund when they increase an area鈥檚 property density through an agreement with the City of Vancouver).
鈥淭hey鈥檙e marketing it as the centre of arts and culture but it鈥檚 losing it, that鈥檚 the real sad note to this,鈥� said Jones. 鈥淏ut like I said, we don鈥檛 want to dismiss the people who are moving in as being soulless. Obviously there are people here who don鈥檛 know who we are and what this weird building on the corner is. It鈥檚 a new community, a changing community.鈥�
In addition to planning its future, the society also has dedicated resources to preserving the past. Western Front performances and exhibitions were recorded since its beginning in 1973 and are available for viewing in the growing archive section on its website. That, as well as upcoming programming, can be found at .
@rebeccablissett
