The COMOX VALLEY ART GALLERY was established by a group of artists as the Central Island Arts Alliance, under the umbrella of the Comox Valley Community Arts Council . CIAA achieved British Columbia society status and federal charitable organization status in 1974. From its inception, it has been recognized by the Cultural Services Branch of the Province of BC with grant fundi
ng to support operations. One of the first art centres located outside Vancouver and Victoria, the CIAA held visual art exhibitions, operated a co-operative shop featuring local crafts, and organized and promoted performance arts and festivals. The Renaissance Faire, an annual arts and entertainment fair, was the major fundraising activity supporting the operations of the CIAA. In 1997, the Board of Directors moved to change the name to COMOX VALLEY ART GALLERY to more properly reflect the core business - that is visual art exhibition programming. The Gallery Shop continues to promote regional arts and raise funds for the Gallery. May 2005 saw the realization of a long term plan by the Board of Directors for COMOX VALLEY ART GALLERY - relocation to a new venue in a municipally owned building - the former Courtenay Fire Hall. The Gallery occupies the main floor and lower level of the new Comox Valley Centre for the Arts. This building provides four exhibition galleries and, for the first time, workshop space for educational programming and an environmentally secure archive room. With its award winning design and higher profile location, CVAG attracts attention to downtown Courtenay and the Comox Valley . This has been a boon to the Gallery and the Gallery Shop, attracting a broader audience and interest in visual art. The new building - Comox Valley Centre for the Arts - brings together a number of arts organizations under roof - with the intention that these groups will be able to work together more closely and build on each others successes.
