The fifty fifty arts collective

The fifty fifty arts collective a not for profit, volunteer-run, multi-disciplinary programming space. We are always looking for dedicated volunteers. [email protected]

the fifty fifty arts collective, located in unceded and occupied Lekwungen Territories (Victoria, BC), is a not for profit, volunteer-run, multi-disciplinary programming space that supports both emerging and established artists. We are committed to the underground, the underdog, the experimental and the emergent; to curatorial proposals, workshops and skill-sharing; and to group exhibitions, colla

borations and artist talks. We seek to make our exhibition space viable to artists outside of Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, in order to exhibit work from across Canada and share it with our communities, thereby deepening both our critical and inspirational engagement with the arts. The collective programs bi-annually and supports an accessible application process, please see our submission FAQ sheet and guidelines to learn what we are looking for in a proposal package. If you or someone you know might be interested in helping us be open longer please don't hesitate to contact us.

08/29/2026
07/29/2026
Opening this Thursday is Mending Gently by Jenna Short!6-9pm 2516 Douglas St.Artist StatementI am continually pulling on...
07/29/2026

Opening this Thursday is Mending Gently by Jenna Short!
6-9pm 2516 Douglas St.

Artist Statement

I am continually pulling on a thread of understanding identity and where I belong. I explore themes of feeling disconnected from place and the effects of the industrialized society on our natural body. I am an indigenous artist of the Saik,uz First Nation. My art practice heavily includes plywood, with the materiality acting as colonized and commercialized pieces of land that are being brought back to the body. In my use of self portraiture it is not only bringing back the material to the land but my own identity and body. The body is both emerging from the plywood while being overtaken by it. The land is giving creation to my body while having my body dissolve into it. It is in that I am creating a dialogue with materials allowing them to teach me about myself. In the work I explore a Indigenous identity that is one of feeling a loss of their own culture in contemporary society. In my work the process of creation and the handling of natural
materials in spaces of community teach me about myself and my ancestors.

Artist Bio

Jenna Short is an artist based In Victoria BC, who is currently studying Visual Arts at the University of Victoria in her undergrad. Jenna is a Dakelh artist from the Saik,uz First Nation located In which is now recognized as Vanderhoof BC. She grew up in Prince George BC for the beginning part of her childhood before relocating to Victoria. Jenna has always felt connected to the forests and oceans as they become grounding spaces in her life. In times of uncertainty the land has always provided a safe blanket and place to breathe. It is in that it began to influence Jenna's art practice. She often works with figurative and landscape subjects through oil painting, watercolour and wood carvings. Jenna’s solo exhibitions include: Repossession: Little Fernwood Gallery(2026); Swaying in the Still at The University of Victoria (2026); Untitled at the Habit cafe (2025). Other group shows: From the Livingroom (2025); Spillways (2025); ArtistTree (2025).

On now! Saturdays 11am-3pmFeaturing the work of currently and previously incarcerated artists, The Backroom explores dre...
06/17/2026

On now! Saturdays 11am-3pm

Featuring the work of currently and previously incarcerated artists, The Backroom explores dreams, alternate realities, and liminal spaces. The “backroom,” in popular culture, embodies a strange place that exists somewhere between dream, memory, subconsciousness, and another dimension. Prison can feel similarly suspended between realities and removed from ordinary life. Often out of sight and at the edges of society, institutions render those kept inside largely invisible. Within these conditions of confinement, imagination and dreaming can become critical acts of hope and persistence. Inspired by the Surrealist tradition of transcending reality and disrupting the status quo, the artists in this exhibition explore worlds beyond the limitations of incarceration.

The Backroom offers art as a means to imagine otherwise. This exhibition is an opportunity for those living inside to share their artistic works with the community and a chance to feel seen and not forgotten. Rather than reducing incarcerated people to stereotypes or statistics, the exhibition invites viewers into a conversation about visibility, belonging, and dignity. This work is supported by the A.R.T. & Justice Research Project. A.R.T. & Justice is a team of researchers, Indigenous Elders, and artists with lived experience of incarceration, based out of the University of British Columbia’s School of Nursing. The team works in partnership with the Correctional Service of Canada to provide artist workshops, high quality art supplies, and mentorship to incarcerated artists, while also researching the impacts of meaningful work and creative practice in prison, including how art can support holistic health and well-being.

05/30/2026

On now .. 2516 Douglas St

Address

2516 Douglas Street
Victoria, BC
V8T4M1

Opening Hours

Thursday 11am - 1pm
Friday 11am - 1pm
Saturday 11am - 1pm

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