Objectives

  • Facilitate Black representation in Surrey and the Lower Mainland, particularly for artists and creatives;

  • Act as a space that is adaptable to the evolving needs of our community;

  • Create a safe and equitable space for the representation of Black plurality;

  • Promote collaborative and reciprocal learning;

  • Approach creating through a decolonial lens that respects and acknowledges the values of the sovereign communities our space and our lives intersect with;

Values

  • Every person who sets foot in the gallery space, every person who sits in on a talk, or engages with the gallery in any capacity will be treated with respect and dignity. BLAC is a space which does not foster or tolerate hate in any form.

  • Coming together as our most authentic, creative selves. It is a space to share our individual perspectives, to learn through and with others, and to support one another as a community.

  • Exploring previously unimagined futures that have traditionally not been given the resources to flourish. The space is free from the limitations of capitalist, and anti-black policies that have historically prevented the exploration of diasporic perspectives in traditional art spaces.

  • Facilitating the development of identity, individuality and artistic process, while intentionally making space for comfort, pride and wonder.

  • BLAC is dedicated to recognizing the artistic freedoms and creative risks of Black artists. Through our programming and workshops, the Black Arts Centre houses practices that expand our understanding of the ways Black agency and cultures are embodied and expressed.

Our Story

The Black Arts Centre was founded in 2020 as part of Solid State Community Society’s network of cooperatives, and since 2021 has been an independent non-profit society. Since 2020, we have grown as an organization, adding new directors, and establishing an incredible advisory board of professional artists and people who are connected to a wide array of cultural projects and institutions.

Our Mission

The Black Arts Centre (BLAC) is an artist-run centre, cultural hub and community space owned and operated by Black youth in Surrey, BC. BAC exists to support and celebrate Black art and artists across disciplines at a local, national and international scale.

Existing at the intersection of art, community, and culture, BLAC hosts exhibitions, performances, events, workshops and other diverse programming. This multifaceted approach provides infrastructure for Black art, creativity, and imagination. 

BLAC is a response to our community’s need for a Black-friendly art and gathering space that is culturally relevant, accessible and youth-centered. The Black Arts Centre will not only conceptualize art in an everyday sense, but will become a place that fosters mutual, transformational relationships that connect our community to artistic and cultural Black experiences year-round.

We will facilitate mentorship between emerging and established artists. Our space will also serve as a studio for making and learning about art. As a gesture of care, we hope to maintain a strong connection to the Lower Mainland’s larger BIPOC community. 

BLAC’s mission is to address the underrepresentation of Blackness in art through a flexible space that facilitates intercultural and intergenerational care, recognizing that the way forward is informed by the past. We are proud to follow in the footsteps of Black elders who continue to steward initiatives for our community.