COMOX TOWN COUNCIL PRESENTATION

MAY 10TH, 2006

SHEILA POLLOCK – PRESIDENT, PEARL ELLIS GALLERY

Mr. Mayor and fellow councilors, my name is Sheila Pollock.  As of January 31^st I became the new President of your local art gallery, the Pearl Ellis Gallery of Fine Arts Society of Comox.  I refer to it as your gallery because without your sponsorship of providing our present location for a mere $50.00 a month rent which we are extremely grateful for, the gallery would be without a home and most likely not exist.  I come before you today to talk about the gallery and endeavor to answer any questions you may have about it. 

I’d like to start by covering some brief history then going into more detail as to what the new Executive has been doing since February.

You have before you a copy of an article that appeared in the Record October 20^th, 2004 outlining the history and renaming of the gallery.  This article is on page 4 and 5 of your agenda.  I’d like to draw your attention to paragraph 6 at he bottom of column 2 page 4.  It reads:

“Ellis felt it was important for the people of the Comox Valley to have a place to display their arts and crafts.  But she also didn’t want taxpayers to be burdened with the cost.  So, aside from its initial start-up grant, the gallery has been self-supporting.  In 1980 it was given official status as a visual arts gallery by the Cultural Services Branch. “

Pearl Ellis had good reason to be aware of the demands made on the public purse, as her husband was Ron Ellis the first Mayor of Comox when it was incorporated as a town.

If  you turn to page 2 of your agenda you’ll see a brief history  and outline of how the gallery operates.  To this day the gallery has continued to provide a venue because of the town’s sponsorship and to manage its operating expenses through membership fees, donations and a modest commission of 25% on art work sold. All staff and Executive members volunteer their time.  There are no paid positions.

Although this is an admirable accomplishment it perhaps has resulted in a distancing between itself and the town.  There’s nothing like making regular requests for money to make sure people know of your existence.

Throughout its 29 years the gallery has provided a venue for hundreds of artists.  Our mandate is to promote local talent both established and emerging.

I’d like you to look at the show schedule for 2006.  You’ll note that 22 shows are listed.  Each lasts for 2 weeks.  Three of the shows are member’s shows.  We have over 200 members and they have the opportunity to display up to 3 pieces of work at a member’s show.  Of course if we have too many pieces we reserve the right to limit the entries.  Our 1^st members show this year had 44 pieces exhibited.

In addition to the 3 member’s shows we annually exhibit the works of 6 other local groups in the valley.  They are:

·        Saskia King Fine Art Studio Show
·        Monday Bunch
·        Comox Life Drawing Group
·        Campbell River Artists and Friends
·        Comox Valley FCA
·        Brushworks Art Group

The remaining 13 shows are primarily individual presentations.

At this time I’d like to thank you, Mr. Mayor, for attending Daphne Triggs’ opening reception last Thursday.  I had to miss it myself but I know Mrs. Triggs was very pleased that your self, your wife and our town planner were there.  Daphne’s show varies from the usual in that it is a retrospective exhibit covering 50 years of work for this artist.

I’d like you to turn to page 3 of your agenda please.  (GO THROUGH EACH SHOW BRIEFLY)

The new Executive began its work in February of this year.  The show schedule was already in place therefore we were unable to embark on all our new ideas regarding working with the local schools and providing further opportunity to younger artists.  We have managed to broaden our scope by adding a new literary dimension to the gallery.  In March, The Mostly Poets, a group of seven local women joined the gallery and performed their first reading on April 27^th in the evening.  Further readings and activities by this group will be announced on our web site at a later date.  Our other ideas will be explored for 2007 once we know where we will be.  We set our first goal at raising the profile of the gallery through increasing its exposure to the community.  To achieve this we have increased our visibility by taking maximum advantage of all free advertising possible plus continuing to take out monthly box ads in both the Echo and the Record.  It is our view that if we expect free press releases than we should at least support our local papers to the best of our ability.  We are members of the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce and plan to join the Comox Valley Tourism group as well to in increase  our coverage as their brochures are found on the ferries and elsewhere. 

We have developed a comprehensive web site.  Some of the features of our web site are:  a constant up dating of current shows, a developing artist’s directory, a page to allow artists and other galleries to advertise upcoming shows, lessons and workshops and more links to the community and art world.  If you haven’t taken the time yet I urge you to go to our site and view it for your self. The web site url is listed on page 2 of your agenda, at the top of the page.  Our web site has currently had 1210 hits to date, double what it had at the beginning of February.

I’m proud to report that the gallery has increased its attendance by   98 %   over last year.  In 15 weeks we have recorded 956 visitors. 

It wasn’t until March, one month after becoming part of the Executive that I discovered the gallery’s further existence could be in jeopardy.  At this time I found out four things:

1.     We are considered tenants and rather poor paying ones at that.

2.     The town considers itself as promoting a gallery by its monetary funding of the CVAG.

3.     The gallery could be assured of its location for the remainder of 2006 but should not plan too far into 2007. And

4.     The decision had not been made yet about the new library.

After meeting with you Mr. Mayor, I felt I had to take some action as I believe in being proactive rather than reactive.  As a retired educator, I chose to take a positive outlook when told that you are in the process of making a decision about the library and that the announcement would probably be made sometime around the end of June.

I’ve guided many a student through the decision making process and first and foremost in the exercise is the gathering of pertinent information – the fact finding on which one bases ones decision.  It is this step that I have embarked on by first going to the Record and speaking with Beth Scott.  It was my hope she’d look into the matter and by writing an article the community as a whole could be informed about the situation.  I knew from talking with visitors to the gallery that people were assuming a new library meant new and improved facilities for the gallery as well.  It was my hope that by having an article in the newspaper the community would then have an opportunity to convey their feelings about the value of the gallery to council prior to a decision being made.

The second thing I’ve done is to get a petition started at the gallery.  It reads:

“During the last civic elections held November 2005 a referendum was passed to allow the Town of Comox to proceed with plans to finance a new library.  This may or may not exclude the other tenants of the present building where the library is now located.

This petition is one method that the membership of the Pearl Ellis Gallery and visitors to the Gallery would like to use to express their feelings of how important it is that we keep the Gallery open.   We would like to encourage the Council to keep the Gallery in mind when selecting a final decision as to what is going to happen with the library.  Below are lists of signatures of individuals who support the Gallery being included in any decisions about the library.”

This was done to find out what community support does exist for the gallery.  After all if the people do not consider it of value then how can we expect the council to?

Third was for me to come before you early enough to allow me to give you the petition, present  some information and answer any questions prior to you making your decision.

It is my sincere hope you will take this information into consideration.  It is my hope you will choose to continue to allocate space for the Pearl Ellis Gallery so our town can enjoy its own local gallery.  As I mentioned earlier, we’ve been in existence for 29 years.  What better way to celebrate a town’s 60^th birthday than by announcing that town’s sponsorship of the gallery for its continued existence.  After all, they say you have a one in ten thousand chance of finding a pearl in an oyster so I am banking that knowing you have already got your own pearl in Comox, you won’t throw it away.

****PRESENT PETITION**** At this time I would like to present the petition.  As of today at 3 pm there are __________ signatures.  These were collected in the last 5 weeks.

Thank you for your time and attention.  The Gallery is grateful for your support and looks forward to hearing your decision.

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