Our Mission

Established in 1971 as the Greater Vancouver Artist’s Gallery, through federal employment programs for artists, the Contemporary Art Gallery (CAG) was incorporated as a non-profit charitable society in 1976. From 1971 to 1978, artists were hired for six month periods to produce art for exhibition which was then accessioned into the City of Vancouver Art Collection. In 1984 the CAG became an artist-run centre, widely recognized for providing initial solo exhibitions for many of Vancouver’s now well-known artists, in 1996 becoming an independent public art gallery, now recognized as key to the cultural provision of Vancouver and as a major advocate for the artistic brand of the city nationally and internationally. In May 2001, the CAG moved to a new purpose-built facility under the aegis of the City of Vancouver’s Amenity Bonus program in cooperation with Bosa Ventures Inc.