Our Story

Land Acknowledgement

PoMoArts operates on the shared, unceded, ancestral, and traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, including the sə̓lílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), and S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō Nations).

We thank these First Peoples who continue to live on and care for these lands, waters, and all that is above and beneath.

Our Values:

Create a diverse array of art exhibitions and experiences that support local artists and reflect the demographics of our community.
Spread a love of the arts in our diverse community through quality programming.
Embrace an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access lens to provide art experiences for all ages, abilities, identities and income levels.
Be a professional arts organization that is socially and financially responsible and sustainable, with measurement systems, accountability and supports.

Our Vision:

Art us thriving in the streets, homes, and hearts of Port Moody

Our Mission:

We create art experiences to engage, challenge, and awaken opportunities for connection.

ARTISTS. CREATORS. INNOVATORS:

We are supported by a thriving community of artists, volunteers, donors, businesses, associations, and decision-makers. We are an arts centre run primarily by artists, committed to developing, promoting, and celebrating meaningful arts experiences in Port Moody. We offer a full range of visual, ceramic, fibre media, performing arts and music programs for people of all ages and experience levels. We curate exhibitions of local and regional artists, emerging and established. We create meaningful community art experiences with our partners that explore social issues, lift voices of those less heard, and support community dialogue.

BLACKBERRY GIFT SHOP:

As part of our overall Vision of art thriving in the streets, homes, and hearts of Port Moody, we provide our visitors with the opportunity to take art home with them through our gift shop, run by the Blackberry Artists Society. The Blackberry Gift Shop is artist-run and curated, selling the work of local artists, where you will find gifts for every occasion.

COLONIAL HISTORY:

PoMoArts is housed in two of Port Moody’s beautiful heritage buildings, the original City Hall and Appleyard House. Our Arts Centre has been run by the Port Moody Arts Centre Society since August 1998. Our original building was built in 1913 as Port Moody’s first City Hall, which included the fire hall and jail.

The tall western tower was used to dry the fire hoses and now houses the facility lift. The original jail in the basement was converted to a Cold War bomb shelter in the 1960’s and is now home to our pottery kilns. H.A. Ungless and his family lived as caretakers in City Hall for many years. Jack Lye, one of the longest serving city clerks in the history of BC was also a caretaker of the City Hall. Today the building provides the ambience to inspire; the people provide a warm and friendly atmosphere to create.

The second building was added in 2014, now known as the Centennial Appleyard House that was built by Frederick Appleyard as his family home in the early 1900s. Appleyard was a partner in one of the City’s seven sawmills and served as a City councillor in 1917. The house is a fine example of a style known as Foursquare Edwardian. Construction began on a lot near the corner of Moody and Clarke Streets in 1907 and was completed in 1910.

In 2005, the then owner of the house applied to redevelop the land and demolish the house. Local developer and restaurateur, Fred Soofi, bought the house and moved it across Clarke Street, where he renovated it as a private home. When he sold the house, another restaurateur bought it and remodeled it into the Heritage Pizza Company.

When the Evergreen Line was approved, the house (which fell on Evergreen Line right-of-way) was purchased by the Province and gifted to the City of Port Moody, who in turn designated it for the Arts Centre. Working together, PoMoArts and the City of Port Moody received a Federal grant from Canadian Heritage to add the house to the existing Arts Centre as a Centennial project.

The Centennial Appleyard House addition to the Arts Centre was officially opened on September 6, 2014. The main floor – named the Appleyard Parlour – serves as an Arts Centre programming space, a community gathering space, and a rental space for private functions.

DECOLONIZING HISTORY:

PoMoArts is dedicated to Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and reconciliatory work with other ethnic, cultural, and language groups who have been marginalized, oppressed, and experienced hardship at the hand of the colonization and colonial rule of these territories. PoMoArts operates on the shared, unceded, ancestral, and traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, including the sə̓lílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), and S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō Nations).

Our understanding of the complex histories of various groups and individuals impacted by the heritage buildings and builders that now make up our facilities is still insufficient. We are committed to learning these histories, the impacts that carry forward to impacted individuals and communities today, and taking action to be a part of the needed healing that spans generations.

The First Peoples of the territories that we operate on continue to live on and care for these lands, waters, and all that is above and beneath.