Dear Friends,

As I reflect on the past year, there is truly cause for celebration: 2008 marked the Arts & Cultural Guide to BC’s tenth anniversary and the BC Cultural Crawl won the Best Tourism Marketing Campaign of the year at the 2008 Tourism BC Awards.

As the world changes on a daily basis, our minds are filled with questions about what’s next. What does the future hold for us, for our community, for our province and for our country?

Today, I am contemplating my passion for communities and the arts. For me, it has always been about people, those behind the art, behind the culture and the passion they share for where they live and work. The years of commitment, discipline, and mastery of a medium required to transform one’s creativity into a one-of-a-kind work is something to be celebrated, as well as the commitment to offer a service that contributes to a unique experience – touching others and creating lasting memories.

For the past twenty years my commitment has been to develop, market and support British Columbia’s creative and cultural economy. From producing the cultural program for the Dragon Boat Festival in the early 90s to helping launch the Canadian Craft Museum, founding the BC Cultural Crawl and establishing a brand new partnership with the Assembly of BC Arts Councils.

I am looking forward to continuing to develop and build partnerships with communities throughout British Columbia, presenting each community's unique cultural footprint for all of us to share and experience.

Beginning with this issue we are pleased to present regular Community Features, highlighting BC communities we are working with through the Arts and Cultural Guide. Also, stay tuned for wonderful stories in our Art of the Getaway section.

My warmest wishes to you and your family for a year filled with many blessings,

We welcome Oliver, The Wine Capital of Canada, as a community participant in the 2009 Edition of the Guide.

Oliver provides an example of how a community can work together to create the critical mass of two pages to begin showcasing the area’s cultural footprint to visitors looking for authentic community experiences.

If you are interested in community’s involvement in the next Arts and Cultural Guide to BC, please contact us at artguide@art-bc.com.

We are proud to announce that we have signed a partnership agreement with the Assembly of BC Arts Councils to build on the future of province-wide Cultural Crawl. The last seven years of producing the Cultural Crawl has been a philanthropic effort showcasing Art Guide participants and the Province of British Columbia. After much consideration Van Dop & Associates, publisher of the Art Guide, has found the ideal partner in the Assembly of BC Arts Councils, an organization that has served BC communities for over 30 years, with about 100 community arts councils. We have identified synergies between both parties to achieve a sustainable, long-term relationship benefiting communities and arts councils throughout British Columbia.

This new partnership will provide economic development and increased exposure for the annual BC Cultural Crawl and the province’s arts and cultural destinations.

To participate in the 8th Annual BC Cultural Crawl simply download the Tool Kit. It’s easy, sustainable, and FUN!