Tourism Vancouver’s Board Chair Bob Lindsay announced this week the appointment of Ty Speer as president and CEO of the 111-year-old destination marketing and management organization. Speer joins Tourism Vancouver from the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games where he was Deputy CEO before accepting this new role in Vancouver.

The Alcuin Society announced this week the winners of its seventh Robert R. Reid Award and Medal recognizing lifetime achievement or extraordinary contributions to the book arts in Canada: Jan and Crispin Elsted of Barbarian Press.

BC Culture Days has had a great run of workshops around the province so far this year, from Haida Gwaii to the Rockies. If you haven’t yet had the chance to attend a Culture Days Workshop, it’s not too late. Four more workshops have been added in Whistler, Powell River, Bowen Island, and Langley. In addition, if you’re not able to attend in person, you can participate online through a live webinar on June 25 at 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (PDT). Stay tuned for webinar registration information.

The 2014 Siminovitch Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Canadian Theatre is now accepting nominations for playwrights. 

Register now to join the cultural community on Friday, June 20 for Arts Summit 2014 and take part in the work of developing a cultural policy framework for all of British Columbia.

Vancouver’s Coastal Jazz & Blues Society, presenter of the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival, has announced the appointment of its new executive director. Mike Forrester comes to Coastal Jazz from Toronto, where he worked with the internationally acclaimed Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Luminato Festival.

Each year a BC artist or cultural worker is chosen to represent Culture Days as an ambassador and delegate at the National Congress on Culture. The BC Culture Days Ambassador acts as a spokesperson for Culture Days by reaching out to local communities, speaking to media on behalf of BC artists, promoting Culture Days actively through social media, and presenting Culture Days activities.

Nominees for the 32nd Annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards were announced at the Jessie Nominations Party on Tuesday, May 20 at the Vancouver TheatreSports League Improv Centre on Granville Island.

The awards are divided into three categories: Large Theatre, Small Theatre, and Theatre for Young Audiences. Also included are the Significant Achievement Award and other special awards that comprise the Jessies. 

Is your organization interested in being part of an exciting co-location space for mission-driven organizations in Vancouver? Do you see value for communities that have shared spaces in their neighbourhoods? Are you struggling with finding secure, adequate, and affordable real estate to deliver your programs or services?

This week, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Canadian artists in the fight for minimum artist fees at the National Gallery of Canada. In a unanimous decision from the bench, the court allowed an appeal on behalf of artists restoring an earlier decision that found in their favour.

Nominating parties have until noon on Friday, May 16 to submit their nomination for the 2014 Mayor's Arts Awards. 

The City of Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Awards recognize established and emerging artists in a wide array of disciplines that make up our creative sector – from literary to culinary and visual to performing arts, as well as five unique awards for contributions to our community.

The second annual Culture Days National Congress on Culture takes place this year on May 22 and 23 at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

The sixth annual Richmond Arts Awards were presented by Mayor Malcolm Brodie in a ceremony in Council Chambers at Richmond City Hall on May 6, 2014. 

The Awards recognize the artistic achievements and contributions to the cultural community by City of Richmond residents, artists, educators, organizations and business leaders.

Artists will head to the Supreme Court next week to defend their right to minimum artist fees at the National Gallery of Canada. 

For the last 11 years, the organizations that represent visual artists, CARFAC and RAAV, have been trying to negotiate standards for the payment of artists at the National Gallery that would be binding – similar to a minimum wage.

The winners of this year's BC Book Prizes were announced at the 30th Annual Lieutenant Governor's BC Book Prizes Gala on May 3 at the Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside Hotel. The BC Book Prizes celebrate the achievements of British Columbia writers and publishers. 

The City of Richmond has been recognized with a national award for its extremely successful 2013 Culture Days marketing campaign.  The new awards program recognizes and showcases exemplary initiatives taken to engage the public in arts and culture during the annual Culture Days event.

Vancouver Chamber Choir Artistic Director and Conductor Jon Washburn been named the recipient of the Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art.