About Us

About Arts Whistler

Arts Whistler is the lead agency for arts and culture in Whistler and strives to make creativity a part of everyone’s Whistler experience. We program, promote and advocate for the arts and local artists, while providing residents and visitors with access to bold, inspiring, and engaging experiences in the arts. Working closely with community cultural partners and the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Arts Whistler operates the Maury Young Arts Centre on behalf of the RMOW. We are a registered charity established in 1982.

Past Projects

Arts Whistler has been bringing arts and culture to Whistler since 1982. Some highlights from the past decade include:

  • 2009 – Cultural Capital of Canada (Government of Canada, Canadian Heritage designation)
  • 2010 – Whistler Live – Whistler Arts Council served as executive producer for Whistler’s outdoor live entertainment program during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games
  • 2010 – Whistler Arts Council takes on management of Maurice Young Millennium Place (now Maury Young Arts Centre)
  • 2016 – Whistler Arts Council rebrands as Arts Whistler with new name and new look
  • 2016 – Arts Whistler receives $489,000 from Canadian Heritage to create digital engagement platforms for arts and culture, including inclusive cultural sector website (artswhistler.com), increased social media, promotional support for all cultural sector, launch of Fall for Arts season
  • 2017 – Produced “The Chili Thom Experience”, honouring the life and work of one of Whistler’s most beloved artists.
  • 2018 – Arts Whistler launches Anonymous Art Show, our annual fundraising art show that features 300+ local artists
  • 2018 – Year 35 of the Arts Whistler Holiday Market sets attendance records of 10,000+, making it one of the largest artisan events in BC
  • 2020 – Arts Whistler launches on-line creative resource portal, live music streaming concerts and extensive video production – all precipitated by COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in more diverse programming.

Our Home – The Maury Young Arts Centre

Maurice “Maury” Young was an avid sailor, skier, and philanthropist who had a big impact on the Whistler community. The Young family believed in Whistler’s future from the early days of the area’s ski development, and Maury became the chair of the Whistler Mountain Ski Corporation in 1988, a position he held for nine years.

To honour Maury when he passed in 1999 the Young family donated two million dollars to help make the building of Millennium Place (now the Arts Centre) possible. They knew that Maury would be proud to have his name attached to a figurative and literal stage, for residents and visitors alike, to interact and share their passions and life experiences.

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