Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation for Young Artists to Host
Annual Gala Supporting Youth Arts Education Across B.C.
Nonprofit and Vancouver-loved artists unite to fund artist-led
youth art programs across British Columbia
The Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation for Young Artists, a Vancouver-based nonprofit dedicated to arts education and artist-led community impact, will host its annual Brilliance Gala on March 11, bringing together leading Canadian artists, collectors, and supporters to raise funds for youth art programs across British Columbia.
The Gala builds on a period of strong momentum for the Foundation, following the announcement of a $1 million donation in November 2025 to further support youth arts education and expand long-term programming across the province.
The Foundation has spent close to two decades championing access to visual arts education through its flagship Artists for Kids (AFK) program, founded by North Vancouver Educators alongside iconic Canadian artist Gordon A. Smith — a recipient of the Order of Canada and the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts — and peers including
Bill Reid and Jack Shadbolt,. Proceeds from the Gala directly support artist-led programming, school-based learning, scholarships, and creative opportunities for young people across the province.
“Art has the power to shape how we see the world and how we see ourselves,” said Ian Wallace, Canadian artist and long-time supporter of Artists for Kids. “Gordon Smith’s legacy – his insistence on art as both a personal inquiry and a shared experience – lives on in every young artist who is given the space to explore, experiment, and grow. Programs like Artists
for Kids don’t just teach technique; they open doors to confidence, curiosity, and connection that last a lifetime.”
Artists for Kids is a rare ecosystem where artists give back not only as donors but as mentors and educators. Through its limited-edition print portfolio, artists contribute original works that fund year-round programming while celebrating Canadian artmaking. That spirit extends to the annual Gala, where artists, collectors, and community partners donate
significant works and experiences to the live and silent auctions, transforming artistic generosity into tangible opportunities for youth.
The long-term impact of the Foundation’s work can be seen in alumni like Maddy Phillips, now in her 20s, who credits Artists for Kids with shaping her confidence and creative direction at a formative stage in her life.
“I never really felt like I fit in as a kid, but Artists for Kids gave me a place where I was accepted exactly as I was,” said Phillips. “The program showed me that I didn’t have to choose a single path early on — I could explore art, community, and the outdoors at the same time. That freedom shaped my confidence and helped set the foundation for my creative career.”
Work Phillips created through Artists for Kids later supported her studies at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, helping set the trajectory for her creative career. Today, she runs her own art, design, and mural practice, Phil Phil Studio, and returned to the Artists for Kids community last year to speak at the Gala on the program’s lasting personal and professional
impact.
The Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation was established in 2002 to create a lasting endowment supporting art enrichment programs throughout British Columbia. In addition to Artists for Kids, the Foundation curates exhibitions and public learning opportunities at the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art, providing an inclusive platform for both emerging and established artists while preserving Gordon Smith’s artistic legacy.
Supported by Vancouver’s arts community, the Gala’s online auction features standout artist-donated works and experiences, including an Ikebana workshop led by Douglas Coupland in the Smith House (designed for Gordon Smith by renown BC architect Arthur Erikson, and original artworks by Bobbie Burgers, Roy Arden and Christos Dikeakos, among
many others. The online auction will close on March 11th at noon, and will be available through the Brilliance Gala & Auction website, smithgala.ca.
To attend the Brilliance Gala on March 11 and support youth arts education, visit:
https://smithgala.ca/lite-ui/?controller=tickets
About the Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation for Young Artists
The Gordon and Marion Smith Foundation for Young Artists is a North Vancouver–based nonprofit dedicated to advancing visual arts education for youth and the wider community. Through artist-led programming, scholarships, public exhibitions, and the Artists for Kids initiative, the Foundation supports creativity, learning, and access to the arts across British Columbia.