My name is Mike and I’m the founder of The Art Department. For the last sixteen years I have been working as a visual artist in Tsawwassen, BC. I love the community of Delta and have a passion to see more opportunities for people to not only be together but to explore creatively together.

The arts have been essential to my life and over the years I have worn many hats - from actor and graphic designer to home/interior designer and visual artist. Along the way there have been many spaces, teachers and fellow artists that have facilitated my artistic journey and my hope is to offer that same encouragement and inspiration to others.

The ART DEPARTMENT was born out of a conversation I was having with a friend (her name is Sarah and you would love her). We were dreaming about a space where anybody could come and be inspired, be creative, find community and just PLAY! For the next few months the idea kept percolating in the back of my mind and when I happened to see that the space at 1300 56th St was for lease, I called - just to check it out. After consulting with colleagues and friends, working out some details and mustering up a little (a lot) of courage, I signed the lease and started brainstorming.

And now a little conversation over coffee between two friends has become a reality. And I’m super stoked. And so is Sarah.

WHAT WE’RE ABOUT

Our reason for being (the “MISSION STATEMENT”) is made up of four core objectives which are to:

+ ENLIVEN CURIOSITY

+ ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY

+ DEVELOP COMPETENCE

+ FACILITATE COMMUNITY

We believe that the pursuit of an artistic endeavour begins with CURIOSITY. Asking questions, giving yourself permission to wonder, following an idea or a flash of insight. From that place CREATIVITY is activated, the mind and senses are engaged and steps are taken to explore. From exploring and the practice of doing, the learning, growing, trying, “failing” (which isn’t really a thing), and proficiency starts to happen - developing COMPETENCE. The Art Department provides a space for different people with different perspectives, goals, ideas, etc. to come together in COMMUNITY and share in something together. What that “something” is will be unique to each person and hopefully can inspire even more people to catch the spark of curiosity - and the cycle continues!

OUR LOGO

The stars inside a circle used in our logo reflects our objectives. The inner star is the spark, the beginning (CURIOSITY), the next star out is the mind expanding with ideas (CREATIVITY), the next star represents the development of skill (COMPETENCE) and the outer circle is the energy radiating out to others (COMMUNITY).