About the
Sooke Fine Arts Society

About the Society

The Sooke Fine Arts Society is a not-for-profit organization created to encourage and promote a greater understanding and appreciation for the arts by organizing an annual art show, as well as hosting public learning opportunities to demonstrate artistic technique and expertise. The annual art show, held at the end of July and early August of each year, is Vancouver Island’s premier adjudicated art show. It brings artists, volunteers, visitors, and art patrons together in an 10-day celebration of the arts.

Board of Directors

President – Janet Evans
Treasurer – Robin Middleton
Secretary – Margaret-Elizabeth Schell
Director – Alison McKay
Director – Abigail Owen
Director – Jeff Head
Director – Claire Wollen

JOIN OUR BOARD

The Sooke Fine Arts Society is welcoming applications from community members who would like to sit on the Board. We especially encourage applicants who have knowledge of fundraising, human resources, or leadership skills. Please contact us if interested.

AGM

Our 2024 AGM was held at 7pm on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at the Prestige Oceanfront Resort in Sooke.
View the 2024 Annual Report

The 2025 AGM will be held on Thursday October 16, 2025 in the downstairs ballroom at the Prestige Oceanfront Resort in Sooke.

Staff

Executive Director – Jen Hayward
Administrative Coordinator – Wendy Johnson
Show Coordinator – Zoey Harrison

Membership

Membership in the Sooke Fine Arts Society is available for an annual fee of $25. Find out more about the benefits of membership and how to become a member of the Sooke Fine Arts Society.

Employment

Join our dynamic office team! The Society is seeking to hire the following positions:

SUMMER STUDENTS

Each summer, SFAS hires students to gain work experience in our office leading up and during the show.
In 2025, SFAS is seeking:

Applicants must meet Canada Summer Jobs eligibility criteria (see job descriptions).
Hiring is contigent on grant funding, to be confirmed in April.
Application deadline: April 22, 2025 (new deadline!)

RECENTLY FILLED POSITIONS

Administrative Coordinator
Show Coordinator

REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS

We have two requests for proposals at this time:

The deadline to apply for both is April 24, 2025.

YOUTH ART SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

The Youth Art Scholarship Award was established in 2014 to assist young artists in pursuing post-secondary studies in the arts, and has been made possible through private donations and events. We look forward to making higher education in the arts accessible to many more talented young artists. The Youth Art Scholarship Award, valued at $1,500, is selected at the end of May each year and presented at the Artist Celebration Event during the show.

See the 2025 Visual Arts Scholarship Award Application for more information & to apply.

The 2025 deadline for applicants is May 15, 2025.
Successful applicants will be notified on or before May 31, 2025.

History of the Sooke Fine Arts Show

The Sooke Fine Arts Show stems from humble beginnings when the Sooke Region Museum would feature artwork from local artists in their upper gallery. In 1986, spurred by the buzz of that year’s Expo, a committee of five local artists conceived of a show to bring attention to art and artists of the region, and thus the inaugural FINE ARTS ’86 was born…

The Sooke Fine Arts Society is a non-profit organization created to encourage and promote a greater understanding and appreciation for the arts by organizing an annual art show, as well as hosting public learning opportunities to demonstrate artistic technique and expertise.

Location

SEAPARC Recreation Centre
2168 Phillips Rd
Sooke, BC
V9Z 0Y3

Mailing Address:

Box 471
Sooke, BC
V9Z 1H4
Canada

Contact

Main Phone:
250-642-7256

Art Sales Desk:
2025: tbd

Email
sfas@sookefinearts.com

The Sooke Fine Arts Society respectfully acknowledges the territory of the T’Sou-ke First Nation, upon whose land we gather in celebration of the arts.