The following html text document contains the contents of the grunt gallery strategic plan, as well as a visual description of the PDF document that was published in June 2026. A markdown version of the report is also available for download.
Title Page
PDF Description:
A title page with the white grunt gallery logo on a black background.
Logo Description:
The logo features a single word: grunt. It is written entirely in lowercase and centred within a wide, roughly rectangular shape made of ink. The black background is not a perfect shape: its edges are irregular, with soft, speckled fading and patchy smudges. The texture suggests that the ink was applied using a roller, such as a rubber brayer or one with a foam nap, and passed over multiple times, each time with a slight misalignment. There is a layered effect, with denser black in the middle and scattered textures around the edges.
The letters are white, standing out sharply against the background. Each letter is distinct and resembles block printing, similar to the old wood or metal type used in traditional presses. The letterforms are solid, with small horizontal strokes at the ends of some vertical lines, known as serifs. The serifs are simple and chunky, but parts of the letters appear worn or incomplete, as if some ink didn’t transfer cleanly. This distressed look implies a handmade application of the letterpress. The letters are not perfectly vertical. They lean slightly forward, giving the word a subtle diagonal slant from bottom left to top right. The letters are evenly spaced and not touching.
The footer reads strategic plan, prepared in Fall 2025.
Table of Contents
- Introduction, page 3
- Priority: Accessibility, page 7
- Priority: Community Engagement, page 10
- Priority: Revenue Development, page 12
- Priority: Facility, page 14
- Priority: Human Resources, page 16
- Statistics, page 18
- Partners, page 19
PDF Description:
Page 2 contains a QR code that links back to this plain text version. The background is a tan colour.
Introduction
Quote: “We aim to ensure grunt is regionally rooted and responsive, and that our decisions reciprocate care for the communities, audiences, artists and staff we engage.”
Founded in 1984, grunt is a leading partner in a network of artistrun centres that have fueled the development of visual arts practices in Vancouver. Our programming scope has grown significantly over the years from primarily supporting exhibitions, publications and performances to a wider range of activities, including multipartner collaborative projects, online projects and expansive digital resources, site-specific artist and public art projects, artist residencies, international artistic exchanges and a growing archive. While our facility is modest, our reach is expansive.
We have always had an investment in wider cultural production and in recent years our work has expanded through initiatives such as the Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency and the Mount Pleasant Community Art Screen (MPCAS). Concurrently, we have also invested in regular mentorship opportunities for emerging artists and curators, community-engaged special projects and community co-learning initiatives. grunt invests in collaborative, visionary and often challenging projects.
Programming plans over the next 5 years are aimed at enriching the depth and value of our role in supporting local arts communities, emphasizing our investments in the region’s diverse communities and our commitment to intersectional knowledge exchange. We are attendant to the different ways we are called to expand our learning capacities and worldviews to be in better relation with this place, its Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh stewards, and the many unique communities who call it home. Dedicated resources for platforming local practitioners through our exhibitions program, archive, public art, mentorship opportunities, residencies and partnership development, alongside intentional outreach further afield through exchanges and partnerships, together will support and strengthen our networks for co-learning, solidarity and creative innovation, and help build capacity within the communities we serve.
Our 2025-2030 strategic plan is designed to bolster our capacity to support both our recent growth and ensure future adaptability, with resources and intention directed at strengthening the resilience of the organization, amidst changes and challenges locally, nationally and abroad. We aim to ensure grunt is regionally rooted and responsive, and that our decisions reciprocate care for the communities, audiences, artists and staff we engage.
This is supported by 5 key strategic areas of focus:
- Accessibility
- Community Engagement
- Revenue Development
- Facilities Planning
- Human Resources
Central to this work are questions like:
“What do artists need moving into the future?”
“What alternative business models might better support our goals and communities?”
“How can we reflect our values and aspirations more fully through human resources and capital expansion?”
PDF Description:
The text spans pages 3 and 4. On page 4, there are two overlapping photos with the following credits:
TOP: Ladykiller the Maneater by Alison Bremner (2023), curated by Whess Harman, installation view at grunt gallery. Photo by Dennis Ha.
INSET: grunt gallery 40th anniversary celebration (2024), at grunt gallery. Photo by Alger Ji Liang.
The top image shows a neutral gallery wall with a dark baseboard. Four large mixed-media collage works are hung in a row. The figurative compositions draw on Northwest Coast formline design to construct characters from Alison Bremner’s Ladykiller mythology.
The inset image shows a crowd gathered outside grunt gallery at night. Backlit by light from the gallery windows, the figures appear as dark silhouettes on the lawn and sidewalk. Above them, the red neon grunt sign reflects across the overhang and metal entrance frame.
On page 5 is a horizontal layout of the 5 key strategic areas of focus with the central questions are below that in three columns.
Pages 3 and 4 background colours are a soft yellow, and Page 5 is a stone grey.
On all the pages following the table of contents, the grunt logo is featured in the upper left corner and the page number is contained with a black box in the upper right corner.
Priority: Accessibility (Maturing phase)
Objective: Establish a sustainable core accessibility program
Action Items:
- Develop and implement an evaluation process to fulsomely assess how our accessibility initiatives serve both grunt and its communities, including meaningful engagement, long-term relationship development, and systemic change.
- Implement accessibility upgrades to in-person and online platforms.
- Seek ongoing operations funding to support accessibility (e.g. staff position)
Outcome:
- Defined accessibility priorities to provide diverse and reliable access in-person and online, with accessibility embedded in core operations.
Over the past 5 years, we have been developing with intention our connection to d/Disabled, d/Deaf, Sick, Mad, and Neurodiverse communities. We have become recognized in our sector for our work with these communities, and aim to make accessible programming and presentation the norm, while continually learning from the communities this work responds to and serves. Accessibility is critical to grunt’s role as an expanded space for engagement and learning. A key objective across all levels of our organization is to sustain and support our core accessibility work, to ensure accessibility remains embedded in our operations and we continue to have the capacity to engage and support communities facing participation barriers.
PDF Description:
This section spans pages 6 and 7. The text is all contained on page 6, and page 7 features 3 images.
The text is formatted into squares with different coloured blue backgrounds. An arrow points from the Action Items header towards the Outcome header in a neighbouring box.
The three images on page 7 have the following captions:
LEFT: Colin van Uchelen engaging his tactile artwork in Project Fire Flower (2021), curated by Whitney Mashburn, installation view at grunt gallery. Photo by Dennis Ha.
CENTRE: Gagan Kaur hosting a Blind-Led Tour of A volar entre rocas by Mariana Muñoz Gomez at grunt gallery (2025). Photo by Kay Slater.
RIGHT: Non-Verbal Co-Learning Engagement: Laurie Landry (2025), video still. Video by Sebnem Ozpeta, Shanna Cheng and Kay Slater.
The left image shows a white adult in a striped shirt touching a brightly illuminated acrylic panel with a firework in the shape of a chrysanthemum. The centre image shows a brown-skinned femme with a brown service animal speaking in front of a brick-orange wall. A single poster-style image is adhered to the wall and is installation above their head. The right image shows a white woman seated in a swivelling office chair, wearing a blue basketball shirt and a backwards ball cap. She raises her right arm up, fist pumped in the air, and the left hand cupping over her left ear in the ASL sign for DEAF POWER.
The background colour of pages 6 and 7 is a lilac-flower blue.
Priority: Community Engagement (Maturing phase)
Objective: Develop internal guidelines for community engagement that align with organizational priorities and values
Action Items:
- Assess current engagement practices in all areas of the organization (e.g. programming, communications, partnerships, mentorships)
- Engage staff, board, volunteers and community stakeholders in discussion and feedback sessions
- Define and draft guidelines, including consideration of flexibility, evolving contexts and needs.
Outcome:
- Defined guidelines for community engagement.
Outreach and engagement are central to our vision for program development, and we have continued to evolve our engagement philosophies throughout our history. Our commitment to meaningful community engagement asks us to clarify our role in this regard, adapt to the needs of our existing communities and continue outreach to include new voices. We are attendant to change, and when necessary we commit to evaluating our own systems to better serve our communities, creative practices and the future.
PDF Description:
This section spans pages 8 and 9. The text is all contained on page 8, and page 9 features 4 images.
The text is formatted into squares with different coloured pink backgrounds.
The four images on page 9 have the following captions:
LEFT: Beading workshop by Glenn Gear (2022), Aboriginal Gathering Place at Emily Carr University. Photo courtesy of grunt gallery.
CENTRE: Simon Grefiel performing for Hele ng Simbang Bagi (Lullaby of the Night Mass) (2024), curated by Patrick Cruz and Christian Vistan, at Red Gate Art Society. Photo by Dennis Ha, courtesy of grunt gallery.
RIGHT TOP: Opening reception for HOHOL (Hang Out Hang Out Lang) by Christopher Baliwas, Trisha Baga, Patrick Cruz, Ella Gonzales, Ramolen Laruan, Lani Maestro, Manuel Ocampo, Christian Vistan, Thea Yabut (2024), curated by Patrick Cruz and Christian Vistan, at grunt gallery. Photo by Dennis Ha.
RIGHT BOTTOM: Vuntut Gwitchin – A Journey of Determination and Resilience (2025), curated by lisa g and Sebnem Ozpeta, screening at grunt gallery. Photo by lisa g.
The left image shows two adults seated at a table engaged in beadwork. One person wears a colourful face mask and holds their beading close to their face while threading a needle. The second person works with their hands resting on the tabletop. In the background, a large illuminated welcome post carved with an Indigenous animal figure rises above the workshop space.
The centre image shows an adult dressed entirely in white standing before a seated audience. Their head is tilted downward, with the brim of a white baseball cap obscuring their face. Behind them, a large projected film shows people walking through an urban street. Rows of audience members sit facing both the performer and the projection.
The right-top image shows a gathering of Filipino adults inside grunt gallery. Some stand while others sit in small groups, chatting with one another. The gallery’s white walls and large front windows are visible behind them. The blinds are raised, revealing bright daylight outside.
The right-bottom image shows a film screening inside the white-walled gallery. Rows of audience members sit in folding chairs facing a projected film on the back wall. An orange-tinted light from the gallery office spills into the space beside the projection.
The background colour of pages 8 and 9 is a very pale pink.
Priority: Revenue Development (Exploratory phase)
Objective: Explore new and alternative business models for revenue generation
Action Items:
- Research and meet with other orgs/ explore models
- Explore new fund generating opportunities
- Risk assessment and feasibility study
Outcome:
- Report outlining ideas/ alternatives to employ in a new business model and plan
In acknowledgement of grunt’s tremendous recent growth and towards maintaining our stability amidst recent/ongoing changes in our sector and more widely (e.g. the pandemic, inflation and costs of living, shifts in government spending), over the next cycle we plan to undertake some key actions towards fortifying grunt’s stability. Through targeted research and partnership development, we will investigate whether alternative or expanded business models can help serve the growth and sustainability of grunt and offer potential to diversify revenue streams, and assess the risks and opportunities therein.
PDF Description:
This section spans pages 10 and 11. The text is all contained on page 10, and page 11 features 3 images.
The text is formatted into squares with green-blue and pale pink coloured backgrounds.
The three images on page 9 have the following captions:
TOP LEFT: My Mother’s Smile by Cheli Nighttraveller (2002) in grunt gallery 40th Anniversary Video Montage by Merle Addison (2024), on the Mount Pleasant Community Art Screen.
BOTTOM LEFT: Maskisin ᒪᐢᑭᓯᐣ by Cheyenne Rain LeGrande ᑭᒥᐊᐧᐣ and Rinse by Amrita Hepi (2022), curated by Whess Harman and Susan Gibb, at Western Front. Photo by Rachel Topham.
RIGHT: Public tour at the Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency (2019). Photo by Jamie Loh.
The upper-left image shows the Mount Pleasant Community Art Screen, an outdoor video screen mounted on the side of a brick building. The screen displays a paused film showing an adult seated with one leg crossed and their mouth open mid-speech. Behind them, a wall is divided diagonally into dark and light sections, and a strong light casts a sharp shadow across the surface.
The lower-left image shows two adult women standing on a polished, wooden floor. They hold hands, with the woman on the left raising both arms overhead and lifting their joined hands above the second woman’s head. Audience members seated before them applaud.
The right image shows a group of white adults gathered inside the cabin of a boat. They face a person holding a sheet of white paper who reads aloud. Large windows fill the cabin with daylight, and an open doorway at the rear of the room reveals a brightness so intense that details beyond the boat are not visible.
The background colour of pages 10 and 11 is a very pale blue.
Priority: Facility (Exploratory phase)
Objective: Assess facility infrastructure to meet future organization needs
Action Items:
- Conduct a needs assessment
- Undertake a feasibility study
- Research existing and upcoming capital opportunities
Outcome:
- Tools and resources to write a business plan
grunt has operated from a modest 1400 square foot facility since 1995, and paid off the mortgage for this space in 2014. In acknowledgement of our programming growth and diversity, our commitment to accessibility, and the rapidly changing landscape of our neighbourhood and city, it is a priority to assess our facility, investigate opportunities for capital upgrades and expansion, towards the development of a business plan that will leverage our current assets and support the organization’s future.
PDF Description:
This section spans pages 12 and 13. The text is all contained on page 10, and page 11 features 3 images.
The text is formatted into squares with purple and white coloured backgrounds.
The three images on page 11 have the following captions:
LEFT: An exploration of Resilience and Resistance by Kali Spitzer (2019), curated by Glenn Alteen, installation view at grunt gallery. Photo by Dennis Ha.
TOP RIGHT: View of grunt gallery exterior at night (2022). Photo by Kay Slater.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Enticed and Entanged en algo Antiguo by Francisco Berlanga (2023), curated by Whess Harman, installation view at grunt gallery. Photo by Dennis Ha.
The left image shows a gallery wall displaying a series of large black-and-white photographic portraits. Beneath each portrait hangs a set of headphones, allowing visitors to listen to accompanying audio recordings. The portraits are arranged in a row against the white gallery wall.
The upper-right image shows the front entrance of grunt gallery at night. Large rectangular windows surround a set of glass double doors. Above the entrance, a bright red neon sign reads “grunt.” The gallery interior is illuminated primarily by a projection cast onto the back wall, visible through the windows from the street.
The lower-right image shows an installation built from stacked concrete cinder blocks. At the centre, several blocks are arranged around a wide-brimmed, clay-covered sombrero. To the right, taller columns of cinder blocks support living plants and hanging garments.
The background colour of pages 10 and 11 is a very pale lilac.
Human Resources (Streamlining phase)
Objective: To align our human resources (staff/policies) to support and enhance our organizational priorities
Action Items:
- Review and define existing staff roles and organizational structure.
- Succession planning for key staff roles (e.g. Operations Director) and board roles
- Update and improve HR systems, such as policy and contracts to reflect current organizational culture and priorities (staff and Board)
Outcome:
- Renewed organizational structure (staff/ board) and revised HR policies that align with organizational priorities and values
grunt is recognized for our administrative excellence and we are fortunate to have a strong, deeply invested team of staff, board and contractors with low turnover that contributes greatly to the success and responsiveness of the organization. In recognition of how our organization and communities have changed and developed in recent years, we plan to review our staffing and HR systems to ensure continuity in our approach and alignment with our core values and priorities. This will include updates to our HR policies, contracts and job descriptions, and succession planning for key permanent roles. Focused attention to this area will help better support the immense value our strong, diverse team brings to grunt, and enable us to innovate in tandem with the growing communities we serve.
PDF Description:
This section spans pages 14 and 15. The text is all contained on page 14, and page 15 features four images.
The text is formatted into squares with coffee and cream brown and white coloured backgrounds.
The four images on page 15 have the following captions:
LEFT: Tactile objects for Inside/Out: the art show my dad never had by Sue Dong Eng and Merccedes Eng (2024), curated by Mercedes Eng and Keimi Nakashima-Ochoa, installation view at grunt gallery. Photo by Dennis Ha.
CENTRE TOP: Nu chexw kw’átchnexw kwétsi sk ̱el ̓áw ̓? // Can you See Beaver? by Jolene Andrew, curated by Nellie Lamb, house post blessing event (2021). Photo by Vanessa Kwan.
CENTRE BOTTOM: grunt gallery 40th anniversary celebration (2024), at grunt gallery. Photo by Alger Ji Liang.
RIGHT: Wordless: The Performance Art of Rebecca Belmore book launch event and nindinawemaganidog (all of my relations) by Rebecca Belmore (2019), curated by Glenn Alteen, at grunt gallery. Photo by Jamie Loh.
The left image shows a pair of white hands exploring an etched copper square. The hands are positioned above a plinth labeled “Tactile Objects” and marked with a hand icon. In the background, an audio player with large orange buttons sits beside a sign featuring a sound icon.
The upper-centre image shows a group of people carrying a large wooden post at shoulder height. Several participants wear face masks. The group moves down the centre of a residential street lined with parked cars.
The lower-centre image shows a crowded event in a white-walled room. People stand in small groups talking, gathering around tables, and moving through the space. The photograph is taken from above, looking down from a balcony.
The right image shows an older Indigenous woman seated at a table covered with a red tablecloth, signing books. A line of people stands before her waiting for their books to be signed. Large photographic portraits hang on the wall behind the table.
The background colour of pages 14 and 15 is a very light beige.
Highlights and Statistics
Artist support:
- We work with 40-60 artists annually across exhibitions, the Mount Pleasant Community Art Screen, special projects, residencies and publications
- More than half of the artists we work with annually are BC-based
- We receive 150-250 exhibition submissions annually
- We offer CARFAC rates at minimum to all presenting artists
- 100s of artists included in our archive from across 4+ decades
- Over 50% of our staff/Board team are practicing artists
Audience engagement:
- Our audience reach is over 100,000 annually across exhibitions, the Mount Pleasant Community Art Screen, special projects and residencies
- We reach over 7000 users each month across online platforms
- 100s of views of virtual exhibition tours, reaching audiences across Canada and over longer periods of time
- Increased access via audio tours, Blind-led tours, behind-the-scenes tours and weekly low-sensory and voice-off visiting hours
Partnerships and Sectoral Development:
- Ongoing and project-based partnerships with diverse organizations including other artistrun centres, galleries, festivals, Indigenous-led and d/Disabled-led organizations and postsecondary institutions locally, nationally and internationally
- Annual training and mentorship for emerging practitioners in curation, archives, and nonauditory and non-visual engagement
- Training and resources in best practices for accessibility and archives offered to arts organizations, artists and practitioners across Canada
- A founding member of new community service arts cooperative, The Blue Cabin Co-op
PDF Description:
Page 16 is three columns of bullet points. The background is white.
Partners
grunt gallery gratefully acknowledges the support of our core funders and partners:
- Canada Council for the Arts
- British Columbia Arts Council
- City of Vancouver
- The Audain Foundation
- Rize
- Disability Alliance BC
- Other Sights
- Creative Cultural Collaborations
- Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency
- Aboriginal Gathering Place
- Emily Carr University of Art + Design
PDF Description:
Page 17 is three rows of funder and partner logos. The background is grey.
End Page
350 E 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5T 4R8
www.grunt.ca
PDF Description:
Four images with image captions:
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
A volar entre rocas by Mariana Muñoz Gomez (2025), curated by Vance Wright, installation view at grunt gallery. Photo by Dennis Ha.
a sentimental dissidence by Gabi Dao (2019), curated by Vanessa Kwan, installation view at grunt gallery. Photo by Dennis Ha.
Opening Reception for Here/After, Amulets in Ritual by Rawan Hassan (2026), curated by Whess Harman, at grunt gallery. Photo by Leen Issa.
Representing the Ephemeral by Wen Yau (2019), performance at grunt gallery. Photo by Jamie Loh.
The first image shows a gallery with brick-orange walls. A short wall projects outward from the main wall, creating a small alcove. Inside the alcove, a video projection depicts a stone wall. Two wooden cube stools are positioned beneath the projection. Two posters mounted nearby feature imagery with a similar stone texture.
The second image shows a gallery illuminated by green-tinted light from a projected film. Three theatre-style chairs face the projection in the foreground. On either side of the screen, beaded curtains hang in front of clear acrylic panels. A brown carpet covers the floor.
The third image shows two adults viewed from behind as they look at a wall-mounted installation of Tatreez embroidery. The embroidered works are arranged in narrow vertical columns against the gallery wall.
The fourth image shows an adult standing among a seated audience. They wear a white collared dress with a yellow tie and hold a notebook in one hand. Their mouth is open mid-speech while audience members seated around them look on.