Our History
Special gratitude and thanks to those that were there from the beginning.
The First Directors
John Hansen
Colin Craig
Marilyn Theobald
Rita Egdorf
Vera McKellar
In The Beginning
Art Focus Artists' Association (AFAA) was founded in 1993 when the need for a visual arts group based in Port Coquitlam was acknowledged. Members of the Parks & Recreation Department of the City of Port Coquitlam, Michael Wright, Mike Thompson, members of the ARC Arts Council, Colin Craig, then president of Port Moody Art Club, and others launched it on October 13th of that year.
Forty-seven people were in attendance at the November 1993 meeting at Hazel Tremblath Elementary School. Since the very beginning, Art Focus upholds its mandate of welcoming all artists, from emerging to highly accomplished, into the club. AFAA hosts a Fall Art Show, and a Spring Art Show in the Outlet. Our members’ artwork is displayed at the Mike Farnworth MLA Community Office, the Tri-Cities Community Dialysis Clinic, and until recently the Port Coquitlam City Hall lobby and Mayor’s office.
Art Focus is highly involved in the community, participating in various community events and festivals; a family tent on Canada Day at Castle Park, displaying artwork and doing demos at the Port Coquitlam Farmers’ Market, and collaborative projects with the Heritage Society, to name but a few. The club raises funds and donates a yearly scholarship fund to the Ecole Riverside Secondary, the Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary, and the Terry Fox Secondary schools for three deserving art student graduates continuing their studies or career in the arts. Recently Art Focus produced an indoor mural for the Tri-Cities Community Dialysis Clinic and a virtual art show “Visions and Vistas” in 2020.
There are over 30 members in Art Focus ranging from emerging to highly accomplished artists who work in various mediums. Members meet three times a month on Wednesday evenings for a business meeting, a workshop, and a demo evening where professional artists demonstrate their techniques. These demos are always free and open to the public. All these meetings take place at The Outlet, 2248 McAllister in Port Coquitlam. Club members also meet throughout the summer months to enjoy a bit of plein air painting and socializing. A different location is selected for each Tuesday morning and all members and guests are welcome to attend.