by Nicole Porter, President, BC Art Teachers Association, with deep appreciation to Marie-France Bedard, BCATA archivist, for her assistance
Although this is the 50th anniversary of the Provincial Specialist Association Council (PSAC), the BC Art Teachers Association (BCATA) can celebrate its 64th year of serving art teachers from around the province. It has been my pleasure to review archives from our association that date back to the formation of the BCATA in 1958. In reading our very first newsletter from that same year, I was struck by the words of then-president Blair Fulton, who spoke about the aim of the association: “We have set ourselves tasks that, we hope, will establish the BCATA as a dynamic force in art education and the province.” It is a simple and powerful statement of purpose that remains true today. The BCATA remains as an important place for art teachers across British Columbia to find resources, professional development, advocacy, and networking for our art teacher community.
As I reviewed our archives, it was remarkable how much that was true then and is still true now. President Anthony Booker wrote in a newsletter from 1972, “Do you have the same problems I have—overcrowding, not enough time, storage space, equipment, supplies?” This statement resonates for art teachers today as much as it did then. He goes on to say, “The main purpose, I have often thought, of an art teachers’ association is to give me the feeling that I was not alone, that the association would give me a voice that would be heard.” The BCATA seeks to build community, listen to concerns, and advocate for its members. Often there are only one or two art teachers in a school and having a place to meaningfully connect with others is the most powerful part of any PSA. We live in a large and beautiful province, and finding collective ways to celebrate and support art education is key to what we do.
There were some fun facts that I can share from my research: in 1969 the BCATA conference fee was $1.25 and dinner was $5.25 (including gratuities). In 1975 you could book a single room at the Empress Hotel in Victoria for our conference for $19. It is a wonderful detail that our current journal editor Bill Zuk was a workshop presenter at that very conference. We have had executive members who have contributed, not only for a year or two, but over decades of dedication to our art education community. What an impressive legacy for the BCATA Executive!
It has been fascinating and humbling for me to explore the rich past of the BCATA. From reading arguments in support of creativity as a fundamental part of education in a brief to the Royal Commission in 1959, to passionate support of new curriculum documents in 1982, I am in awe of the people who have served before me. Throughout these 64 years they have built a foundation of art education and community that we are so grateful to have, and my hope is that we will continue this rich history in the years to come.