In Uncertain Times, Art Helps Us Breathe
If you live in British Columbia, you have probably developed a few very specific survival skills: reading a rainfall warning like it’s a movie trailer, checking the power outage map like it’s a daily ritual, and doing mental math at the grocery store that would make an accountant cry.
Between storm seasons, affordability stress, and the steady hum of uncertainty in the background, it can feel like we are always bracing for the next thing. That kind of pressure does not just live in our calendars; it lives in our bodies. In our sleep. In our relationships. In our capacity to imagine anything beyond the immediate.
And this is where art matters.
Art is not a luxury in hard times
Art helps us metabolize what we are living through. It gives shape to grief, anger, hope, and humour. It tells the truth without swallowing us whole. It creates a pause, even a brief one, that helps us remember we are human and not alone.
I felt that in a very real way the other day.
CARFAC BC’s office is in the same building as the BC Alliance for the Arts and the Outsiders and Others Gallery, which I had the pleasure of visiting recently. What a treat that was. I was blown away by some of the artwork. What talent. I could have stayed there all day. And when I finally left, I genuinely felt renewed.
That’s the thing about art. It can reorient you in minutes.
And art comes in many forms. It’s a painting that stops you in your tracks. Or a photo that tells a story you have been trying to name. It’s a film, a performance, a mural, beadwork, carving, a zine, a song, a digital piece, or something you cannot quite categorize, but know… it did something to you. Art meets us where we’re at, and then it gently nudges us to somewhere new.
Artists hold the line for all of us, but they should not have to do it alone
In chaotic times, artists are often asked to be society’s emotional first responders. We lean on them to reflect the moment, to challenge it, to make beauty out of it, to help us feel it. Too often, we do this while expecting artists to accept uncertainty, underpayment, or “exposure” as if those are normal working conditions.
If art is part of how communities stay resilient, then artists’ working conditions are part of resilience too.
That is why CARFAC exists. To advocate for artists’ rights, fair compensation, and professional standards, and to make sure the people who create the work are not treated as optional.
What CARFAC BC is building this year
At CARFAC BC, we are meeting this moment with both realism and momentum. We are growing. We have just hired another part-time team member to support partnerships and digital initiatives, which means more capacity to connect artists across the province, strengthen relationships, and build practical supports that actually land in artists’ day-to-day lives.
We also have exciting projects planned this year. More collaboration. More opportunities. More tools and resources that help artists navigate the real world of contracts, fees, standards, visibility, and sustainability.
The goal is simple: in a province that can feel like it is changing by the hour, artists deserve infrastructure, not just applause.
The invitation
If you are a visual artist in BC, please consider joining CARFAC BC.
Membership strengthens our collective voice, supports advocacy for fair working conditions, and connects you to resources and a community that understands the realities of making art in BC right now.
Honestly, in these uncertain times, we could all use a little more solidarity and a lot more art. If you are not a member yet, I invite you to join CARFAC BC today.
Sharon Marshall, MBA
Executive Director
