UNIT/PITT is seeking 1-3 individuals to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors.
As a charitable non-profit artist-run organization, the Board is a crucial governance body that helps steer the vision of the organization through participation on Committees, and in Board Meetings with Staff (every 2 months). Although the time commitment may fluctuate based on projects and deadlines, on average, each Board member volunteers 3-5 hours/month for a 2-year period.
For 2021-23, UNIT/PITT is particularly interested in welcoming Board members with professional skills and experience in any of the following areas: fundraising, law, accounting, real estate, web development, public art, disability arts, language translation, community engagement.
To apply, please email governance@unitpitt.ca with the following:
- 200-500 words about yourself, and why you want to be on UNIT/PITT’s Board of Directors
- A resume or CV
- Which of the following committees you would be interested in joining: Archive, Programming, Fundraising, Human Resources, Board Development
- Optional: If you would be interested in filling an executive board position in the future (Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary)
Fall 2021 update: We are still looking to fill a couple positions. When they have been filled, we will update this post
Individuals who are invited onto the Board will be required to become a member of the society.
UNIT/PITT is committed to providing leadership positions to Black, Indigenous, racialized, trans, Two-Spirit, queer and disabled people, and people with lived experiences of poverty. We prioritize applications from self-identified members of communities that have experienced marginalization.
More about UNIT/PITT
UNIT/PITT’s mission is to empower collective, cumulative action through art, resistance, advocacy, and critical awareness-raising by supporting emerging artists and their diverse creative practices. We do this work on the ancestral, traditional, unceded, and occupied Indigenous territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, specifically in solidarity and resistance alongside the Downtown Eastside and Chinatown communities.
UNIT/PITT was founded in 1975 as the Helen Pitt Gallery by the Student Society of what is now known as Emily Carr University of Art + Design. In 1981, cut off from the institution, Helen Pitt Gallery merged with Unit 306 Society for the Democratization of the Arts and became known as “Unit/Pitt.” Although the organization’s name has changed several times, we became UNIT/PITT again in the early 2000s to honour our origin.
In the ’80s, UNIT/PITT played a vital role in the rise of Vancouver punk around Jim Cummins and I, Braineater, which intersected with political and queer art movements. From 1983-85, the gallery published the scrappy local arts review, Issue Magazine, which also helped launch the Vancouver Artists’ League advocacy group. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the gallery was known for working with emerging Indigenous artists and curators, including Dana Claxton, Âhasiw Maskêgon-Iskwêw, Joane Cardinal-Schubert, among others. Since 1984, UNIT/PITT has hosted Wrong Wave, an erratic multi-day festival celebrating music, performance, visual art, and writing—the most recent of which was curated by NuZi Collective in 2019.
UNIT/PITT has hosted early-career exhibitions by dozens of local and internationally recognized artists, curators and writers, including Glenn Alteen, Deanna Bowen, Raymond Boisjoly, Jim Breukelman, Rebecca Brewer, Patrick Cruz, Peter Culley, Julia Feyrer, Graham Gillmore, Angela Grossman, Colleen Heslin, Julian Hou, Zoe Kreye, Vanessa Kwan, Stan Lake, Attila Richard Lukacs, Cindy Mochizuki, Derek Root, Jayce Salloum, Joe Sarahan, Nicolas Sassoon, Carol Sawyer, and Ron Tran, to name a few.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Board of Directors?
The Board oversees the society’s finances, and ensures that the org is on track to fulfil its purpose and vision as outlined in strategic documents and society by-laws.
Can anyone become a Board Member?
Yes! Board Members are recruited in advance of the Annual General Meeting (in July), where the final slate is voted on by the membership. Incoming Board Members must be active members of the society. Memberships are $3 annually, apply here.
Are Board Members compensated?
Unfortunately, no. The BC Societies Act explains that members of the Board cannot be paid for fulfilling their duties.
Why should I want to be a Board Member?
Volunteering for a charitable non-profit translates to real practical skills managing and governing other organizations and businesses. It’s a great way to network with like-minded folks working in other professions and disciplines.
How do I participate in UNIT/PITT as a Board Member?
Board Members can join 1-3 of the following Committees: Archive, Programming, Fundraising, Human Resources, Board Development. Incoming Board Members will also participate in strategic goal-setting in Summer 2021.
As a Board Member, can I apply for open calls for artists and writers?
Board Members are ineligible to apply to open calls issued through UNIT/PITT, but Board Members can still be paid contributors to ReIssue.pub!
What’s the orientation like?
Board Members have access to society documents that outline their roles, and are given opportunities to take workshops through Vantage Point. Additionally, we ask that all Board Members read relevant sections of the BC Societies Act to understand their legal obligations.
Can I participate in day-to-day operations and programming?
Yes and no. The Board oversees the Director, who manages UNIT/PITT’s operations and programming. The Director works with and consults Committees, which include Board and community. There is a necessary legal separation between what the Board does and what the Staff does.
Are meetings in-person?
Not for the foreseeable future! All meetings happen over Zoom or Google Meet.
