The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art supports emerging and contemporary artists in Kelowna and the Okanagan Region of Canada by providing a network for collaboration and sharing, exhibition space, and mentorship.

We provide a sustainable structure of support for exhibitions and projects by emerging artists that are engaged, experimental, and collaborative.

We integrate community outreach and contemporary practice, and seek to create space for diverse audiences to engage with everything we do.

The Alternator offers support and encouragement to our member artists. By offering a place to meet, work and share, we help you expand your practice. By introducing you to other artists in Kelowna, we help create a community you can relate to and grow with.

Membership benefits include:

• Opportunity to develop a solo or group show in the Alternator Window Gallery

• Show and sell your work in our annual Members’ Show and Sale

• Participate in exclusive members activities like The Assembly and ArtMart

• Reduced admission to Alternator ticketed events (workshops, performances, etc.)

• One-on-one access to staff to solicit feedback on exhibition proposals and your art and opportunity to become more involved and integrated in Kelowna’s arts community

• Voting privileges at our Annual General Meeting and ability to stand for election to the Board of Directors

• After-hours access to facilities (based on a formal application)

• The knowledge that you’re directly supporting your local artist-run centre!

Ready to join the Alternator community?

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The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of the Okanagan’s creative community.

As part of our mandate, we seek to engage in community-building through art, which takes many forms, including partnerships. 

What are some benefits of partnering with the Alternator? 

The Alternator may be an ideal partner if you are looking for:

• space to host one-off or regular events in one of our gallery spaces 

• development of new networks of collaboration and sharing in the arts community

• access to a community of artists and expertise across many disciplines

• guidance and advice about best practices when working with artists. 

Some examples of partnerships may include (but are not limited to) regular or annual events that take place in our gallery (such as Draw by Night, Inspired Word Cafe or Nuit Blanche Kelowna); performances; workshops; fundraisers and sponsorships; off-site exhibitions, writing & publications. 

What are some guidelines for partnership with the Alternator? 

The Alternator is an artist-run centre with a diverse membership of artists from throughout the Okanagan. When selecting partnerships we seek alignment with the following values:

• Alignment with our mandate

• Benefit to our member artists

• Benefit to the wider creative community

Although we are open to many opportunities and activities, there is a limited list of things that the Alternator is not able to do through partnerships. These include: 

If you are interested in partnering with the Alternator, or have an arts-related project we may be able to help with, email info@alternatorcentre.com.

The Alternator offers practicum experience in arts administration and exhibition production at an artist-run centre to students at UBC Okanagan. One position is designated for fourth-year credit, but up to three additional non-credit practicum positions are open to students willing to make an ongoing commitment.

Participants gain professional experience in arts administration and the non-profit sector, including exhibition management, financial management, public and community relations, dissemination, and governance.

This individualised practicum takes a student-led, project-based format and may include exhibition curation, assistance with grant applications, UBC Okanagan/Alternator partnership development, volunteer coordination, exhibition promotion, and archive management.

Contact us for more information!

Keep up to date with openings, opportunities for artists and other events.

Volunteering with Alternator allows you to make a contribution to the local arts community, gain practical experience in a professional artist-run centre and network with artists.

Plus, your contribution of 12 or more hours of volunteer work gets you an Alternator membership for a year! This encompasses all the privileges of a full member, including access to the Members’ Gallery.

For more information about volunteering at the Alternator visit Do Some Good.