Asian Art Society of Victoria

Corporate body

Asian Art Society of Victoria

The Asian Art Society of Victoria was founded in November 1976, and incorporated as a non-profit society under the Society Act of British Columbia on 19 January 1977 as “The Asian Arts Society of Victoria”, incorporation number 12864. On 11 October 1978 it was re-registered as “The Asian Art Society of Victoria”. In its records the society referred to itself only by the latter name. The purpose of the society, as stated in its constitution, was “to promote, develop, foster and encourage the knowledge and appreciation of Asian Art in all its forms, [and] the collection and exhibition of works of Asian Art in the Province of British Columbia”. Mr. Foster Isherwood was president for the first year and drafted the constitution. Mrs. Hilda L. Hale (1907-2007), who was the society's founder and motivating force, then became president and held the position for at least the next ten years. The Society held its meetings at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, where it also maintained an Asian Art reference library. Activities included tours and dinners, performances, art classes and the sponsorship of public lectures and art exhibitions. The society issued a bi-monthly newsletter, and raised funds to establish and maintain a Japanese garden, designed by Mrs. Margaret Ely, at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. The Society worked closely with the Department for History in Art and the Centre for Pacific and Oriental Studies at the University of Victoria. The Society was dissolved on 28 July 1995. It re-formed and was still active in 2009.

KHUGHES 2011-11-03

Name taken from Corporate Registry database, S12864.

Created by: khughes.