There's a place for you here.
A learning community dedicated to the advancement of art education through comprehensive programs and presentations for adults of all ages
About us
Whether you want to take only one art course or complete a full-time program, there is a place for you at our school. We have courses for people with absolutely no experience as well as courses for artists who might want to learn new skills. Our classes are small -usually around 8-14 students per class. Our demographics vary from 18-80 so every course you take at VISA is a small microcosm of the world at large.
When you take a course at our school you will find that you are part of a community. it is a great place to meet people and make friends. Within no time, you will feel right at home in our contemporary classroom space located in one of Victoria’s treasured downtown heritage buildings.
Why choose the Vancouver Island School of Art
Quality of Education
The Vancouver Island School of Art (VISA) is an independent, non-profit art school that offers high-quality education in the visual arts. VISA has a rigorous academic program that emphasizes hands-on learning and individualized attention with experienced faculty who are practicing artists. VISA is designated by the Private Training Institutions Branch of the BC’s Ministry of Advanced Education. The school also has a British Columbia Quality Assurance designation which allows the acceptance of international students into the program. In addition, VISA has transfer agreements with Emily Carr University and Vancouver Island University. After completing a Certificate of Visual Arts at VISA, students can enter the second year of the BFA program at both these institutions.
Specialized Curriculum
VISA offers a one-year Certificate of Visual Arts that includes and courses in painting, drawing, photography, art history and contemporary art. All the courses at VISA art open to individuals not in a program who only want to take a course or two at a time. VISA also offers specialized workshops with local and visiting artists on Saturdays in the Fall and Winter semesters.
Access to Resources
VISA has a large well-ventilated and well-lit classroom space, a well-stocked art library and excellent downtown central location. VISA also shares their space with the Slide Room Gallery which is a separate non-profit society with its own Board of Directors. The gallery gives the students first-hand access to work of local Victoria artists. VISA also has strong connections to the local arts community, with partnerships and collaborations with local galleries and other arts organizations.
Mentoring
VISA’s Executive Director and other instructors are available for one-on-one mentoring whether students need help applying to university, or for grants or exhibitions.
Community
VISA is known for its strong community of artists, with a supportive and collaborative environment that fosters creativity and experimentation. VISA hosts regular exhibitions, lectures, and other events that bring together students, faculty, alumni, and the broader arts community.
The Vancouver Island School of Art is a learning community dedicated to the advancement of art education through comprehensive programs and presentations for adults of all ages. The focus of the courses and workshops offered by the school is on technique, personal expression and contemporary context.
Mission Statement
OUR HISTORY
2004
The Vancouver Island School of Art (VISA) was established in 2004 by artist and educator Wendy Welch. VISA began in a commercial space in the Rock Bay area of Victoria. There were 54 students registered in the Fall 2004 semester, and by Winter 2005, VISA was out growing the 1000 sq. ft space on John Street with the student numbers increasing to over 125 registrations.
2005
By Fall 2005, VISA procured a de-commissioned school owned by School District 61 at 2549 Quadra. To rent a 9,000 square foot space that was purposed for a school was a dream come true. The two-storied building with large well-lit classrooms, office spaces and library room was a perfect fit a school with ever-increasing enrolment. The growing vibrant community of the Quadra Village was an ideal place for a new art school.
In 2005 also came accreditation with the PCTIA (now PTIB, Private Training Institutions Branch) allowing VISA to offer programs such as a Certificate of Visual Arts and Diploma of Fine Arts. With options to take high quality courses and workshops in mornings, afternoons, evenings and on weekends, VISA appealed to a great number of people in the community. All of the faculty hired had Master of Fine Art degrees and teaching experience. Many of the MFA graduates from the University of Victoria were hired to teach at VISA.
2007
In 2007, the Slide Room Gallery was formed and located in the lower level of 2549 Quadra St. The gallery’s name came about because the room was formerly used to show slides during art history lectures. The gallery hosted many exhibitions, artists talks and community events over the years. At this time another program was added to the curriculum: Independent Studio, where a student would work on an independent body of work and exhibit the work at the end of the year in the Slide Room Gallery.
2012
In 2012, VISA acquired transfer agreements with Emily Carr University, Vancouver Island University and the University of Gloucestershire in the UK. Many of the students took advantage of these opportunities and moved to Vancouver and the UK to study.
2015
In 2015 to celebrate VISA’s 10-year anniversary, Xane St Phillip designed a razzle-dazzle painted mural for the outside of the building. The design was inspired by the “razzle dazzle” ships of WWI (the striped design was used as camouflage). This design gave the school a fresh new look and added much vibrancy to the neighbourhood.
2018
VISA was forced to leave the 2549 Quadra in the Spring of 2018 due to the school board needing the building for other uses. For a brief period, VISA was located at the former North Park Bike Shop at 1725 Quadra, however the space was much too small to accommodate the needs of the school and an alternate location was found at 950 Kings (the top floor of the former Blanshard Elementary School). VISA did some major renovations to the space and created two main classrooms and 24 studio spaces to rent out to artists in the community.
Prior to the pandemic, the plan was for VISA to move into a purpose-built space in partnership with Aryze. With the uncertainty of what was happening with the pandemic, VISA decided to look for a smaller, more manageable space.
2021
As of June 2021, VISA moved into a downtown location in an historic building known as Maynard Court at 302-733 Johnson St. VISA continues to offer a range of courses and workshops for the general public, as well as a Certificate of Visual Arts which is transferable to Emily Carr University and Vancouver Island University. The new space is VISA’s permanent location.
Quick links
Faculty & Board
All our regular faculty members have an MFA or MA