Arts Umbrella names new Lindsay Mearns School of Dance following $2 million donation

Gift from Vancouver-based artist and philanthropist will further expand access to dance education

Arts Umbrella Dance Company. Photo by David Cooper

ARTS UMBRELLA HAS acknowledged a $2 million donation with the naming of the new Lindsay Mearns School of Dance.

Mearns is a Vancouver-based artist and philanthropist whose gift will be permanently endowed in the Arts Umbrella Foundation.

In 1994, Mearns and her family established the Dale Mearns Fund, which has provided annual scholarships to up-and-coming young artists for the past 30 years. The new donation will further expand access to arts education, regardless of students’ financial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

With the naming, all three schools of arts disciplines at Arts Umbrella have been titled through philanthropic gifts; there’s also the Audain School of Art & Design, named after Michael Audain, and the Robert M. Ledingham School of Theatre, Music & Film.

Arts Umbrella’s School of Dance is particularly known for its training in contemporary ballet, with its faculty of artists teaching a variety of styles. Under the leadership of artistic director Artemis Gordon, the demanding program is designed for dancers aged six to 22.

With locations in Vancouver and Surrey, Arts Umbrella delivers donor-funded programs at schools, community centres, neighbourhood houses, and healthcare facilities throughout Metro Vancouver and beyond. The non-profit centre provides accessible arts education to underserved communities, collaborating with 110 partner locations, including the Vancouver School Board, Surrey School District, BC Children’s Hospital, and Covenant House.

Arts Umbrella serves approximately 20,000 young people annually, with over 77 percent participating in programs at no cost.

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Gail Johnson

Gail Johnson is cofounder and associate editor of Stir. She is a Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.

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