The Helen Pitt Gallery is a non-profit artist run center dedicated to the promotion of experimental contemporary art that addresses social, political, cultural, and critical issues outside of the mainstream commercial art practice. Emerging artists, critics and curators continue to find opportunities and support at the Helen Pitt Gallery. The gallery is committed to showcasing challenging works from local, national and international artists in all media. The gallery provides curatorial, technical and administrative support to exhibiting artists.

The history of the Helen Pitt Gallery, named for the British Columbian patron of the arts, begins in the summer of 1975. It was established by students of the Vancouver School of Art (later the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design). It served as a venue for expression and community building for the students and instructors of the school. When ECIAD moved to Granville Island, the gallery joined with the Unit 306 Society for Art and Critical Awareness to become an independent artist–run center, receiving initial funding from Canada Council in 1981.

Over its history, the gallery has established itself as an asset to the Vancouver art community, having been the key starting point for many artist' s careers such as Attila Richard Lukacs, Angela Grossman, Graham Gilmore, Derek Root, Peter Schuyff, I Braineater, Vicky Marshall, Teresa Marshall and Althea Thauberger. The Helen Pitt Gallery has also showcased such performers as ORAF, Sheri–D Wilson, Elizabeth Fischer, bill bisset, Veda Hille, Margo Kane, Tagny Duff and Joe Sarahan along with curators, Michael Harding, Todd A. Davis, and Dana Claxton. The Helen Pitt Gallery also played a visible role in the origin of projects like Issue Magazine, the Vancouver Artist's League, Women In View Festival, the Warehouse and October Shows (later Artropolis). Through its many incarnations, it has continued to be an important center for community building.

The Helen Pitt Gallery is actively involved in artist–run center culture in Canada through the dissemination of publications, announcements, and as a member of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centers, PAARC.

Staff
Lance Blomgren
Director/Curator

Board of Directors
Abbas Akhavan
Arabella Campbell
Dawn Johnston
Laura Kozak
Philip McCrum
Justin Muir
Kara Uzelman

Co-Op Srudents 2007/08
Back Gallery Curators
Robyn Croft
Tiziana La Melia
Tegan Moore