Ymir Arts Centre
A new cultural space for artists, neighbours, and future generations.
Caring for rural arts
The Ymir Arts Centre is a new, purpose-built cultural hub for artistic creation, exhibition, and community gathering.
Developed by Renascence Arts and Sustainability Society (RASS) and located on the historic Ymir Hospital site, the centre will feature flexible studio and presentation spaces, a gallery and workshop area, an outdoor timber frame building that houses a wood-fired atmospheric ceramics kiln, and an accessible multi-use space for rehearsals, exhibitions, performances, and educational programs.
Why Now? The Ymir Arts Centre is an investment in the long-term sustainability of the arts in our small community and in our region.
Too often, rural artists have had to leave our area to find the space, infrastructure, and opportunities they need to sustain their practices.
By offering a professional setting for creation, exhibition, and exchange, we want to enable artists to live, work, and present at home. The new Ymir Arts Centre will provide an accessible, inclusive space for both artists and the public, integrating universal design features and offering low-cost and subsidized programming.
Building on the existing artistic and cultural activities in the region, this new centre will solidify Ymir as a year-round destination for cultural tourism, bringing increased foot traffic and economic benefits.
Our organization has built partnerships with more than 150 arts organizations across BC as a result of RAIL activities and initiatives. The new centre will serve as a physical core for this network, hosting collaborative programming across the provincial arts ecosystem.
Reimagining a historic site
The Ymir Hospital was built in 1903 (or 1909, depending on the source) to serve the booming gold mining camps, including Sheep Creek and Erie. It was a remarkable facility in the Kootenays, and at one point, it was considered one of the finest in the region.
Although the hospital was spared from a town fire in 1904, the hospital building was eventually destroyed by another fire in 1930. The building was situated at the north edge of Ymir, within a triangle now bounded by Tamarac Street, and 1st and 2nd Avenues. The site has remained largely vacant since the fire.
As the next chapter of this site has unfolded, we have found remnants of this place’s memory, including bits of glass, china, pottery, drawer pulls, hinges and a few horseshoes. These fragments feel like reminders of this site’s long legacy of care and community life in Ymir.
Designed for the future
The facility has been designed by Cover Architecture to meet BC Step Code standards and to reflect environmentally responsible design principles. The design is energy efficient, Firesmart, and crafted with longevity in mind.
We have also placed a great emphasis on sourcing local labour and materials. The timber for the kiln building was sourced from Harrop-Proctor Forest Products. Whenever possible, we work with local consultants, engineers, and labour.
This began long ago
The Ymir Arts Centre is the organic next step in the work we have been developing through Tiny Lights Festival, The Studio, Pathways, RAIL (Rural Arts Inclusion Lab), and other creative partnerships. Across each of these projects, we have seen the same need emerge again and again: rural communities need permanent, accessible spaces where creativity, learning, and connection can happen year-round.
Tiny Lights demonstrates the power of shared cultural experiences to bring people and communities together.
The Studio supports year-round artistic creation, mentorship, and collaboration for local creatives.
RAIL has helped shape the project’s focus on reducing barriers, amplifying rural and underrepresented voices, and building stronger community participation.
RAIL’s partnership in Pathways has reinforced the importance of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility within arts organizations and cultural spaces.
The arts centre project brings all of these values, relationships, and community-building into one permanent home.
Get involved
Help us choose a name
Help us name the new arts centre! Vote on a name here
Attend our debut event
Want to attend the first housewarming party? Attend Tiny Lights Festival to be an audience member for “The Next Stage”, where our Kiln space will be activated by Tiny Lights performers.
May 30th, 2026: Live Raku Firings and Live Painting Demonstrations
May 31st, 2026: Tiny Lights Festival music performances
Support the build
Help us raise the walls! You can donate to the project and receive a charitable tax receipt here, thanks to our partners at Osprey Foundation and the West Kootenay Regional Arts Council
Stay connected
Sign up for our mailing list here to receive updates about the Ymir Arts Centre project