In 1997, the City of Port Moody was looking for a group to provide a gift shop for the new Port Moody Arts Centre.  Nadia Graham, Vicki Allesia (artists) and Elizabeth Keurvorst, Cultural Services Manager of the City put their heads together to see what models existed for a volunteer-run gift shop.  Nadia and Vicki toured Metro Vancouver visiting various operations in North Vancouver , West Vancouver, Delta... looking at style, administrative methods, furniture and fixtures and talking to the artists involved.

The artist-run shop was chosen as the best model and in 1997, the Blackberry Artists Society was formed.  The mandate was to provide a place for local artists to show and sell their work, as well as providing volunteers to open and close the Arts Centre 4 afternoons a week, as the Centre was unstaffed at that time.  18 members joined the Society and a system worked out for each artist to work one afternoon per month.  Some furniture and equipment was provided by the City and many donations of time and materials were made by the artists.  Vicki Allesia acted as President and Nadia Graham as Treasurer and the Blackberry Gift Shop was up and running.

In 1999, The Port Moody Arts Centre Society took over management of the Centre from the City and immediately opened the building 6 days a week instead of 4 afternoons.  This removed the pressure from the BAS to keep the buildings doors open and increased the traffic exponentially.

Various events and activities assisted the shop and the Arts Centre to become better known.  The Blackberry Tea was begun as a fundraiser for the Centre and the gift shop.  This favourite heritage event started as a two day event.  After the second day proved to be more effort than expected, as well as being rained out with the tent collapsing under the weight of water, it was scaled back to one day.  Tea was served outside and in the gallery.  The event expanded to include displays of antique automobiles, a croquet tournament and craft market and became more of an Arts Centre event than a gift shop event.  Finally it was cancelled as being more of a heritage event than an art event, especially since it rarely raised more than $1000 for months of work.

Over the years, the Blackberry Artists Society has been a major participant in the Arts Centre’s Christmas event, which has variously been a performance showcase, Light Up Port Moody, Light a Candle for Peace and now Heritage Holidays.  The BAS has provided food for the gallery opening event for Heritage Holidays, as well as many hours of administrative assistance to the Arts Centre over the years.

The shop operates under an agreement with the Port Moody Arts Centre Society to pay a percentage of gross sales per year to the Centre as rent for the space.  The area in the Centre which is occupied by the shop used to be the City’s Finance department and features the original brick wall and the original vault for the City’s treasury.  Old wavy glass from 1913 is still evident in some of the windows. The Arts Centre provides phone service and a page on their web site and the two groups occasionally collaborate on advertising initiatives.

 In 2006 additional lighting was added.  A giant leap forward in 2008 was the central air conditioning installed in the building by the City, removing the threat of artwork vibrating off the shelves from the rattling old window box air conditioner.  The shop still struggles with lack of space, lack of electrical power and lack of money, but remains a popular source for cards and gifts especially for retiring City employees, local residents and tourists.

In 2005, the City of Port Moody established a summer-only tourism clerk position.  This summer student acts as sales person in the shop for July and August, as well as fulfilling their tourism duties.  This provides a lovely summer break for most of the gift shop members, although the Treasurer and assistants have to keep depositing the sales and writing the artists cheques for which we are all MOST appreciative.

Another step forward was the creation of the Blackberry Gift Shop web site in 2009.  This essential “front door” to the shop is already generating interest and provides an electronic showcase for artists’ work.