PENMAR COMMUNITY ARTS SOCIETY
ABOUT PENMAR
About Penmar
Penmar Community Arts Society is a registered Canadian charity governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Through live music, arts, culture, and community programming, Penmar creates inclusive experiences that connect artists with audiences and contribute to the social, cultural, and economic vitality of the communities it serves.
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Penmar produces and markets professional events in collaboration with community organizations, public agencies, sponsors, and industry partners. Its work includes event planning, programming, artist and vendor coordination, sponsorship development, marketing, logistics, and onsite delivery.
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Penmar is also the organization behind Music Lottery, British Columbia’s only province wide fundraising program dedicated specifically to supporting musicians, live music venues, and festival operators. Since 2018, the program has raised thousands of dollars to strengthen local live music across the province.
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Through strong partnerships and professional event delivery, Penmar continues to create opportunities for artists and expand access to high quality arts and cultural experiences.
WHAT WE DO
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We develop sustainable fundraising programs to fund the future of live music.
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We provide grants to support live music venues and the artists that play there.
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We create jobs in live music booking, production and marketing services in Canada.
OUR HISTORY
Local Through and Through
Penmar Community Arts Society was founded in Penticton in 2013 with the goal of establishing and operating a performing arts centre in a local heritage building.
When the building was purchased by a winery in 2015, Penmar expanded its vision to a provincial level. In 2016, the organization relocated its operations to Surrey, British Columbia.
Since then, Penmar has developed fundraising initiatives and supported live music events throughout the South Fraser region, Penticton, and communities across British Columbia.
Salmon Sessions Music Festival
Penmar’s flagship event brings local artists, families, and community partners together for a full day of live music, local food, and festival fun. Salmon Sessions creates paid performance opportunities for musicians while offering an accessible, family friendly, and pet friendly experience designed to welcome people of all ages and abilities.
OUR MISSION
To fund and facilitate the future of live music in communities outside major metropolitan areas and ensure that performers and concert support workers are paid a sustainable, living wage.
The ultimate goal is to facilitate the purchase and manage various community owned and operated live music venues in these communities.
OUR MANAGEMENT
Penmar Community Arts Society consists of a variety of professionals who have an interest in creating live music experiences for the benefit of artists, audiences and the local music economy and we work with various community partners and advisors in the live music industry in BC and Canada.
WHAT WE DO
We develop sustainable fundraising programs to fund the future of live music.
We provide grants to support live music venues and the artists that play there.
We create jobs in live music booking, production and marketing services in Canada.
