Executive Director - ArtSpring
ArtSpring
The Salt Spring Island Community
Often described as “the coolest island in Canada,” Salt Spring Island offers a rare blend of creative energy, natural beauty, and deeply connected community life. Home to just over 12,500 year-round residents, the island balances a lively cultural scene with the restorative calm of rural island living.
At its heart is Ganges Village, a bustling harbour town filled with independent shops, galleries, cafés, and restaurants. Each Saturday, the village comes alive with the island’s iconic market — a true expression of local pride, where everything is made, baked, or grown on Salt Spring Island.
Beyond Ganges, pastoral landscapes, forested trails, and sweeping ocean views define daily life, offering space to breathe, reflect, and recharge. Outdoor experiences are woven into the rhythm of the island: hike the cliffside trails of Mount Maxwell, picnic at Beddis Beach, cycle quiet country roads, or enjoy waterfront dining in Fulford Harbour. Salt Spring is equally known as a place of renewal, with spas, yoga studios, and wellness centres that have earned it a reputation as a “healing island.”
Visitors and residents alike can explore the island’s creative spirit through year-round North End and South End studio tours, while accommodations range from welcoming B&Bs and resorts to oceanside camping near Ruckle Heritage Farm, British Columbia’s oldest working farm. Now celebrated as a destination for food, craft, and boutique shopping, Salt Spring is easily accessible via three ferry terminals, floatplanes, or by boat, with over 300 marina slips
ArtSpring is adjusting its leadership structure, which has led to this exciting opportunity. With the new Executive Director focused on operations and financial matters, the current Executive Director will transition into a part-time Artistic Programmer role responsible for delivering a unique program of performing and visual arts. With this new leadership structure, ArtSpring will be well-positioned to continue its innovative and impactful operations.
ArtSpring is seeking a creative, dynamic, and collaborative individual to serve as its Executive Director. This is an exciting and unique opportunity for a professional arts executive to bring their vision, experience, and passion for the arts sector to Salt Spring Island.
Reporting to the Board of Directors and collaborating with the Artistic Programmer, the Executive Director will be responsible for managing ArtSpring's operations, leading a team of six part-time staff and two full-time team members. The ideal candidate will have a combination of education and experience to build public and private sector support to deliver on strategic priorities and embrace collaboration with the ArtSpring team to maximize earned and contributed revenue while achieving organizational success.
As the management and operational leader of ArtSpring, the Executive Director will serve as a leader in planning for the organization’s overall advancement, working with the Board of Directors and the Artistic Programmer. Supporting and partnering with artists, staff, board, and volunteers, the Executive Director will operationalize, renew, manage and develop the strategic plan while building a thriving, creative, and diverse culture that serves artists, audiences, stakeholders, and the Salt Spring Island community. The Executive Director will advance ArtSpring’s objectives while leading and motivating a highly effective team to devise and implement successful strategies.
The Executive Director must have an interest in the performing and visual arts and building community, will want to commit themselves in the success and growth of ArtSpring, and will find personal fulfillment in being part of the future of ArtSpring and the Salt Spring Community.
The ArtSpring Executive Director search is led by Nicola Dawes and Martin Bragg of Martin Bragg & Associates. Prior to applying, ensure you have read the full position profile found on ArtSpring's website. Please email your letter of interest and resume confidentially with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments on or before March 16, 2026, in Word or PDF format to Martin Bragg & Associates at [email protected].
Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply early, as submissions will be reviewed immediately. All applicants will receive an acknowledgment of their application. All successful applicants for positions at ArtSpring must undertake a current Criminal Record check. No phone calls, please. ArtSpring and Martin Bragg & Associates are committed to an open and transparent hiring process and encourage applications from diverse communities. As such, we promote policies, practices, and programs that create a dialogue toward mutual understanding. We welcome all applications from people of colour, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people of all sexual orientations and genders, and others who may contribute to the further diversification and advancement of the arts in our community.