A Quick Introduction

Running since 1975, the South Delta Artists Guild is a nonprofit visual arts society dedicated to supporting artists and fostering creative community. Our base is Gallery 1710 in Tsawwassen; a gallery and workshop space we’ve occupied and operated continuously since 1999. What goes on inside those walls is what we’re really about: monthly member exhibitions, juried shows, life drawing, plein air painting, artist demos, workshops, and the kind of sustained creative relationships that only form over years in a tight-knit organization. Members come to us from across the Lower Mainland, including Port Moody, drawn by what five decades of continuous nonprofit operation actually produces. Read up on the Guild here.

Where It All Began

Fifty years ago, a handful of local visual artists came together with a shared goal: to build a nonprofit arts society that could keep supporting artists for the long haul. They succeeded. After decades of operating out of several different locations in Tsawwassen (including the old Phoenix Club, a firehall-turned-community space later demolished in 2003), the Guild secured its permanent home in 1999 through a partnership with the City of Delta. The Kiwanis Longhouse; built in 1973 with design features paying tribute to Coast Salish Longhouse traditions and the Tsawwassen First Nations; was renovated using funds raised by Guild members and renamed Gallery 1710. Today it serves as both our public gallery and our members’ working studio space.

What We Stand On

Respect across the board: We don’t run a hierarchy. Someone exhibiting for the first time gets the same welcome as a member with thirty years of shows behind them.

Integrity as an operating principle: As a volunteer-led nonprofit, everything we do is out in the open. Our decisions reflect what members value; and where we don’t meet the mark, we adjust.

Inclusivity without asterisks: Every visual artist is welcome; regardless of medium, background, experience, or style. The Guild doesn’t carry gatekeepers, and we work hard to keep it that way.

Real support for artistic growth: Everything we offer; exhibitions, workshops, mentorship, studio access; exists to help members develop as artists. That’s not a marketing slogan; it’s the mission.

The Membership Package

• Monthly Member Exhibitions: Members can put work into our rotating monthly shows at Gallery 1710; paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, textiles, mixed media, and beyond
• Extended Visibility Through Community Exhibits: Our Art in the Community program rotates member work through off-site venues like Delta Hospital and the Tsawwassen Library for broader audiences
• Life Drawing Sessions: Regular life drawing classes in our dedicated workshop space, a weekly fixture on the Guild calendar
• Drop-In Studio Access: Open studio times throughout the week where members can work on their own projects alongside fellow artists
• Workshops with Skilled Instructors: Technique-focused workshops across various mediums, led by practicing artists with strong teaching chops
• Artist Demonstrations: In-person demos from both member and visiting artists showing technique, approach, and working process
• Special Juried and Themed Shows: Curated annual exhibitions and themed group shows that challenge members and spotlight standout work
• A Real Creative Network: Long-term friendships, mentorship, and collaborative relationships with artists who share your commitment to the work

Port Moody Artists Are Welcome

Port Moody is home to a lively creative culture; from artists working around Moody Centre and the brewery district to those in Heritage Mountain, Glenayre, College Park, Suter Brook, and Newport Village. Port Moody art lovers have long been drawn to smaller, artist-driven galleries over commercial spaces, and Gallery 1710 fits that bill. Our Port Moody members tell us the reason they stay involved despite the drive is what the Guild has actually built over fifty years: permanent gallery space, consistent programming, a strong culture of peer support, and a genuine community of visual artists. The drive is real, but so is the payoff. Check out what’s currently on display.

About Gallery 1710

Gallery 1710 sits at 1710 56th Street in Tsawwassen, just off Highway 17A and five minutes from the BC Ferries terminal. Free parking is available on site, and entry is always free; no reservations, no appointments, no fuss. Shows rotate monthly and typically feature up to 100 original pieces from Guild member artists; traditional painting alongside contemporary abstract work, sculpture and textiles beside watercolour and oils, printmaking and mixed media representing the full spectrum of what members produce. Art cards, prints, and annual Guild calendars are also sold in the gallery. Regular open hours are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m., with extended hours occasionally for receptions and special events. Volunteer docents are always on hand during open hours.

Apply to Join

If you’re a Port Moody visual artist thinking about membership, we’d be glad to hear from you. The Guild runs on active participation; members take docent shifts, serve on committees, help run events, and contribute to keeping the organization alive. That shared effort is what makes the Guild feel like an actual community rather than just a subscription. What members receive in return is substantial: consistent exhibition opportunities, studio and workshop access, educational programming, and a genuine creative home in an established arts community. See membership details and how to apply here.

Drop Us a Line

If you’ve got questions about the Guild, exhibitions, membership, or visiting, reach us by phone, through the website, or in person during open hours.

Phone: (604) 943-3313

Gallery Address: 1710 56th Street, Tsawwassen, BC V4L 2B1

Gallery Hours: Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, 12 – 4 p.m.

Website: southdeltaartistsguild.com

Nonprofit Arts Society Since 1975 • Home of Gallery 1710 • Welcoming Port Moody Artists & Art Lovers