Supporting the visual arts
and wildlife conservation
in British Columbia.

Founded by Michael Audain, the Audain Foundation was established in 1997. The Foundation is committed to the development of British Columbian artists, with the objective of fostering greater appreciation of the visual arts, in British Columbia and beyond.

In recent years, the Audain Foundation has also expanded its scope through a commitment to protecting and conserving wildlife in British Columbia’s land and surrounding waters.

The Foundation has been instrumental in founding Whistler’s Audain Art Museum, the Audain Art Museum Foundation, the Grizzly Bear Foundation and the Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation which all operate independently under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act.

Vision: The Audain Foundation is committed to the development of British Columbian artists, with the objective of fostering greater appreciation of the visual arts, in British Columbia and beyond.

Mission: We support qualified donees, through grants, scholarships, chairs and fellowships, endowments and capital projects. The Foundation strives to enable environments where artists can create and thrive, while ensuring visual art is broadly accessible to the public.

Focus:

• Education | From arts education programs to the development of emerging artists, curatorial development, research and community engagement.
• Visual Arts Initiatives | From exhibitions, artistic programs across various media, publications to public initiatives that contribute to a broader appreciation of the visual arts.
• Place and Space | From museums and professionally curated public art galleries, to artist or curatorial residencies, mainly in the Lower Mainland and province’s Capital.

Please contact us for more information about visual art grant applications.

Vision: The Audain Foundation is committed to protecting and conserving wildlife in British Columbia’s land and surrounding waters, with the objective of safeguarding a future with healthy ecosystems.

Mission: We support qualified donees carrying out research, educational programs, public engagement and advocacy. We are driven by the purpose of ensuring the long-term conservation of British Columbia’s wildlife and biodiversity, through alliances and partnerships. We seek to advance the development of stronger policy and management practices, informed by scientific research and indigenous knowledge, while supporting the permanent protection of critical habitat and keystone species.

Focus:

• Habitat Protection and Connectivity | From rewilding to the designation and management of protected areas as well as critical habitat, to the establishment of wildlife corridors to connect fragmented habitats.
• Coexistence and Habitat Disturbances | From human-wildlife coexistence measures and public education, to mitigating habitat disturbance.
• Wildlife Food Abundance | From the restoration and security of food abundant ecosystems, to advocating for improved land and water management practices that reduce the risk of food scarcity.

Please contact us for more information about wildlife conservation grant applications.

The Audain Prize for the Visual Arts was created by the Audain Foundation in 2004 to recognize outstanding achievements of British Columbia’s artists and is one of Canada’s most prestigious honours for the visual arts. The recipient is chosen through a jury process and the $100,000 award is presented annually in the fall.

Since 2019, the Audain Prize Ceremony includes the Audain Travel Awards, supported by the Audain Foundation and administered by partners from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver and Okanagan), Simon Fraser University and Emily Carr University of Art and Design. The awards provide grants to young artists enrolled in a full-time fine arts program at the undergraduate or graduate level, enabling as the award suggests, a journey of international artistic discovery and learning.

A total of five awards are granted annually, with one student selected from each partnering institution. Arts faculties are responsible for their own selection process and eligible students are encouraged to contact their school administrators for more information about the awards.

Founded and built by Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa, the Audain Art Museum opened to the public in 2016 with the purpose of collecting and exhibiting art from British Columbia. Designed by Patkau Architects, the 56,000 square foot Museum’s permanent collection includes art from the Audain Collection while special exhibitions by Canadian and international artists rotate in the temporary exhibition galleries. The Museum is governed by its Board of Trustees.

Management