Sixth Street Gallery opened in 2004 as a community oriented, accessible arts center. / Photo by Ossie Bladine

On Saturday, Dec. 5th, Sixth Street Gallery in Downtown Vancouver will celebrate its fifth year of being open to the community. The festivities are from 5 to 9 p.m. and will include food, raffles, a silent auction, live music by Myles Lawrence and Joshua English, tons of attractive art, sure to be appreciated by experienced and leisure viewers alike, and more.

Maybe you have seen it; perhaps you have even ventured inside. But, just in case you haven’t, the Sixth Street Gallery is located, not surprisingly, on 6th Street, between Main St. and Washington St., right next to the Smith Tower. It’s designed to be in conjunction with its main objective: to be community oriented and accessible to all who wish to visit.

The word “community” is not to be taken lightly here. They say community oriented and mean it. The president of the board of directors, Sam Mackenzie, said that the gallery does not hold itself higher than the people it reaches out to.

“If it’s your first time trying to get your art in a gallery, then we help make that possible here,” MacKenzie said.

In fact, a large part of the gallery is made up of an eclectic work of various artists from around the area. The gallery is in constant flux, changing its venue every month and providing a sanctuary for all things artistic. From poetry readings to art lectures, photography or sculpture, The Sixth Street Gallery encourages it all.

The MOSAIC Arts Alliance, of which Mackenzie is the president of, is a non-profit organization that has its roots in humble beginnings. In its nascent years, instead of a gallery, they had a tent, and they hosted showings at coffee shops. But then in 2004, when two members of MOSAIC, by fortuitous chance, stumbled upon a space for lease on 6th Street, their days of coffee shop showings came to an end. When all the necessary paperwork was completed, the Sixth Street Gallery was born. That was 5 years ago, and they’re still going strong.

I asked Mackenzie what she hopes a 5-year anniversary will do for the gallery.

“Hopefully, the event will attract some new faces, along with the familiar.”

The festivities continue through December with two other special events: On Dec. 12, the gallery hosts Free Arts NW’s Afternoon Tea and Silent Auction from 2 to 5 p.m. On Dec. 19, the Vancouver Madrigal Singers perform their holiday concert at Sixth Street Gallery starting at 2 p.m.