The 16th Annual Arty Award was presented to Dinah Dee at the Gabriola Arts and Heritage Centre, along with a $500 prize generously supported by The Kasahara Gabriola Trust. The celebration honoured Dinah’s extraordinary and lasting contributions to Gabriola’s arts community.
A passionate musician, performer, and advocate, Dinah has spent more than 25 years championing local songwriters and creative expression — from performing with multiple bands and producing albums to leading grant-writing workshops and advocating nationally for artists. Whether fronting a swing band, collaborating with the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, performing spoken word, or playing to enthusiastic festival audiences, Dinah’s creativity and energy continue to shape Gabriola’s cultural landscape.
Beyond performance, Dinah’s leadership has been instrumental in building community arts programming on the island. She helped establish and program the Cultivate Festival and the Gabriola Sound Symposium, co-hosted the New Old Time Chautauqua Circus, and has served as a juror for the Juno Awards, Canadian Folk Music Awards, Western Canadian Music Awards, and the BC Arts Council.
A visual artist, mentor, and active community member, she shares her fibre arts and printmaking through studio tours, supports alternatively abled young adults through workshops, and nurtures creativity through homesteading arts and gardening.
As comedian Scarlet Chen beautifully noted, “Dinah is the sunny side of Gabriola — bringing warmth, creativity, and generosity wherever she goes.”
