Brilliance Gala

The Brilliance Gala is a chance to come together to support a key facet of Gordon Smith’s legacy: quality, artist- and educator-led arts education for children and youth across the Lower Mainland through Artists for Kids. As public funding becomes increasingly constrained, your support helps safeguard long-term sustainability by protecting the specialized people, tools, and learning environments that make high-quality arts education possible.

Brilliance Gala 2026

Thank you for joining us for a wonderful evening on Wednesday March 11th, 2026! The Gordon And Marion Smith Foundation is incredibly grateful for your contributions to the success of Brilliance Gala 2026.

Together with Co-Chairs Ian Wallace (O.C) and Krista Whitelock, our wonderful community of friends, artists, gallerists, donors, bidders, volunteers and more came together to raise $250,000, supporting the next generation of young artists at Artists for Kids and the Gordon Smith Gallery. Hosted by Fred Lee and Gloria Macarenko, guests enjoyed an evening of fine dining by Chef David Hawksworth, entertainment and a Live and Online Auction of a selection of curated artworks by Canadian artists, unique and luxury items, and one-of-a-kind experience packages.

Co-Chairs: Ian Wallace (O.C) and Krista Whitelock

Committee: John David James, Christos Dikeakos, Allison Kerr, Hilary Letwin, Alexandra Pony, Tyler Quarles, Richard Savage, Ed Tsumura, Dr. Anne Watt, and Bruce Munro Wright (O.B.C)

Photography by Jamie Lee Fuoco

The Gala at Camp Smith

Together with returning Brilliance co-chairs Ian Wallace and Patti Glass, we gathered on March 12, 2025 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Artists for Kids Paradise Valley Summer School for the Visual Arts, and raised $228,000 to support the next generation of young artists.

Hosted by Fred Lee and Gloria Macarenko, guests enjoyed an evening of fine dining by Chef David Hawksworth and live entertainment at The Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art.

The Gala at Camp Smith included a Live and Online Auction featuring a curated selection of artworks, luxury items and one-of-a-kind experience packages.

Photography by When They Find Us (external site)

Brilliance 2023

In Tribute to the Life and Legacy of Gordon Smith

Together with Brilliance co-chairs Yoshi Karasawa, Ian Wallace and Patti Glass, we gathered on June 15, 2023 to celebrate the enduring legacy of Gordon Smith while supporting the cause closest to his heart: exceptional art education for all.

Hosted by Vicki Gabereau and Fred Lee, guests enjoyed an evening of fine dining, entertainment and special tributes to Gordon Smith at the scenic Pipe Shop Venue at the North Vancouver Shipyards.

Brilliance featured a unique auction format: a limited Live Auction featuring one piece from each of the Artists for Kids Founding Artist Patrons: Gordon Smith, Jack Shadbolt and Bill Reid. Select experience packages were also curated with Gordon Smith's love of art, modernist architecture, and the natural world in mind.

The Friends of Gordon Collection

The primary focus of the evening was the extensive Friends of Gordon Collection, a new collection of over 50 artworks that serve as a remarkable testament to the exchange of creativity that Gordon Smith fostered among his peers, as well as those he met throughout his life. The artists represented each contributed an artwork that pays homage to Gordon Smith in some form, whether it be through direct creative kinship and mentorship, or by having worked closely with the Smith Foundation and Artists for Kids. The collection spans a wide range of artistic styles, valuation, and recognition - all with one purpose of showing the vast impact that Gordon had on so many.

Guests: 300. Raised: $471,000.

View the Catalogue (external site)

Off the Wall: A Fundraiser with a Twist

Each year, fifteen of Vancouver’s most respected collectors donate an original work to the Smith Foundation. These works are then sold at a by-invitation-only auction held at Hawksworth Restaurant’s York Room at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. All funds raised are directed to the Smith Foundation in support of its ongoing efforts to enhance art education in our community.