Brian McBay is Executive Director of 221A, a Vancouver-based cultural research and cultural space organization. Under his leadership, 221A operates a growing network of over 140,000ft2 across nine properties that provide space for 1,250 artists working in research, public art, artist housing, and artist studios. As a student Co-founder of 221A during the height of the 2007-08 global economic crisis, he is part of a new generation of leaders in the cultural sector aiming to advance the public appreciation of the arts while also reversing inequality, xenophobia and colonialism in Canada. He applies his training and experience in fine arts and industrial design to governance, non-profit property design, construction and regulation and is known as an active and outspoken collaborator, critic and advisor, championing inter-cultural anti-racism in government policy and cultural development in Canada. He co-founded the Sector Equity Alliance for Anti-Racism in the Arts (SEARA), a BC-based consortium that raised funds for BIPOC Artists with over 100 non-profit cultural organizations.
