This article is from the Parksville Qualicum News:
Jennifer Bate says she is fortunate to have had some strong, inspirational women in her life and looks to pass along that wisdom to future generations. Bate, executive director for the McMillan Arts Centre in Parksville, said those women have taught her to “believe in myself and follow my passions.” “I am one of six children, my mother was a teacher librarian who juggled a busy life and career who never stopped encouraging me to explore my passion for art and music,” said Bate. “Some of my closest friends are retired educators and coaches who inspired hundreds of young people during the course of their careers. I worked with incredible teachers in Hong Kong, women from around the world who taught history, art, theatre, English, music and philosophy. My two daughters, who attended the same International School in Hong Kong, inspire me every day.”
A lifelong personal journey helped draw her into the arts and later into the leadership role at the MAC. “I’ve been involved in the arts since I was a child – singing in the church choir, playing guitar and writing music and jumping into local theatre in the small community, Fort St. John, where I grew up,” she said. “In a small community, the annual adjudicated Arts Festival was a huge event to the young artists and musicians who were able to perform with other creatives and I participated for many years as a teenager, singing and acting in local productions. During college and university, I got walk on roles in local films and then moved to Qualicum Beach with my late husband Bob in 1987.
“I immediately got involved with ECHO Players as an actor, director, artistic director and president, before starting up Bard to Broadway Theatre in the summer of 2000.” Bate’s journey in the arts continued as her family moved to Hong Kong in 2007, where she became the first executive director of the Canadian International School’s Leo Lee Arts Centre, where she spent seven years before returning to the Island and in 2016 took on her current position at the MAC. She also serves as the executive director for the Oceanside Community Arts Council. She said her previous roles influence the way she leads and make decisions at the MAC.
“I learned a lot from my experiences in Hong Kong, taking a leadership role in a newly built arts centre, integrating a dynamic international school arts program with other arts organizations in the city, literally building partnerships from the ground up,” she said. “I was in the same situation with the McMillan Arts Centre when I started in 2016.”
Fostering an inclusive arts community is important for any region, said Bate. “I believe strongly in working hard, to be an active listener and advocate, in bringing people together to create important, inclusive and supportive opportunities for everyone to explore their creative possibilities,” she said.
“I believe that arts and culture plays a significant role in our quality of life and wellness and that the positive influence of a diverse collective is the strongest.” With International Women’s Day fast approaching (March 8), Bate reflected on the role of women in the arts. “Even though women have been creators and artists forever, historically women have struggled to get access to arts education, support and exposure,” she explained.
“Since the 1970s, I believe our creative voice has been getting stronger but we still have a way to go. Here’s some random stats: women artists are still significantly underrepresented in galleries (less than 40 per cent sales), art auctions (less than 10 per cent) and museums (11 per cent).
The good news is that, in non-profit art galleries and museums, women actually represent more than 60 per cent in arts leadership roles in Canada. At the MAC, more than 80 per cent of artists who apply to exhibit in our galleries are women and that is reflected in the art sales for women artists.” She noted exhibitions and programming at the MAC, including Tales for the Telling, celebrate women artists throughout the year, as solo artists and in group shows.
“One of the popular Tales for the Telling events this year was ‘Women in Their Prime’,” she said. “Our volunteer base is primarily women (more than 80 per cent) who support our gift shop, gallery committee, receptions, box office and artists in residence team. The local arts organization in Oceanside, the DeCosmos Fine Arts Society, is 96 per cent women.”
Asked about the challenges she has faced as a woman in arts leadership and the strategies she has used to overcome them, Bate said: “I am no different from other women in leadership roles, in the arts and otherwise, but I let the negative energy pass by. I remain focused on my own goals to advocate for inclusion, respect, acceptance and support and elevate the exposure for all of the artists at the MAC. I have found that remaining true to what I believe in is important, and never being afraid to roll up my sleeves and get to work, has always stood me well in most things in my life.
“I hope that through my influence and time at the MAC and with the OCAC, that gender equality, respect, access and inclusion will remain key foundations of our organization and in our Oceanside community.”
Read more at: https://pqbnews.com/2026/03/04/bate-ensures-parksvilles-mac-celebrates-women-throughout-the-year/
Jennifer Bate is executive director for the McMillan Arts Centre. (PQB News file photo)