A long-time resident of Strathcona, and an artist herself, Esther Rausenberg established what is now known as Georgia Art Studios with her partner Richard Tetrault over 40 years ago. Along with a small group of local artists they co-founded the Eastside Culture Crawl; an open studios festival that invites the public directly into artists’ workspaces. In 2013, Esther took on the role of Artistic and Executive Director for the organization, catapulting it to success, and evolving the organization to what is now the Eastside Arts Society. Most recently, Esther has spearheaded the Eastside Arts District – the establishment of a recognized district devoted to the preservation of arts and culture spaces.
As a volunteer, Esther has given her time as a Selection Committee member for the Downtown Eastside Small Arts Grants program, bringing critical opportunities to underserved artists in the community. She also served as a member (2012- 2017) and Co-Vice Chair of the Arts and Culture Policy Council for the City of Vancouver. Esther now sits as a Trustee for The Vancouver Art Gallery and on the Board of Governors for Emily Carr University of Art & Design.
