Forty local artists and artisans will soon have no place to show and sell their art.

The Artisan's Galleria (130 - 3651 Moncton St.) is closing at the end of this month, and the gallery's treasurer puts the blame for the closure squarely at the feet of the provincial government.

"It goes back to the province -- I blame the province," says Margaret Stevens.

The galleria is owned and operated by the Community Arts Council of Richmond.

It has existed in various iterations at different locations over the years, and managed to stay afloat thanks to an endowment bequeathed to the organization, and through membership fees paid by the artists who exhibit there.

The galleria allows local artists and artisans to display and sell their work in juried exhibitions.

Until two years ago, the endowment, membership fees and the profits from the sales of art and crafts allowed the galleria to stay afloat. But an economic downturn in 2008 saw sales drop. In 2008, the arts council applied for a $39,000 gaming grant, and had hopes of getting it in 2009, which just happened to be when the B.C. government nearly halved funding for arts from $14 to $8 million.

"Our timing sucked," Stevens admits.

John Yap, the MLA for Richmond-Steveston, said he wasn't aware the gallery was closing.

"These are difficult economic times, and the government has to look where we can best place limited resources." Yap said . "We are supporting the arts, we are supporting the B.C. Arts Council."

While the B.C. government cut funding to arts, it does appear to have money for arts with a multicultural flavour.

Just this week, Richmond MLAs announced a $25,000 for "Flash Mob" -- a series of public multicultural dances to take place in Richmond. (See page 4.) The public dances are aimed at combating racism and promoting multiculturalism.

"We live in a multicultural Canada now, and it's important we provide some support to ensure that we promote harmony and a good understanding of many different cultures that live in our community," Yap said.

"Arts groups are still getting funding," Yap added.

But Jane Danzo, the chairperson of the B.C. Arts Council, said her council has little say over how dwindling funding is spent.

Her very public resignation from the Council this week was designed to call attention to what she views as a marginalization of her council, and the arts in general, by the B.C. government.

The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, for example, has determined that a $10 million Arts Legacy Fund will go only to arts groups as part of the Spirit Festivals, which are being held as a tribute to the 2010 Winter Olympics -- a decision in which the Arts Council had no say.

As a government appointee, Danzo said she felt she had to resign so that she could freely speak about her concerns over the underfunding of arts in B.C.

The Richmond arts council had hoped the Winter Olympic Games would have given the Artisan's Galleria a boost through increased sales, but the opposite happened -- sales took a nosedive.

"You could have shot a cannon through Steveston," Stevens said. "I guess everybody went to the Ozone because they sure didn't come to Steveston."

When provincial grants for the arts ended abruptly, it put pressure on other funding agencies, like municipalities.

"It's like a pebble in the middle of the pond," Stevens said. "There's much less money to go around. It's impossible to get any amount of money from anybody else."

Unlike some municipalities, Richmond does not provide core funding for the arts, although it does have a grants program.

Stevens said the arts council cannot afford to pay the rent any longer at the gallery's Moncton Street location, and the landlord has agreed to let the organization break its three-year lease early and leave.

"We'll be closing towards the end of August -- after the September long weekend," Stevens said.

nbennett@richmond-news.com