We operate on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam),Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations; and in Vancouver’s Chinatown, an area for the gathering Chinese labourers, settlers, and businesses since the nineteenth century.

Democratically operated by our artist-members, we are value driven and believe in empowering artists and cultural workers through fair, secure, and flexible employment that supports artists to do what they do best—make art. We strive to do our work and organizing in an intersectional and anti-oppressive framework that supports our members’ needs, and which contributes meaningfully to our communities.

We are proud to be both a fully unionized organization, and a democratically run workers co-operative—an innovative new organizing model. VALU CO-OP’s founding team are also the founding members of the union which represents them: The Arts and Cultural Workers Union (ACWU), IATSE Local B-778, established in January 2020.

We produce high quality, sustainably made campaign materials and creative services at our Chinatown Studio; including buttons, stickers, graphic totes and t-shirts, and a range of print services. See the full list of What We Make and What We Do, and View our Store here.

We are a co-op founded upon anti-oppressive values, and believe that artists have a responsibility  to bridge barriers, strengthen communities, and fight gentrification. It is our mandate to work in solidarity with those most marginalized in Vancouver’s Chinatown, Downtown Eastside, and upon Coast Salish Territories

As an artist-run organization, we critically consider the role that artists often play in neighbourhood gentrification and the subsequent displacement of marginalized communities. As part of our commitment to anti-oppression values, we have mandated policies within our organization to prioritize solidarity with these communities. By redistributing revenue generated by the co-op through our Community Reserve Fund, we can contribute our creative and financial assets to our communities’ struggles. See our News page and Sign up for our Newsletter to stay up to date on how we are acting upon our commitments.

We are excited to collaborate on community projects or potential collaboration!

Our Community Projects Working Group facilitates projects that support the communities that surround our work and studio. Through long-term collaborations, we work with the specific needs and desires of neighbouring groups in order to build mutually supportive relationships and redistribute resources.

We believe that art is imperative.

We believe that art is transformative.

We believe that art is labour.

We firmly believe in the transformative power of art. By empowering artists and workers through democratic ownership and flexible wage-based labour, we envision VALU CO-OP quickly growing beyond a screen printing and button making studio into a multifaceted arts and worker’s resource center. Our future goals include expanding towards event and cultural production, artist residency programs, studios, art supplies bulk buying programs; and creating a community organizing hub for arts and labour.

We value partnerships with local arts, labour, and social justice organizations in order to engage workers, community members, and artists alike to build and support a stronger community.