The ACCESS Art virtual exhibit celebrates the installation of more than forty works of art from the University of Victoria’s (UVic) Art Collection at the ACCESS Health Centre in Victoria British Columbia. The project began in 2008 with a request from the Cool-Aid Health Services team for works of art from the university’s art collection, to be installed at their new ACCESS health care facility in Victoria, British Columbia. Cool-Aid’s request for an art installation has opened up the opportunity to test and develop the practice of participatory curation beyond a classroom community and outside of the walls of a gallery space. It harmonizes well with Michael Williams’ legacy of good works in Victoria’s downtown community. The project serves the University of Victoria Art Collections as well, alleviating some pressure on scarce storage space. Over the past three years, The ACCESS Art project has developed as a major collaborative initiative that includes staff from the University of Victoria Art Collections, the Cool Aid Health Services Clinic, and more than twenty University of Victoria students.

This web exhibit will take you through pages focused on: the planning process, the art installations in the health and dental clinics, before and after photographs, research outcomes, and acknowledgements.

Carolyn Butler Palmer
Williams Legacy Chair
History in Art Department
University of Victoria