Preserving a Community Hub
The Armitage Building in Creston is an example of keeping an important community asset in local hands.
In downtown Creston, the Armitage Building occupies a prime location between the town’s iconic red grain elevator and ʔak̓uǂni (akoothnee), home to the popular farmers’ market. Eye-catching for its murals depicting historic life, the building is equally notable for its diverse mix of tenants. Home to an art gallery and studio space, forestry office and visitor centre, it has become an important community hub—whether you’re interested in art, planning a camping trip or learning about local forests.
“Without this building, there would be a gap in the space that best serves the community’s needs in arts, culture and economic development. Keeping this asset in community hands means the Town can determine its future based on local priorities and opportunities,” says Creston Mayor Arnold DeBoon.
To ensure the building remains viable, the Town of Creston purchased it in 2024 from the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce, with support from Columbia Basin Trust.
“Our location just off Highway 3 makes the Creston Valley Visitor Centre a convenient first stop for travellers exploring the region,” says Visitor Centre Manager Amy Maddess. “As a central hub of activity, we’re easy to find and well positioned to welcome visitors, answer questions, share local knowledge, and help people discover everything the Creston Valley has to offer.”
Tourists aren’t the only ones drawn to the building. Community participation is a defining feature of the non-profit Tilted Brick Gallery Association (TBGA), which operates two artist spaces in the building.
In the basement, nearly 20 members use TBGA’s ArtSpace to work across a variety of media, connecting with each other and the public through workshops, exhibitions, collaborative projects and events. Upstairs, the gallery offers a curated exhibition space designed to support artists through fair exhibition fees and meaningful professional exposure.
“ArtSpace is committed to making art welcoming, accessible and engaging for everyone,” says Anne Fetterly, member artist and co-curator of the Tilted Brick Gallery. “It encourages participation from artists and non-artists alike, creating opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect through creativity. Together, TBGA’s spaces foster an inclusive, supportive environment where contemporary art becomes an active and meaningful part of everyday community life.”
For 16 years, the building has also been home to the not-for-profit Creston Community Forest (CCF), which focuses on reducing wildfire risk, managing recreational trails and supporting long-term forest sustainability. Its location next to the farmers’ market makes it an ideal venue for open houses and public education events, including workshops on bear safety.
“The Armitage Building is important to the CCF not only because of its convenient location in the heart of Creston, but also because it shares space with the visitor centre,” says Forest Manager Daniel Gratton. “This gives the community forest greater visibility during the tourist season, when travellers are stopping in to learn about things to do while visiting.”
The building has also fostered unique partnerships. For example, the CCF collaborated with the Tilted Brick Gallery on “Healing Forests: In Honour of What Forests Give Us,” a juried exhibition exploring the relationship between forests, well-being and community.
