It's being called a "generous" parting gift.
Chilliwack Community Arts Council is donating $35,000 worth of clay equipment to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre, as the Arts Council prepares to relocate on the south side of town.
"We will be out of the building as of next Thursday, and we felt that since we spent all this money on the marvelous equipment, we wanted to give it back to the community," said Joanne Huston, president of the Arts Council.
"What better way than to present it to the Cultural Centre?"
It's a fitting legacy from the Chilliwack Arts Centre to the new arts facility.
The equipment includes 10 potters' wheels, two kilns, a slab roller and and a clay extruder.
The mirrors are being donated and staying in the Odlum Brown dance studio.
Chilliwack Arts & Cultural Society president Patti Lawn called it a very "generous" offer from the Arts Council, consisting of "top quality equipment" which the board unanimously accepted with appreciation.
It could have been sold instead.
"We do have the right space for it," Lawn said. "And even better if the Arts Council down the road wants to do something in conjunction with the Cultural Centre on it, they can do that.
"The whole goal is providing an opportunity for people in the community to work with clay in a wonderful setting."
The decision to donate the equipment was also a unanimous vote by the Arts Council board.
"It's fabulous," added Lawn. "It would have been difficult for us to pay to equip the clay room. The fact that it's already there means we can just proceed with programming."
They're looking at starting new class classes at the Cultural Centre come February 2013.
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