Vancouver art crawl: A guide to the city’s best galleries and outdoor exhibits

by Megan Lau

Vancouver might be known for its natural beauty and scenic surroundings, but human creativity is having a moment in the city these days. Construction on the new Vancouver Art Gallery building is set to start in 2017 and, when completed, the new space will elevate city’s place in the art world. And that’s just downtown.

Take yourself on an art crawl in Vancouver to discover world-class galleries and incredible outdoor sculptures, murals and installation pieces in neighbourhoods across the city. [Photo of Vancouver Mural Festival courtesy of Jessica Napier]

Located at the corner of Robson and Hornby, the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) is a striking exhibition space that’s a must-see for art lovers. The downtown museum is just steps away from shopping, restaurants, and public transit, making it a big draw for tourists and locals alike. The permanent collection boasts more than 10,000 works from Canadian and international artists, with a strong emphasis on photography. What pulls visitors in the doors, however, are the ambitious featured exhibitions that bring in big names such as Picasso, Takashi Murakami and Walker Evans. The VAG also has an outdoor exhibition space called Offsite. Located at West Georgia and Thurlow (about a five-minute walk from the main gallery), the space features rotating public art projects from local and international contemporary artists.

Also downtown are the Contemporary Art Gallery and the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. The former is a hidden gem, open to the public by donation, where you can see cutting-edge modern art from around the world. Meanwhile, the Bill Reid Gallery exhibits Aboriginal artwork of the Northwest Coast, and is an excellent introduction to one of British Columbia’s most acclaimed artists. Have a little more time? Stroll down to Gastown and see the Audain and Teck Galleries, which are part of Simon Fraser University and are free to the public.

Creative types and artists have called East Vancouver home for decades. Ken Lum’s Monument for East Vancouver at Clark Drive and East 6th Avenue is the unofficial symbol of the area’s reinvention as a cultural hub. You can see this glowing neon cross from the SkyTrain, heading towards VCC-Clark station, or walk right up to it for a prime Instagram snapshot.

In the nearby neighbourhoods of Chinatown and Strathcona, adventurous art lovers can explore several artist-run studios and galleries within a small area. On East Georgia, visit Centre A, Access Gallery and 221A, an independent gallery that also hosts thought-provoking urban installation pieces in an offsite space on Union Street. “Semi-Public is an outdoor public art site that aims to provide a space for artists and visitors looking to engage in a critical discussion of city building,” explains 221A co-founder Michelle Fu.

While everything around it changes, the oldest building in Vancouver’s Chinatown neighbourhood is home to Rennie Collection at Wing Sang, one of the largest private collections of contemporary art in Canada. The beautifully refurbished heritage building on Pender Street holds two exhibitions a year featuring established and emerging artists. The collection can be viewed during a free 50-minute guided tour; reservations are required and tours book up weeks in advance so be sure to register online ahead of time.

East Van’s creative community is best appreciated during the annual Eastside Culture Crawl. During this four-day visual arts festival in November, hundreds of artists open their studios and invite the public to get a behind-the-scenes look at their creative process. Expect to see paintings, ceramics, crafts, woodworking, sculpture, jewellery and more in funky studio spaces.

To see some of Vancouver’s most unique and iconic artworks, you’ll have to go beyond the gallery walls and hit the pavement. The City of Vancouver provides public art walking tour guides that help visitors discover the sculptures, fountains and other artworks on display along the Burrard Corridor, in the Downtown-Waterfront area, and in the Yaletown/False Creek neighbourhood. Outdoor art can also be found throughout UBC’s Point Grey Campus; check out the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery’s website for maps for a self-guided tour of the 26 sites.

Art literally fills the streets in East Van; you just have to know where to look. Travel south on Main Street from Chinatown and duck down alleyways to discover some of the city’s most colourful (and photo-worthy) murals. In 2016, the Vancouver Mural Festival commissioned 56 artists to create 53 new outdoor pieces throughout Mount Pleasant, Strathcona and the False Creek Flats. Take yourself on a self-guided tour to see vibrant and thought-provoking pieces by international and local artists, including Vancouver’s own mural queen Ola Volo.

Vancouver is a delightfully unexpected hub when it comes to art and culture. A citywide art crawl will take you strolling by large-scale outdoor installations, popping into creative contemporary galleries, and admiring museum-worthy paintings by international icons.