On the Georgia Street side of the Vancouver Art Gallery, in the public square now named šxnq…read moreXwtl'e7énk Square, there's an amazing annual event held every early- to mid-September entitled "Façade Fest". In the two years I've lived here, I've been to this event twice. Last year I went 3 or 4 times, and this year, twice. It's free to go and, wow, I can't recommend it enough. Encompassing 7-8 nights, this event showcases two artists a night, and the last night or two of the festival, they show ALL the featured artists' works, one after the other. What type of art are we talking about here? It's known as 'projection mapping' whereby artists' visions are projected onto the museum's façade. It's a colorful, animated, large-scale work of art - often with accompanying music, - and depending on the featured artist, it might be contemporary, abstract, literal or realistic, paintings come to life, photographs, video clips, prismatic color works, cartoons or mixed media digital images - the possibilities of art forms are truly endless. Last year (my first year here in Van), there was a featured artist whose light display works featured video clips of the Stanley Cup riots, and I learned so much from that installation (I had not known about that history before), along with some stunning, colorful light works by other artists. Last night there was a featured work by an artist about the Birtle Indian Residential School and the forced assimilation of Aboriginal children in this country - another subject I'm not that familiar about, but after seeing the feature, I came home to research this topic. I guess what I'm saying here is, for me personally, this type of immersive, public art installation is not only aesthetically enjoyable and beautiful in parts, but also educational, inspiring, at times disturbing and unpleasant, and often thought-provoking. In short, for me, it's everything a successful art installation SHOULD be. I strongly encourage you to click on the link to the festival's webpage to see photos of some of the artwork projected on the museum building. You can get an idea how stunning it is. But to truly appreciate its impact, one really must see it in person, with the images morphing and moving, and the music and sounds accompanying the images. This downtown square has chairs and seating features, but most people sit on the ground. There are also some vendors present, if you want to purchase a soda or snack.

Awesome little Museum. Beautiful location !!! The lady at…read morethe door, very helpful. Glad we went. By donation Only open Sat.. & Sun. In off season

This is one of the places that I had meant to go to forever - like YEARS and have never made it…read more Well, I made it yesterday and am sorry it took so long. This is a little gem hidden in the Point Grey area. The building is Vancouver's oldest building that survived the 1886 fire It was barged to the current location in the 30s and became a museum then. It is a hodge podge of items - household goods that survived the fire, a lot of First Nations t hings, Books, china.... Most thins have explanations as to who donated them or where they came from. The charge is just donation. Well worth a visit to see this piece of Vancouver histroy.

While exploring Granville Island recently, my family and I stumbled into this gallery where we…read moreseparated and happily wandered about for a while, each of us getting lost in our thoughts on the art pieces contained within, soaking up the creative atmosphere of this lovely place. This gallery is the perfect space to showcase art: there's much natural light from the window walls, and it feels quite large due to its open floor plan, light wooden floors and stark white walls.There's an upstairs loft as well (which I didn't check out. There appeared to be textiles up there, although I am not sure). Despite feeling large in scale, the gallery itself feels inviting, and it encourages wandering about - as any good gallery would! This place showcases artwork from Zimbabwe and there's an abundance of sculptures here made of natural stones. The works have both a primitive and a contemporary feel about them (quite the dichotomy, I know, but it's true). Personally, I am not a fan of African sculptures, but I definitely appreciate the workmanship and the art-form. That said, I am a big fan of modern, abstracted paintings, and this gallery had many, many gorgeous paintings by Zimbabwean artists that were stunning: some vibrant and bold, some with slightly more subtle palettes, all remotely impressionistic but not quite, reflecting an African influence in the way they portray their subject matter. The painted works were what drew us in to this gallery; many were show-stoppers. The lady who was behind the desk when we were here seemed wrapped up in some project on her computer. We were not greeted or engaged in any conversation. Which was fine with us as we preferred to wander and browse at our own individual pace(s). Still, we enjoyed our exploration of this gallery and we plan on returning when we next visit the Island.

This is a very cool Gallery that is located on Granville Island. I love the mixture of white space…read morewith color of both abstract and traditional art. Very well organized gallery. It is small, however, they make use of there space. Awesome host.

In the southwest corner of Steveston Community Park, there's a large firehouse-looking garage…read morebuilding, in which you can find a museum containing a restored tram car, from the days when such things operated regularly, ferrying passengers all the way into Vancouver, many kilometers to the north. I'm not sure if admission is free all year round, or if we just happened to be lucky, but we quickly pounced on the opportunity to check it out. For the young ones, repeat visits to this museum can net you junior conductor pins or badges, based on how many times you've been here, which is a cute little perk for them. Our young toddler son loved exploring the car, running up and down, and poking about everywhere he could (including places he probably wasn't supposed to), but the staff were friendly and good-natured about it. There's plenty of historical information about the tram, and its use in the region, on various plaques and displays throughout the building, for those who are interested. If nothing else, the simple fact that they preserved this icon piece of local history, and tend to it with such care and devotion, is charming enough in itself.

A small museum with free entry. I went midday on a Friday and there was only one other group there…read more The staff, Cathy, was there was dressed and was very enthusiastic about the history of the town and the tram system - absolutely loved talking to her! The forms of information (videos, boards, infographics, etc.) are very engaging and true to the period. I was very impressed with how the museum has been maintained. Despite being small, there are many things to do, especially for children. There are conductor costumes for both adults and children for photo ops. The tram and its interior were stunning and it's a replica made specifically for the museum! In all, my visit was about 40 minutes. We spent a lot of time talking to Cathy and I do highly recommend that with whatever staff is there. There's nothing better than to talk to a local about history.

Awe-inspiring! A sound sculpture, this display combines the visual arts with music…read more On the cultural Olympiad website, this shows that it takes place at "BOB's Gallery". My friend and I had a little trouble finding this place. We kept on looking for the sign, but there was none in sight. We walked past the address a couple of times, then we saw the 'Building Oppurtunities with Business" Society...which stands for 'BOB'! Then we saw it-a single black door, with the Cultural Olympiad poster on it. We were there! Upon entry, we were speechless. Large vertical bamboo pipes sat in tubs of water, with several pipes within one. Each one elevated up and down, and creating a hamonious reed sound. By the reed moving up and down, notes and chords are produced.These tubs are placed in a circle, and when you stand in the middle, you feel like you're in another world, with beautiful sounds enveloping you. Inspired by the ancient Chinese reed instrument-the Sheng, the Seattle based artisit, Trimpin, has done a wonderful job in applying technology into art. All these wonderful sounds are controlled by infrared sensors and scanners. Combining the traditional instrument with modern day computer technology, this installation has truly impressed me!

This gallery, which is also the home of the North Vancouver Community Arts Council, features…read moreever-changing exhibitions of local and national artists, including photographers, painters, sculptors, potters, and metalsmiths. It's free to visit, but the art is for sale if you really like something. About twice annually, they hold an art rental exhibit where you can give some deserving art a temporary good home. The current exhibit features mannequins wearing elaborate dresses made out of newspapers. It's always something different down there. Check it out if you're in the neighbourhood (just three fitness-inducing blocks from Lonsdale Quay).

As a service to the community, this gallery does it with class. The exhibitions are perfectly on…read morethe edge of being challenging and accessible. They pay attention to the local issues and introduce new ways for the community to view itself; always with an eye for quality of work. Well worth a visit if you are on the 'shore. And they support local artists, so yes, big time kudos.

Sweet place , lots of very nice art work . The owner Kitty is very nice and has worked hard . They…read morealso have lots of out door art . Love it !

This little gallery features primarily the work of local artists, who are a pretty talented bunch…read more Items available range from small pieces of jewelry to garden-size sculptures. In addition, some fair trade items are for sale. I particularly like the selection of cards with local scenes that are sold in the rear building. Service is friendly, although opening hours off-season are a little limited.

* Small but some nice and reasonably price selection *…read more On the lower level of Artisan Square this little gallery shop could be easy to miss. But it has a nice selection of pottery created by local artists on Bowen Island. The variety (and quality) is diverse. But there were some very nice little plates that would be perfect for presenting small items like a piece or two of sushi. There were also some nice cups and mugs. And everything was very reasonably priced to boot!