For most of my life, the only time I had ever spent in the Nanaimo are was either at Departure Bay or Duke Point ferry terminals. Nanaimo is a port for vessels carrying tourists, travellers and commuters however in recent years its own downtown core has become known as a great place to eat, shop, […]

Many have been concerned about the fate of Vancouver’s only memorial for Terry Fox on Beatty and Robson as BC Place undergoes a massive renovation. However PavCo, the operators of BC Place and coordinators of the stadium and plaza’s revitalization, has just announced that they have commissioned local author and artist Douglas Coupland to create […]

One of downtown’s hidden gems is the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, just off Georgia, on Hornby Street. Here you’ll find a breathtaking collection of Reid’s art that varies from wire sculptures and a diamond necklace, to tribute carvings and statues. I was fortunate enough to be given a private tour from Bill’s […]

Through the Eye of the Raven, Western Canada’s largest mural, was unveiled last week on the side of the Orwell Hotel in the Downtown Eastside. Photo credit: BC Housing on Flickr Through the Eye of the Raven features cultural elements from several First Nations as well as community landmarks such as the iconic red “W” […]

Over the last few years there’s been a boom in Vancouver’s public art — aside from the bears, eagles, or orcas in the city campaigns. While the city has long-standing sculptures, fountains and statues, events such as the Vancouver Biennale and even the 2010 Winter Games have introduced a contemporary and colourful splash of public […]

In May I wrote about how the Vancouver Art Gallery is looking to relocate to (preferably) a new building that can accommodate their growing collection. Photo credit: ko.ttur on Flickr Public opinion has been somewhat mixed in terms of their sentiments for the current building and lack of knowledge about the reasons why the VAG […]

Every few years the BC Lions Society has been presenting a public art installation involving pieces decorated by local artists that would then be auctioned off. We had Bears in the City, Orcas in the City, Eagles in the City, and to coincide with the Royal BC Museum’s upcoming exhibit, we’ll have the Terracotta Warrior […]

The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art is hosting the Public Aboriginal Art Walk throughout the city from June 17th until July 11th. This coincides with National Aboriginal Day this coming Monday, June 21st. You can download the Art Walk kit for free online to start your walk anytime. Each sheet lists five pieces […]

Often you can’t go a full city block in Vancouver without encountering a piece of public art. Vancouver Biennale has quite a bit to do with that but now we have even more sculptures, installations, and statues that have been put in place as an Olympic legacy. About 20 permanent and temporary public artworks were […]

The Vancouver Art Gallery is icon in our city and was a central hub of activity during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and although the building won’t be going anywhere… it’s what’s inside that counts. Photo credit: rodefeld on Flickr A relocation, that would see it move out of the old courthouse building, has […]