A Guide to Art in Vancouver

When it comes to fine art in Vancouver, there is one museum that tops every list: the landmark Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG), the largest art gallery in western Canada. Located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, VAG is home to a collection of over 9,000 artworks, including the largest collection of paintings and works on paper by the famous BC artist Emily Carr, and a world-renowned collection of contemporary photo-based work.

Every year, VAG presents two to three international exhibits that bring major artworks from around the world to Vancouver. Previous exhibits have included Leonardo da Vinci's Mechanics of Man and Vermeer, Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art: Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum.

From the Inukshuk that became the symbol of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics to the image of Bill Reid's Raven and The First Men sculpture that appears on the back of every $20 bill, First Nations art is everywhere in Vancouver, holding an enormously important place in our region's cultural aesthetic. Finding First Nations art in Vancouver is easy: not only can you see that iconic $20-bill Bill Reid sculpture in person at the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology (MOA) (along with over 500,000 cultural artifacts), you can browse many First Nations commercial galleries in Gastown .

Some museums and galleries to check out include the Bill Reid Gallery,  Coastal Peoples Fine Art Gallery, Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, and Hill's Native Art.

Vancouver has many fine, contemporary, and commercial art galleries. Most galleries are located either in downtown Vancouver (making it easy to create your own walking tour of art galleries, starting with VAG) or in South Granville, which has earned the moniker "Gallery Row" for its wealth of commercial art galleries.

Other galleries to enjoy include Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery, Helen Pitt Gallery, South Granville's Gallery Row, and more!

Many Vancouver artists sell their works at local art and craft markets. At Vancouver art and craft markets, visitors can buy a wide range of locally-made artworks, from sculptures and paintings to ceramics, glassworks, and photography. The most famous Vancouver art market is Portobello West, a fashion and art market that happens four times a year.

In addition, check out markets like Got Craft? Vancouver and the Vancouver Christmas & Holiday Markets, which runs in November and December.

Among the best places to see and buy art in Vancouver are the hyper-local annual art festivals and events. Many of these events are free and present the perfect opportunity to meet and support Vancouver artists working in a variety of mediums.

Some annual art festivals include The Drift: Art on Main Street (October), Heart of the City Festival (late October-early November), and Eastside Culture Crawl (November).