Inside Vancouver

Vancouver Art for Life Fine Art Auction – November 26, 2011

by Dana Lynch in Events on November 22, 2011

Enjoy live performances from Bif Naked and the Drag Queens of Vancouver, mingle with local artists, build your own art collection, and help support people living with life-threatening diseases at the 18th annual Art for Life Fine Art Auction this Saturday, November 26, at Vancouver’s Rocky Mountaineer Station*.

The Vancouver Art for Life Fine Art Auction brings together over 90 artworks donated by Vancouver’s top independent artists and galleries, including works from the famous South Granville galleries Bau-Xi Gallery and Ian Tan Gallery. The collection is valued at over $200,000 dollars, and proceeds from the sale go to the Vancouver Friends for Life Sociery, a non-profit organization that offers 60 programs and services for people confronting the challenges of HIV/ AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, as well as their caregivers.

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Vancouver Art for Life Fine Art Auction – November 26, 2011

The Colour of My Dreams – Surrealist Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery

by Dana Lynch in Entertainment on July 6, 2011

Edith RimmingtonThe Oneiroscopist, 1947oil on canvasThe Vera and Arturo Schwarz Collection of Dada and Surrealist Art in the Israel MuseumPhoto: © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Last week, I finally had a chance to see the newest exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG): The Colour of My Dreams: The Surrealist Revolution in Art.

Once again, VAG has brought an outstanding, world-class exhibition to Vancouver. The Colour of My Dreams is the most comprehensive exhibition of Surrealist art ever to be shown in Canada; it features 350 works by leading Surrealist artists, including André Breton, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, René Magritte, Joan Miró, Alberto Giacometti, Leonora Carrington, Brassaï, André Masson, Edith Rimmington, and (my favourite) Man Ray.

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The Colour of My Dreams – Surrealist Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery

Bill Reid & The Haida Canoe – A New Exhibition at the Bill Reid Gallery

by Dana Lynch in Entertainment on June 23, 2011

Lootaas in Paris P20, 1989. Photo © Philip Hersee Photography. On display at the Bill Reid Gallery.

Western art starts with the figure—West Coast Indian art starts with the canoe.
- Bill Reid

Born in Victoria, B.C., to a Swiss-German father and a Haida mother, Bill Reid (1920 – 1998) became, over the course of his lifetime, one of Canada’s most important and well-known artists. His work in traditional Haida materials—as a goldsmith, carver, sculptor and canoe maker—brought unprecedented world-wide attention to West Coast First Nations art. Many of Bill Reid’s most famous pieces reside here in Vancouver, including Raven and The First Men at UBC’s Museum of Anthropology (an image of which can be seen on the back of every $20 Canadian bill) and the bronze Killer Whale – Cheif of the Undersea World at the Vancouver Aquarium.

A new exhibition at Vancouver’s Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art presents a never-before-seen look at one of Bill Reid’s greatest endeavors: the creation of the Lootass (Wave Eater), a 51-foot-long Haida canoe that traveled both 950 km along the B.C. coast to Haida Gwaii and up the Seine River in Paris in 1989.

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Bill Reid & The Haida Canoe – A New Exhibition at the Bill Reid Gallery

Vancouver by Trolley – Stop 4 Vancouver Art Gallery

by Inside Vancouver in Town on February 25, 2011

This is the fourth of a series of blog posts, detailing some of the many things to do along the Vancouver Trolley line. This article is cross-posted on the Vancouver Trolley blog.

It was another beautiful day here in Vancouver as I hopped off the Trolley at stop #4, at the Vancouver Art Gallery. My first visit was to Robson Square, a host to various community events throughout the year. Currently the Square features a free ice rink that is open to the public daily until February 28th, 2011. This is a great area because it is in the hub of downtown, connecting Robson Street to Granville and beyond. This is also a great place to find street vendors selling jewelry, paintings, clothing and food.

Next I visited the Gallery Cafe for a cup of coffee and a snack before roaming through the Gallery Store. The Store has a wonderful selection of exhibit related goodies, but also sells everything from books, glasses, t-shirts and stationary. Admittedly, if I’d known about the Store’s eclectic collection before Christmas, I could probably have done most of my shopping there, while picking a few things up for myself as well. Continue reading:
Vancouver by Trolley – Stop 4 Vancouver Art Gallery

Top 5 Places to Shop for First Nations Art in Vancouver

by Dana Lynch in Insider on November 28, 2010

Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, one of the 5 Best Places to Shop for First Nations Art. Photo: Inuit Gallery of Vancouver

From the Inukshuk that became the symbol of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics to the totems, eagles, and circular killer whales that appear everywhere from the Vancouver International Airport to the Vancouver Convention Centre, First Nations art holds an important place in our cultural aesthetic.

In both its traditional and contemporary modes, First Nations art—sculpture, graphics, bentwood boxes, jewelry—is an expression of the history and geography of our region. For anyone looking for a unique gift—something you won’t find anywhere else in the world—you need look no further than Vancouver’s amazing First Nations galleries and museums.

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Top 5 Places to Shop for First Nations Art in Vancouver

Vancouver Art for Life Fine Art Auction – November 26, 2011

The Colour of My Dreams – Surrealist Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery

Bill Reid & The Haida Canoe – A New Exhibition at the Bill Reid Gallery

Vancouver by Trolley – Stop 4 Vancouver Art Gallery

Top 5 Places to Shop for First Nations Art in Vancouver

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