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21 Places Every Art Lover Should Visit In Metro Vancouver

Places Every Art Lover Should Visit In Metro Vancouver

Outside of Vancouver’s downtown core, what do you know about the arts scenes in the Lower Mainland?

If you’re stumped for naming a gallery or arts centre, this handy list will help you with your cultural explorations whether you’re due for a visit to the Tri-Cities or Surrey.

Here are 21 places that every art lover should visit in Metro Vancouver.

Burnaby

SFU Gallery

SFU-GalleryFlickr/Kimberley08

Established as a public art gallery in 1970, SFU Gallery is located at the Academic Quadragle 3004 in Burnaby. One of three galleries operated by SFU, it’s known for its selection of contemporary visual arts with a focus on the region of Lower Mainland, and it’s history of conceptual, social and cultural practices. It is open Tuesday to Friday from 12 pm – 5 pm.

 

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

ShadboltFlickr/Jes Lu

Shadbolt is the award-winning community arts facility in Deer Lake Park that has been around for over 20 years. It hosts throughout the year, exhibitions and festival events that range from visual arts to dance to music and theatre. With over 250,000 annual visitors coming to Shadbolt Centre, there is something for everyone to check out. Learn more about their upcoming festivals and programs here.

 

Coquitlam

Evergreen Cultural Centre

Evergreen-Cultural-CentreFlickr/Alex Karpovski

Acting as the visual and performing arts hub serving Coquitlam, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam, Evergreen Cultural Centre is the arts venue for the Tri-Cities. Located on 1205 Pinetree Way in Coquitlam, it is right by the beautiful Lafarge Lake. With the Evergreen line currently being constructed to connect the Tri-Cities to the existing skytrain line, it’s going to get a lot easier to visit the cultural centre’s shows and programs through the Lafarge-Lake Douglas Station soon enough!

 

Place Des Arts

A non-profit arts centre and music school, Place Des Arts offers creative programs from diverse disciplines to support artists of all ages and all abilities. As a cultural hub that brings in locals looking to experience music, dance, theatre or visual arts, Place Des Arts has something for everyone. It’s located at 1120 Brunette Ave.

 

Delta

Tsawwassen Arts Centre

Operated by Delta Parks, Recreation & Culture, this multi-level facility is home to a theatre, visual arts gallery and multipurpose rooms available for performances and exhibitions. Local art groups use the facility to host recitals, and Delta Parks also puts on art classes. You can check out solo or group art shows, as well as the calendar for the theatre group, the Sidekicks Players Club. Tsawwassen Arts Centre is located at 1172 56 St.

South Delta Artists Guild

Five minutes away from the Tsawwassen Ferry terminal is the South Delta Artists Guild. The South Delta Artists Guild, located at 1710 56 St, is the dedicated home to visual artists in the community. As a nonprofit that sells artwork and offers workshop programs to members and non-members alike, this is a gallery to check out for art in various mediums and styles from abstract watercolours to mixed media realism.

Langley

The Township of Langley Civic Facility

To view the works of members from the Langley Arts Council, the Township of Langley Civic Facility is a beautiful space that is open all year-round. This relatively new governmental building is located at 20338 65 Ave.

 

Fort Langley National Historic Site

Fort-LangleyFlickr/Julian Schungel

At 23433 Mavis Ave is Fort Langley National Historic Site, a place to go for the artist with a love of history, architecture & fashion to see costumed pioneer reenactors that show what it was like to have lived during BC’s fur trading days. There is the Historic Marr House that houses artifacts from the 1900s including jewellry, apparel and gifts. This historic site was originally built in 1827, the birthplace of our province. Pop on by the Centennial Museum when you’re done!

 

Maple Ridge

Maple Ridge Museum

With over 7000 objects in its collection, the Maple Ridge Museum features First Nations prehistory, history of settlement and a model railway diorama of Port Haney. Set in a historic residential house that was once owned by a former manager of Port Haney Brick & Tile, The Maple Ridge Museum also features seasonal gallery exhibitions. It is located at 22520 116 Ave.

The ACT Arts Centre

Serving Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, the ACT Arts Centre is a registered not-for-profit that is managed by the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Parks & Leisure Commission. It has been open since 2003, serving the public in arts programs, gallery exhibitions and performing arts presentations. It is located at 11944 Haney Place.

 

New Westminster

New Media Gallery

Opened in 2014, the New Media Gallery shows the best in contemporary new media art with six exhibitions year from international artists around the world to local, emerging artists. It’s located at the Anvil Centre at 777 Columbia St. Check out their latest exhibitions here.

Massey Theatre

BC’s largest theatre, Massey Theatre is a 1260 seat facility that hosts performances and productions from international and local touring companies such as the Royal City Musical Theatre. Since its inception in 1949, Massey Theatre has hosted orchestras, choirs, ballets, musical and dance theatre. Massey Theatre also features the Joseph Plaskett Art Gallery. It is located at 735 Eighth Ave.

 

Port Coquitlam

Leigh Square Community Arts Village

In 2007, the Leigh Square Community Arts Village was born. It became the first cultural space in Port Coquitlam whose mission was to celebrate arts, culture and heritage in the city with a small town charm. The Village runs a variety of programs, events and exhibits that can be viewed here.

 

The Giggle Dam Dinner Theatre

Giggle-DamFlickr/The “Rat” Pack

What is better than dinner and an art show? The Giggle Dam Dinner Theatre is four hours of interactive comedy, music, and theatre with dinner. For ten years, The Dam has been performing four themed shows every year in Port Coquitlam, one of the Lower Mainland’s hidden entertainment  gems. It’s located at 2616 Shaughnessy St.

 

Port Moody

Arts Centre

Port-Moody-Arts-Centre

The Arts Centre at 2425 St. Johns St in Port Moody promotes visual, performing and literary arts in the city. As a non-profit community arts centre, the Arts Centre is led by volunteers to provide classes and events to folks interested in cultural activities. View their current gallery exhibitions here.

Inlet Theatre & Gallery

The Inlet Theatre and Gallery is located inside Port Moody Civic Centre on 100 Newport Drive, and it is an unique space that shows events and festivals year-round from film screenings to theatre. If you plan to drop on by, leave off the perfume and cologne for the trip as the Inlet Theatre & Gallery is a scent-free environment.

 

Richmond

Richmond Art Gallery

The Richmond Art Gallery is a contemporary art gallery that is housed in the Richmond Cultural Centre since 1992. It is also the only public gallery in Richmond, and its mission is to promote dialogue among diverse communities through local, national and international contemporary art. The Richmond Art Gallery is at 7700 Minoru Gate, close to the Richmond-Brighouse Station.

Rufus Lin Gallery

The Rufus Lin Gallery of Japanese Art is a unique commercial gallery located close to the Vancouver International Airport. As a gallery dedicated to showing contemporary Japanese ideas about beauty and fine art, the paintings are chosen by a jury based on strict criteria, and brings much-needed exposure to some of the most talented artists working in Japan today. The Rufus Lin Gallery is located at 5811 Cooney Rd.

 

Surrey

Surrey Arts Centre

The Surrey Arts Centre is the focal point for visual and performing arts in the city. Professional and community theatre productions regularly perform in the Studio Theatre while the Surrey Art Gallery focuses on post-1975 art with changing exhibitions from local and international artists. Located in Bear Creek Park, there’s lots to do after a trip to the Arts Centre with gardens, water playground, picnic areas and an outdoor pool to enjoy recreational activities.

Mind and Matter Gallery

Open daily from 12 pm – 6 pm, the Mind and Matter Gallery is a 2000 sq ft gallery that focuses on unique sculptures, carvings, paintings and pottery that are for sale from over 30 artists. It hosts two annual Festival of Arts shows during the summer and winter seasons. From wood sculptures to soapstone carvings, Mind and Matter is an art gallery devoted for ceramics and sculpture. It is located at 13743 16 Ave.

 

White Rock

Semiahmoo Arts

Semiahmoo Arts serves the arts community in White Rock and South Surrey, organizing events and programs such as visual arts exhibitions to open mic readings, and author readings. It’s located in the South Surrey Recreation & Arts Centre on 14601-20th Avenue. Check out their upcoming events here.

 

 

Written by: Irene Lo

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