Vancouver Art Walk Not to Be Missed This February

February 1, 2024by SBIA0 comments

If you’ve never explored Strathcona’s gallery district before, this February is the perfect time to dive in. Vancouver Art Walk offers immersive self-guided tours in the Vancouver Arts District of Strathcona and Chinatown, with events happening the first Saturday of every month. Follow their carefully crafted map and discover a diverse selection of contemporary art from acclaimed local, international and Indigenous artists.

The urban industrial district of Strathcona is home to some of the most dynamic and groundbreaking galleries Vancouver has to offer. With Lunar New Year around the corner, what better time to immerse yourself, get inspired, and take in the art scene in the cultural and historic areas of Strathcona and Chinatown. The opportunity to engage with the work of several Asian-Canadian artists at the gallery exhibitions this month is a special way of honoring the rich tapestry of Asian-Canadian cultural identity in the community. Read on for some of the exciting exhibitions you’ll find along the Vancouver Art Walk in the neighbourhood this month.

Vancouver Art Walk exhibiting galleries on Saturday February 3, 2024 — Graphic by @vancouverartwalk

First Saturday with Vancouver Art Walk

This Saturday February 3, the several galleries will have exhibitions open for the Vancouver Art Walk.

Outsiders and Others at 716 East Hastings will be hosting an opening reception for their first exhibition of 2024, Cour d’Blax-Neeck: The Aitcheverse from 2pm-4pm.

THIS Gallery at 268 Keefer will also be hosting an opening reception from 12pm-4pm for Re-Imagining Chinatown, a new solo exhibition by Vancouver artist/illustrator Donna Seto.

Works from Donna Seto's exhibition Re-Imagining Chinatown at THIS Gallery February 2-10 — Image from THIS Gallery of works by artist Donna Seto

“Through dreamy windows and shopfronts full of goods, Seto depicts how buildings are more than just brick and mortar but keepers of secrets and history” – THIS Gallery

Where I'm From Exhibition Poster February 10 - March 9 2024 at 881 E Hastings St. — Poster Design by @suspersensitivestudios

Immersive Art Installation Coming to Strathcona to Celebrate Lunar New Year

Where I’m From Exhibition Dates at Gallery 881: February 10 – March 9, 2024

Make sure to return to Strathcona for more immersive art debuting the second weekend in February. Opening on February 10th to kick off Lunar New Year, Where I’m From is a site-specific installation at Gallery 881 by Vancouver based artists, Megan Kwan and Jeremy Jude Lee. Featuring a collection of 55 photographs, the exhibit explores themes of (be)longing captured during Vancouver’s summer time in conversation with physical objects and locations nostalgic to the Asian-Canadian experience.

Set in Strathcona’s distinctive neighbourhood, Where I’m From collages cinematic photography with video and everyday artifacts, rediscovering the lesser-seen beauties of Vancouver while highlighting the mutual influence of Asian culture in a Western World. The Strathcona BIA is proud to be supporting this collaborative exhibition that the artists’ hope will bridge local artists with Strathcona businesses to foster a culture of belonging and community support for creative entrepreneurs. Participating businesses include: Gallery 881, Printmaker Studio, Sunrise Soya Foods, Sunrise Market, Coolite Bamboo Products, CINCO Drink Co, Allegra – Vancouver, and Alterior/A Living Taste.

“Where I’m From is inspired by our ancestors who immigrated to Vancouver in hopes of a better future – one that we have been able to gratefully embrace as artists. It’s our vision of home as first and second generation Asian-Canadians, revisiting familiar places documented with a renewed perspective that redefines past beliefs of belonging.” – Megan Kwan

Admission to the gallery exhibition is free and regular operating hours at Gallery 881 are from Tuesday to Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday from 12pm-5pm. Gallery 881 is proudly part of the Vancouver Art Walk initiative, so be sure to pick up a gallery tour map and unlock the doors to a world of creativity in Strathcona and Chinatown.

Member Stories, Events, Things to Do

Maker Of The Month: Awesome Sauce Designs

October 21, 2021by SBIA1 comment

Awesome Sauce Designs specializes in stained glass art and workshops.

Corinne Leroux is the owner of Awesome Sauce Designs operating out of MakerLabs in Strathcona. She offers quirky, handmade art pieces (available to order on her Etsy shop) and teaches regular classes on how to make your own stained glass art.

We stopped by her studio at 780 E Cordova St. to chat about her work and how she impacts her community – get to know Corinne below.

Tell us a little bit about your art and what you make.

I make stained glass art with a modern twist. I try and veer away from what people think of when they traditionally think of stained glass. My pieces focus on a more modern geometric style and the weird and whimsical.

How did you begin your journey with stained glass and how did you decide to turn your art into a business?

I’ve always been crafty and had many hobbies including learning to knit at the age of 6. Stained glass was one of many hobbies I tried, and I took a class at the Surrey Arts Centre in 2005, and then really loved it. I made more and more pieces and was giving them away to friends and family. I also had other things I was making – you can only have so much stained glass in your house – so I decided to combine all my hobbies into one business and start selling my work. This included things I had sewn, knit, greeting cards I designed, and stained glass, but eventually, the glass just took over all of it.

In 2015 after having lots of practice in the medium, and seeing that there were very limited places to learn this art, I started teaching stained glass classes in my studio.

Where in Strathcona are you based and what makes this neighbourhood special to you?

My studio is based out of MakerLabs. It’s a really creative space, filled with other makers, that I find inspiring just to be in. There’s always an energy here that makes me excited to work on my art. I also love all the history in this neighbourhood seeing all the colourful historic buildings as well as the newer murals that have been painted in the last few years. I think it adds to that creative energy that we have in MakerLabs.

How does your work impact the community?

I’d say the classes I teach impact the community the most. It’s a very old hobby that is going through a bit of a resurgence, but nobody teaches it anymore. It’s been great to pass on these skills and teach others. I actually received several messages from past students during the initial lockdown that we had about how thankful they were that they had learned a new form of art, to have a creative outlet while being at home.

Work in progress by student Colleen McCreedy.

Where can we find your products?

I sell my work mostly on my Etsy shop, but I also accept commissions for custom work as well. My products and information about classes can be found on my website and inquiries about commissions can be emailed to hello@awesomesauceart.com.

Visit our blog for more on our Maker of the Month series.

Announcements

New murals on East Hastings planters

November 14, 2018by SBIA0 comments

We’re super excited about the new murals.

How we got here

Several Hastings Urban Tree Nursery planters from 2014 were in need of a refresh. In August we had an open call for artists to propose new mural designs. A selection committee made up of staff and Sustainability Committee members evaluated the proposals and shortlisted several artists. We brought the shortlisted designs to the organizations and businesses who participate in the HUTN program and engaged local community members about the artworks. This included presenting to the VANDU Board of Directors and providing them printed designs so people who use their space could vote on their favourite. We also attended the DTES Neighbourhood House community drop-in to present designs and gather feedback. Other businesses with tree planters out front submitted their thoughts through a short online survey. After collecting the feedback, four local artists were selected to paint brand new murals on nine tree planters along East Hastings.

The selected artists and final murals

Artist Jenn Brisson worked on two planters in the 300 block of East Hastings in front of VANDU. In her piece, titled “Only Human”, energetic colours and patterns flow through two figures, creating the sensation of coming undone and together simultaneously. These patterns can be interpreted as waves, sound, energy or our Spirit. They show that we are all in constant flow; everything we do has a ripple effect on other people and we are all connected in this life. When writing about her experience with the project on her instagram page, Jenn wrote “Everyone was super supportive, friendly and expressed appreciation for what I was doing for their community”. Read the full post at @jennbrissonart, and check out her awesome work. Jenn is also an exhibiting artist in the upcoming Eastside Culture Crawl at her studio at 617 Gore Ave.

Artist Cate Wikelund completed murals in front of the DTES Neighbourhood House at 573 East Hastings. Cate lives a few blocks away and has engaged with programming at the DTES Neighbourhood House, making the final selection for this project by her peers and community members all the more meaningful. In her design, two Great Blue Herons face each other across two planters, serving to bring the planters into a relationship and mirroring how these birds interact in the wild. The natural and realistic look of her design elicited a lot of positive feedback as Cate was working – she even got some shout outs from people riding by on the bus! What a wonderful addition to the block. Cate recently completed another mural project on a shipping container in Oppenheimer park, and co-led the “Resilience Community Mural” project at 121 Heatley Ave.

In the 600 Block of East Hastings, artist Andrew Tavukciyan completed two murals in his signature bold and intricate style. A colourful and striking paint palette on one planter is contrasted by a black and white biomorphic design on the second planter. Andrew felt it was important for the designs to wrap seamlessly and continuously around the cylindrical shaped planters to give the illusion of no start or end. We are totally digging his visual style! You can find more works by Andrew on his Instagram account at @tavukciyan.

Artist Morgane Billault worked on three planters in the 700 block of East Hastings. She incorporated bright colours and a marvelous illustrative technique to create three interconnected landsacpes. Three animals: the crow, fish, and coyote, inspired her designs that bring west coast elements together with human elements, drawing on the nature/urban theme of the Hastings Urban Tree Nursery itself. You can’t miss these bright additions to the street! Discover more of Morgane’s work on her Instagram account @billaultmorgane.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to all of the artists who applied to be a part of this project. And a huge thank you and congratulations to the selected artists. We appreciate your creativity, distinct styles, and especially your willingness to work through the colder October weeks to get these murals done before winter!

Thank you to the City of Vancouver for providing grant funding to cover the costs of the artists’ paint supplies and materials as well as the cost of initial cleaning, priming and final sealing services by Goodbye Graffiti.

The artists fees are paid for by the Strathcona BIA.

Thank you to Mission Possible Maintenance who continue to maintain and upkeep the planters and trees on a monthly basis.

The Hastings Urban Tree Nursery (HUTN) is a joint project with Hastings Crossing BIA to bring greenery and beauty to East Hastings. The concrete planters house trees that grow under the care of local businesses and organizations. We look forward to replacing some of the damaged trees in the HUTN in late November.

Local Artists Tag