Vancouver’s art community is making a strong comeback after two years of COVID-19 restrictions. Having restarted in February, Vancouver’s Downtown Association hosts a First Friday Art Walk where people can stroll downtown and check out various galleries, shops and restaurants along Main Street and adjoining side streets. During the first Friday of each month, galleries unveil their new exhibitions, and often stay open longer to allow people more time to meander through.
Art at the Cave
While there is no cave in downtown Vancouver, Art at the Cave takes its name from Plato’s famous Allegory of the Cave. Hosts seek to illustrate the idea that reality is open to interpretation with the goal of exploring different ways to look at the world through art.
“I think it’s good for everybody to see art live and in person because it’s a whole different thing than experiencing art on a screen,” said Erin Dengerink, gallery assistant at the Cave. “Art just touches everything, philosophy, culture and is distilled down to these objects that we look at and contemplate.”
“Kites! Kites! Kites!,” Art at the Cave’s next exhibition, celebrates kites of all types through unique artwork. The exhibit is free to the public and runs from June 3 to June 25, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Art on the Boulevard
Kevin Weaver has been running the gallery on Evergreen Boulevard for 16 years, focusing primarily on artists in the Pacific Northwest. Weaver curates a wide selection of art forms including oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, bronze and metal sculptures, along with other niche mediums.
“Art is important, no matter what the medium is, if it’s visual arts, music or theater,” said Weaver.
Beginning June 3, Art on the Boulevard will begin showing the works of Mitch Baird in a show titled “Passages.”
“There’s just so many wonderfully talented artists in the world and certainly here in the Northwest where we really have an amazing amount of gifted artists,” said Weaver.
Aurora Gallery
Going into their 19th year in business, Aurora Gallery is a mainstay of the Vancouver art community. The gallery doubles as a framing shop for custom picture frames.
“Art shows the diversity of a community,” said Elizabeth Steinbaugh, director of Aurora Gallery. “You can see so many different things and explore different mediums.”
The Aurora Gallery updates their displayed pieces regularly and is showcasing new pieces as of June 3.
More information about the galleries can be found in their respective websites listed below.
