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Vancouver’s Art Downtown Summer Program

July 15, 2023

The Art Downtown Summer Program gives Vancouver artists the chance to showcase their works out in the public with live painting and demonstrations.

The program runs from July 3rd until August 28th in 2024. During those dates it happens at Lot 19, at 855 West Hastings Street, on Wednesdays and Fridays between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm.

To learn about the event, visit the Vancouver Visual Arts Foundation website or continue reading.

This article contains the following information about Art Downtown:

Downtown Vancouver Art in the Summer

The Vancouver Art Downtown Summer Program began in 2020 during the time of COVID-19. The Vancouver Visual Art Foundation teamed up with the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association to come up with a way to stimulate activity in the city’s downtown area while maintaining social distancing.

Art Downtown was the result, where local artists create and then display their works outdoors. With positive public reception, the program ran again in the summer of 2021 from mid-June until the end of September. In 2022 the program returned with displays from July 6th to September 16th. It happened again in 2023 between June 21st until September 15th. In 2024, the event takes place from July 3rd to August 28th.

To learn more about the events and where they take place, continue reading or visit the Vancouver Visual Art Foundation‘s website.

Art Downtown Musician — Musician Sener Yilmaz

When and Where is Art Downtown?

In 2024 the event happens at Lot 19 which is located at 855 West Hastings Street at the corner with Hornby Street. It takes place in the plaza at the north end of Hornby Street on Wednesdays and Fridays.

During the events, everything is outside, from the painting to live music to different demonstrations. If it’s raining, the events might not take place on certain days.

A couple of years ago the program was held at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square which is the North Plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery on West Georgia Street. It has also taken place at Jack Poole Plaza by the Vancouver Convention Centre. In 2022 it took place at Jack Poole Plaza and at Lot 19. In 2023 it was only at Lot 19, but it happened there twice a week.

What Can You Expect?

The aim of the program is to give artists the opportunity to connect with each other as well as with art-lovers in the community. Creating art out in public gives people from all over Vancouver the chance to see how these artists work. Another objective is to encourage people to go downtown (and to support local businesses while they’re there).

There are paintings, carvings and other styles of art on offer. If you stick around you can watch some pieces come together from their beginnings to their ends (or at least a good chunk of that process).

Does it Cost Anything?

All the dates for the Art Downtown program are free for the public to attend! There is no need to buy a ticket or register anywhere before you go. Just show up whenever you want and enjoy the art. Take your credit card or cash though, in case you want to buy something!

Art Downtown Artist — Artist Kseniia Mazan

Art Downtown Videos

For an idea of what an Art Downtown event looks like, check out the videos from 2021 below. One is of the event outside the Vancouver Art Gallery (on a Tuesday) and the other is of the event at Jack Poole Plaza (which happened in 2021 on Wednesdays and Fridays).

Art Gallery Event Video

The first video shows scenes of the art outside the Vancouver Art Gallery at the corner of West Georgia and Howe Street on a Tuesday afternoon in 2021.

The video was filmed in the third week of June, so near the start of the 2021 season. COVID restrictions were still very much in place then, so only 10 or so artists were participating. There was still a nice selection of art to admire, however, and a number of artists to chat with.

Jack Poole Plaza Event Video

The Art Downtown event at Jack Poole Plaza on Fridays looks similar to the event at the Vancouver Art Gallery, but larger. At this other venue as many as 18 or so artists were participating in June. By later in the summer you might see even more.

This second video was taken on a Wednesday in early July of 2021 (when the program had Wednesday dates). As you’ll see, there are art displays all over the plaza. Additional artists usually set up nearby along the seawall adjacent to the Convention Centre as well. There is also live music at this event.

Featured in this second video are paintings and other art by Sascha Westendorp, Tyler Benson, Carley Gibbs, Julia Thieu, Sky Lilah, Lisa Wolfin, Tasha Teal, Mariah Chalet, and other artists.

Tips & Advice

Below are some suggestions to help you make the most of your art experience.

TIP #1: The seawall between the Vancouver Convention Centre and Stanley Park is a great place to walk and ride a bike. Consider going for a stroll either before or after checking out the art on Wednesdays and Fridays.

TIP #2: Downtown Vancouver has some great hotels. If you want to make a holiday out of your art experience, check out the deals with StayVancouverHotels.com. The website offers bonus perks when you make a reservation through it.

Other Information

For more information about the event, visit the Vancouver Visual Art Foundation website.

The organization behind the summer program is the same one behind Art Vancouver which is a large international art fair at the Vancouver Convention Centre. In 2024 Art Vancouver runs from April 11th to 14th. It’s an amazing event, especially for people who love art.

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