Face of Art Runway at Art Vancouver

Art Vancouver is a contemporary art fair featuring artists, artwork, panelists, classes and more at the Canada Place side of the Vancouver Convention Centre.

In 2025 the event ran from April 24th to 27th and in 2026 it runs from May 28th to 31st. If you like art, you’ll love this event! It’s impressive. Not only can you admire the art, but you can also buy it.

Visit the artvancouver.net website for tickets and full details about the event.

This article features the following information about Art Vancouver:

International Art Exhibition at the Art Vancouver Fair

Art Vancouver is one of the largest and most prestigious international art fairs in Western Canada. The event provides a global stage for art galleries and artists to showcase and sell their pieces to thousands of people. Not only is the fair an exceptional place to check out different styles of artwork, but there are also guest speakers, panelists and live demonstrations to enjoy.

At the fair, an Art Masters painting competition takes place in front of guests. This is when different artists use a mystery box of supplies to paint something extraordinary within a limited amount of time. Spectators usually get to vote for the piece they like the most. There are also Art Classes at Art Vancouver most years. The instructional workshops typically happen on-site during the show and include admission for one day.

Art Vancouver is organized by the Vancouver Visual Art Foundation which is also responsible for the free Art Downtown Summer Program in Vancouver. It’s a popular event that art lovers from across the world travel to see. As many as 10,000 or more people attend in a typical year.

Click Art Vancouver for tickets and the event’s official website.

When and Where

Art Vancouver ran from Thursday, April 24, until Sunday, April 27th, 2025. Thursday was when the VIP Preview and Face of Art Runway Show happened. It was also the day that alcoholic beverages were available for purchase. The events on this day ran from 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm.

The rest of the art show was open to the public for three more days, from the Friday to the Sunday. Hours on Friday were from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm and hours on Saturday were from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The show concluded on Sunday. On that day it ran from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm.

Art Vancouver is held at the Vancouver Convention Centre‘s East Building. The event happens in Ballroom B at Canada Place located at 999 Canada Place.

The venue offers parking but is also transit-friendly as it’s close to the Waterfront SkyTrain Station. The beautiful location also offers paths for walking and cycling right along the waterfront. The Coal Harbour Seawall connects to Stanley Park and makes for a wonderful way to take in the views that Vancouver has to offer.

Click Art Vancouver for tickets and the event’s official website.

Admission

General admission to the Art Vancouver fair for one day costs around $25 for everyone ages 12 and over. Children ages 11 and under enter for free.

Multi-day passes are also available for those who want to visit the fair multiple times. The passes cost $90 for all four days or just $50 for the Friday to Sunday.

Tickets for the special Opening Night Premiere Party usually costs about $45. The event features a preview of all the art, music and a Face of Art Runway Show.

For people who want to experience all that Art Vancouver has to offer, VIP Passes include access to early previews, opening night activities and all regular show days. VIP Passes typically cost about $105 per person.

Note: Early bird passes are usually available. You can save around 35% on all ticket sales.

Click Art Vancouver for tickets and the event’s official website.

Exhibitors at Art Vancouver

Art Vancouver is not exclusively for paintings or drawings. Instead, it’s a contemporary art fair showcasing different forms of art including photography, sculptures and more. Most of what you’ll see are paintings, but there is a lot more too.

Art Vancouver typically features around 60 or so exhibitors. Most are from Canada, but some are from other parts of the world.

TIP: Be sure to chat with the artists. They are more than happy to tell you about their art. You’ll learn some pretty interesting and amazing things from them. So many pieces of art have a story.

Click Art Vancouver Exhibitors to see the full list of artists who participated at the 2025 event.

HOTELS IN DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

Looking for a place to stay overnight that’s close to the Vancouver Convention Centre? Then check out the deals at StayVancouverHotels.com. Book your hotel through them and you’ll get a bonus gift! Hotels close by include the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel. The Westin Bayshore is between the convention centre and Stanley Park. There are lots of other great hotels to choose from too.

2025 Schedule

Art Vancouver features guest speakers, classes, art demonstrations and performances. Below was the schedule for 2025. (Note: Exact times and details were subject to change. Also, events marked with an asterisk [*] were ticketed.)

Thursday, April 24th (2025)

6:00 pm – VIP Preview
7:00 pm – Doors opened for everyone else
7:30 pm – Opening Ceremony (on the Main Stage)
8:00 pm – Face of Art Runway
10:00 pm – Doors closed

Friday, April 25th (2025)

1:00 pm – Doors opened
1:30 pm – Speaker Series with Erick Stow (on the Main Stage)
1:55 pm – Speaker Series with Mercy Anuoluwapo Abubakar & Prince Prosper Akeni (on the Main Stage)
2:15 pm – Speaker Series: Green Apple Art Centre (on the Main Stage)
2:30 pm – Art Class: Landscapes in Pastel* (at the Art Class Table)
2:45 pm – Art Demonstration with Leo Cunanan (on the Main Stage)
3:45 pm – Art Demonstration with Silvia Tagbokeke (on the Main Stage)
4:30 pm – Art Class: Caricatures* (at the Art Class Table)
4:40 pm – Speaker Series with Jai Sallay-Carrington (on the Main Stage)
5:05 pm – Art Demonstration – Olya Schmidt (on the Main Stage)
6:00 pm – Alcohol Ink Art Class* (at the Art Class Table)
6:05 pm – Art Demonstration with Melissa Poon (on the Main Stage)
7:05 pm – Art Demonstration with Norbert Okpu (on the Main Stage)
9:00 pm – Doors closed

Visit the Art Vancouver website for the full program.

Saturday, April 26th (2025)

12:00 pm – Doors opened
12:35 pm – Speaker Series with Matt Gabler (on the Main Stage)
12:55 pm – Speaker Series with Leo Cunanan (on the Main Stage)
1:00 pm – Bright Blossoms Art Class (at the Art Class Table)
2:00 pm –Art Talks: Safeguarding Creativity: Protecting Art in the Digital Age (on the Main Stage)
3:35 pm – Speaker Series with Sky Lilah (on the Main Stage)
4:00 pm – Alcohol Ink Art Class* (on the Main Stage)
6:30 pm – Art Masters Competition (on the Main Stage)
9:00 pm – Doors closed

Sunday, April 27th (2025)

11:00 am – Doors opened
12:00 pm – Speaker Series with Olya Schmidt (on the Main Stage)
12:00 pm – Intuitive Art Class* (at the Art Class Table)
12:20 pm – Speaker Series with William Orsua (on the Main Stage)
12:35 pm – Art Demonstrations with Erick Stow (on the Main Stage)
1:35 pm – Art Demonstrations with Emma (Yanzhi) Zhao (on the Main Stage)
2:35 pm – Art Demonstrations with Leila Razi (on the Main Stage)
3:00 pm – Warm Landscapes Art Class* (at the Art Class Table)
3:25 pm – Art Demonstrations with Jai Sallay-Carrington (on the Main Stage)
5:00 pm – Event Ended for the Day (and for the season)

Visit the Art Vancouver website for the full program.

Art Vancouver Video

Watch the videos below for an idea of what to expect at Art Vancouver. The first video shows scenes of the Opening Night event at Canada Place in 2025. The second video shows scenes of the event from 2023 and the third from 2022.

Some of the art featured in this second video from 2023 includes pieces by Paul Ygartua, Karissa Narukami, Elizabeth Cross, Mila Chanel, Lee Kyo Dong and Iva Staykova (all of whom are artists based in the Lower Mainland).