Vancouver's West of Main Art Walk

The West of Main Art Walk is an open studio tour, art exhibition and art sale in Vancouver. Hosted by Artists in Our Midst, the event takes place in May.

The West of Main Art Walk provides an exceptional opportunity to see beautiful art and meet local artists. The art you’ll see is phenomenal and admission is free!

In 2023 the event celebrates its 30th year on the Saturday and Sunday of May 27th and 28th from 11:00 until 5:00 pm both days.

For the event’s official website, click artistsinourmidst.com.

This article contains the following information about the West of Main Art Walk:

West of Main Art Walk

The West of Main Art Walk is the longest running open studio tour and art sale in Vancouver. The annual event began in 1993 as Artists in Our Midst which is also the name of the non-profit group of artists that open their studios to the public each year.

The individuals that put together this event aim to promote local and visual art to communities in the Lower Mainland. All activities are free to attend. Through the events, people can connect with local artists, get an inside look at their studios and buy beautiful art.

What, When and Where

2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the West of Main Art Walk. The event runs in late spring with things to do on May 27th and 28th. There are 60 or so featured artists, some of whom are already known on a global scale.

The Open Studio Tour and Sale takes place between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm on the Saturday and Sunday of May 27th and 28th in 2023. Participating artists open their studios to the public over that weekend. This is a chance for people to see and explore what it’s like to be an artist in Vancouver. Visitors can see what artists are currently working on, take a tour of their workspaces, and buy pieces that are on sale.

The majority of studios on the tour are east of Blanca Street (near the edge of UBC), north of 16th Avenue and west of around Arbutus Street. A lot are concentrated in the neighbourhoods of Point Grey and Kitsilano in particular. The full region covered by the event, however, includes parts of Vancouver west of Main Street, north of 41st Street, south of False Creek, and east of both Blanca Street and UBC.

If you want to see several artists and their works in one building, rather than touring individual studios all around the city, then we recommend you visit Aberthau Mansion (at 4397 West 2nd Avenue) or the Pacific Arts Market (at 1448 West Broadway). Other great hubs where you’ll find multiple artists at one venue in 2023 include Kitsilano Neighbourhood House (at 2305 West 7th Avenue) and the City Centre Motel (at 2111 Main Street).

For a full map of all the places to check out this year, visit the Artists in Our Midst website.

For the event’s official website visit artistsinourmidst.com.

Admiring the Art at the Pacific Arts Market — The Pacific Arts Market

Merchants in our Midst

Another component of the West of Main Art Walk is the Merchants in Our Midst program. Throughout the whole month of May, businesses the Kitsilano, Kerrisdale, Dunbar and South Granville neighbourhoods have local art on display. This is a wonderful way of promoting artists and bringing more colour to banks, libraries, small businesses and participating retail venues. Most of the art on display at each merchant is also available to purchase.

For the full list of participating merchants in 2023, visit the Artists in Our Midst website.

Art for Charity

Many of the artists that participate in the West of Main Art Walk donate small 6×6 inch pieces of original artwork which can be purchased for $50. Proceeds from the sale of the art benefits Coast Mental Health which uses the funds to purchase supplies for its art programs. Last year all the $50 pieces of art were at one venue (at the Roundhouse Community Centre). This year though, each piece of fundraising art can be admired (and purchased) at each of the artist’s individual locations during the event.

A preview of a selection of pieces is also available, however, at the Kitsilano Farmers Market on May 21st. The art can also likely be seen on the West of Main Art Walk’s website.

For the event’s official website click artistsinourmidst.com.

West of Main Art Walk Video

For an idea of what the art and studio tour looks like, check out the video below. It shows scenes of the West of Main Art Walk from 2022. Art and artists you’ll see in the video include Monika Sanft, Lisa Farrell, Jeff Coates, Jayna Berry, Lisa Farmer, Kathy Swift, Beth W. Stewart, Lanni Weingarten, Sabine Simons, Mark Eugster, Billy Wittman and others.

Scenes in this video include ones at the Pacific Arts Market, Roundhouse Community Centre and Knox United Church. All three of these venues participated in the event in 2022, but just the first one does in 2023. Other venues where you can see the work of multiple artists this year include the West Point Grey Community Centre’s Aberthau Mansion and Kitsilano Neighbourhood House.

Tips and Advice

Below are some tips and suggestions that you might find helpful.

TIP #1: Don’t just go around snapping pictures of everything you see. Before taking photos of artists and their work, ask for permission. Some artists won’t mind, but others might. If you share content on social media, use the hashtag #westofmainartwalk (plus maybe the hashtag of the artist of the art you take photos of). Help spread the word!

TIP #2: Parking can get expensive in Vancouver. Public transit is recommended, especially since many of the events and studios are close to each other. Use the map on the Artists in Our Midst website to help plan your routes.

For the event’s official website click artistsinourmidst.com.