A community painting event in Richmond’s historic Steveston Village, the Grand Prix of Art gives artists a short amount of time to create a great new piece.

In 2024 the event happened on the weekend of July 27th and 28th. The competition, live painting and artisan market took place on the Saturday. On both Saturday and Sunday there was live music and art on display. Most of the event takes place in and around the Britannia Heritage Shipyards area, but a bit also along other parts of the waterfront too.

For more information about the art competition, continue reading below or visit the official Grand Prix of Art website.

This article includes the following information about the Grand Prix of Art:

The Grand Prix of Art in Steveston Village

Celebrating its 14th year in 2024, the Grand Prix of Art is a free annual event in Steveston Village. The area is a popular place to visit in Richmond for several reasons, including its beautiful scenery.

The Grand Prix takes advantage of the location by challenging a large number of local artists with a fun task: to complete the best possible painting of their surroundings in just three hours. After the time is up all of the works are displayed for the public to see with awards given out to the best pieces.

In addition to the art exhibition, there are also food trucks, market vendors and live music to enjoy.

For full details about the event, see the Grand Prix of Art website.

Where and When

The Grand Prix of Art took place on the weekend of July 27th and 28th in 2024. Saturday hours were from 10:00 am until 5:30 pm, while Sunday hours were from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm.

All of the action happens around the Britannia Heritage Shipyards in Richmond’s Steveston Village. More specifically, artists work on their pieces between London Landing and Garry Point Park. It’s a lovely stretch of waterfront with walking and cycling trails.

What to Expect

On the Saturday, the Grand Prix of Art begins at 10:00 am. Expect to see 150 artists painting at randomly assigned locations in the area. Spectators are welcome to explore the area and check out the artists at work. All pieces are completed by 1:00 pm, and there’s a picnic for the artists followed by the first awards ceremony at 2:30 pm.

Meanwhile, the event’s artisan market opens to the public at noon and features more than 20 vendors selling handmade goods. There are also demonstrations and workshops at the market, which closes at 4:30 pm on the Saturday.

The art pieces are then set up for the public to admire at the Seine Net Loft building. The exhibition is open from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm on the Saturday, and from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on the Sunday. People can cast their votes for the second set of awards, which are presented at 3:30 pm on the Sunday.

There is live music to accompany the activities on both days. Performers in 2024 included Crabgrass, Blue Dirt Girl, The Blues Hawks, and Murphy and the Cats. There are usually food trucks on-site selling coffee, grilled cheese sandwiches, deli meats and more.

2024 Event Schedule

Below was the full schedule of events for 2024. For more on what to expect at the event go to the Grand Prix of Art website.

Saturday, July 27th, 2024

10:00 am – The Grand Prix begins
12:00 pm – Artisan Market opens
12:00 pm – Crabgrass performs
1:00 pm – The painting finishes and picnic begins
1:00 pm – Blue Dirt Girl performs
2:00 pm – The Blues Hawks perform
2:30 pm – First Awards Ceremony
3:00 pm – Art Exhibition of the pieces opens and public voting begins
4:30 pm – Artisan Market closes
5:30 pm – Art Exhibition closes

Sunday, July 28th, 2024

10:00 am – Art Exhibition opens
2:00 pm – Murphy and the Cats perform
3:30 pm – People’s Choice Awards Ceremony
4:00 pm – Art Exhibition closes

Grand Prix of Art Videos

For an idea of what the event looks like, check out the videos below. The first one shows scenes of the event from a few years ago. The second one shows scenes of the event from 2024.

And below is a video with scenes of the Steveston Grand Prix of Art in 2024.

Tips & Advice

Listed below are things that are good to know before attending the Grand Prix of Art.

TIP #1: Organizers recommend experiencing the event by bike. In fact, there’s a bicycle valet service available throughout the event. If you choose to cycle, you can use the service to take care of your bike while you attend the exhibition, eat food or sit and listen to the live music.

TIP #2: While in the area, be sure to walk into some of the buildings at the Britannia Heritage Shipyards. Also consider visiting the Gulf of Georgia Cannery. It’s a good place to learn about the region’s rich salmon canning history.