It’s that time of the year when the entire city turns into a giant art gallery — artists open their homes for people to take a sneak peek of their creations, co-working spaces shape-shift as walk-in art studios, and breweries morph into places where customers chug a beer while staring into large canvases.
New West’s 19th annual Cultural Crawl, organized by the Arts Council of New West, is set to take place Oct. 15 and 16. The event will dot the city’s map with 25 spots that art enthusiasts can waltz in and out of as they please, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
New West residents will get a chance to enjoy artworks by both emerging and professional artists, not just in pin-drop-silent galleries but also in a lively coffee shop, or, as it turns out, a church.
Here are five spots — that are not a gallery or a studio — to check out at this Cultural Crawl:
The Art Department at Another Beer Co.
Browsing through art in the quiet halls of a gallery can be sometimes intimidating. But looking at art with a beer mug in hand and a group of friends to clink it with seems more like a social outing, doesn’t it? And who knows — swilling down a glass of lager might even give some a new perspective on those seemingly-random brush strokes.
Head to the newly-built Art Department at Another Beer Co., a new entrant in the Cultural Crawl list, to look at artworks curated by the brewery which, by the way, has its creative labels designed by local artists.
Located at Unit 10, 30 Capilano Way.
The Off-Ish
The co-working space in Sapperton will pivot from being a place where people tap away on their laptops or huddle for serious meetings, to a free walk-in gallery space for two days — thanks to the 2022 Cultural Crawl. The Off-ish will feature a solo exhibition by New West-based artist Danielle Bobier.
Take time to browse through works themed around abstracted landscapes and atmospheric optics — curated by former Arts Council executive director Stephen O’Shea.
Located at Unit 102, 129 East Columbia St.
Serious Coffee Aqua Plaza 88
Kick start the Cultural Crawl with a breakfast of a lumberjack wrap and ice mocha, while sitting back and looking at dreamy paintings of crows, ravens, hummingbirds and New West's Pattullo Bridge. Artist Janet Kvammen’s works will feature on the walls of the cafe that’s located in New West’s downtown — a walk-able distance from the other Cultural Crawl venues such as the Anvil Centre and River Market.
Located at 102-900 Carnarvon St.
Steel & Oak Brewery
You might be frequenting this downtown brewery for its German pilsner, or for a late evening hang with running enthusiasts, but here’s another reason why you should drop by the neighbourhood watering hole the Oct. 15th weekend — to check out artist Melissa Burgher’s oil paintings.
The artist, who describes herself as a “visual, spiritual and physical explorer of nature and humanity,” is inspired by the Canadian landmarks and animals to make art — as mentioned on her website. Grab a veggie PartyPocket from the brewery and let the artworks make you ponder nature’s resilience and the impact of your consumption.
Located at 1319 Third Ave.
Holy Eucharist Cathedral
You might have seen the photos of the popular stained glass art of France’s Sainte-Chappelle church, or Michelangelo’s dome at Vatican City’s St. Peter’s Basilica splashed on your Instagram pages. But have you paused and looked at churches closer to home?
At this Cultural Crawl, walk into the Holy Eucharist Cathedral (the cathedral of the New Westminster Eparchy of the Ukrainian Catholic Church), to look at the stained glass windows, murals and paintings within the building. As reported in Royal Doors, three Ukrainian iconographers were flown into B.C. in 2018 to work on the images and patterns (that use artificial gold leaf and mimic Ukrainian embroidery) that you see in the cathedral today.
Located at 501 Fourth Ave.
Find the list of all 25 venues on New West Cultural Crawl website. You can also sign up as a volunteer for the event by sending an email to mail programs@acnw.ca or calling 604-525-3244.
