articipants in the 2011 Vancouver Gallery Hop head outdoors to discuss works of public art. Photo: Melanie Parent.
Bookstores and Printed Matter Centres
Books can contain texts about art, and they can also be art in themselves. Today, artists may produce any range of stunning and thought-provoking pamphlets, catalogues, magazines, posters, zines and other kinds of small multiples. In Canada, there are a few major venues dealing with this type of art: Toronto’s Art Metropole, Montreal’s Artexte and Vancouver’s Artspeak, which are all great stops for fans of the genre. Montreal’s Maison Kasini, which does a mail-art program, is also recommended. Nationwide, many artist-run centres and alternative bookstores also have special sections for publications-as-art worth exploring too.
Window Art Spaces
Window galleries have the advantage of being “open” on display 24/7 to the public, and can often be created in unusual or small spaces. In Toronto, Convenience Gallery and QueenSpecific are a couple of dedicated window art spaces. In Calgary, the Epcor Centre hosts rotating window exhibitions in its +15 level programmed by local artist-run centres the New Gallery, Stride Gallery and Truck Contemporary Art. In Vancouver, the Contemporary Art Gallery hosts locally and internationally renowned artists in its vitrines facing the street. Keep your eyes peeled on your next city stroll and you may see more art than you think!
Public Art Parks
In the summer especially, it can be wonderful to break free of the indoors and head out into greener spaces. Luckily, these can also be good places to see art—works of public art, that is. In Toronto, the Sculpture Garden hosts months-long exhibitions by contemporary artists, while permanent public art installations, like Douglas Coupland’s multiple works near CityPlace, provide art integrated into a lookout point and jogging track. Vancouver’s Public Art Department has a very comprehensive site offering an interactive map for public art all over the city. The Tree Museum in Muskoka is an outdoor art gallery of site-specific installations, while Point Pleasant Park in Halifax often hosts artist residencies. And in almost every major Canadian city there is a commitment to public art in parks and other spaces. Google or call your local public art department for more information.
In Transit
Transit stops and facilities are another unexpected place commuters can find art these days. In Vancouver, InTransit BC co-sponsors a Canada Line Public Art Program, which ranges from murals at stations to short videos shown on the Canada Line monitors. In Calgary, several downtown transit platforms recently installed TransitStory, a series of figures by Jill Anholt. In Toronto, the Onestop screens in subway stations often host cultural programming for events like Nuit Blanche and the Contact Photography Festival. In Montreal, many Metro stations are home to permanent displays of public art by major artists, like Marcelle Ferron’s stained-glass window at Vendôme station.
Image: Participants in the 2011 Vancouver Gallery Hop head outdoors to discuss works of public art. Photo: Melanie Parent.
