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It’s a great time to check out art offerings in New Westminster

Art exhibitions: “New West is brimming with local galleries and spaces to view and experience art.”
Theresa McManus
Theresa McManus
new-media-galllery-mat-collishaw
Zooveillance features art by Mat Collishaw, now showing at the New Media Gallery.Courtesy of Mat Collishaw

An eclectic array of art is available for viewing at galleries around New Westminster.

Watercolours, charcoal and technology are among the mediums highlighted in some of the exhibitions now underway in New West.

“For our size, New West is brimming with local galleries and spaces to view and experience art,” said Laura Grady, executive director of Arts New West. “There are so many different forms of art to explore in the New West, from professional to emerging and tech to traditional; this city has it all.”

Why check out art?

“These places and spaces allow us to discover new things, learn new ideas, and feel connected to the local art community,” Grady said. “Visiting a gallery or art space dramatically affects our community's health, development, and vitality. Spending a weekend exploring art in New West is sure to be an enriching experience.”

Here’s a look at some of the exhibitions you can check out around town – including some that are ending (and beginning) this weekend.

Amelia Douglas Gallery

Beloved of the Sky is an exhibition featuring charcoal drawings by New West-based artist Sherida Charles.

  • Where: The Amelia Douglas Gallery, fourth floor north at Douglas College, 700 Royal Ave.
  • When: Until April 15. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Community Art Gallery

Fusion Perspectives is described as being “a collaborative exhibition that features two distinct artistic styles and explores the synergy that arises when abstract representational mixed media illustration and photography intersect.” This exhibition includes works by Paul Newton (whose photographs are known for their composition, ambiance, and ability to transport the viewer to faraway places) and Victoria Mitchell (whose paintings and illustrations are said to blend elements of reality and imagination, utilizing intricacies which evoke emotions and narratives within her work).

Gallery at Queen’s Park

Artist Tian Dai’s The Natural Flow Meets uses watercolour as the medium “through  which colour is liberated to meander, giving rise to unbridled images, be they reminiscent of clouds, flower-laden ponds, or other enigmatic forms.”

  • Where: Gallery at Queen’s Park (in Centennial Lodge in Queen’s Park)
  • When: Until March 24. The gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Coming up next weekend:

Ukrainian Cultural Society: Where Did Malanka Go? The first Ukrainian interactive and educational exhibition will explore the following questions: What does Malanka mean? What is the history of this holiday in Ukraine? How and why has the holiday evolved within the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada? 

  • Where: Gallery at Queen’s Park (in Centennial Lodge in Queen’s Park)
  • When: March 28 to 30. The opening reception is Thursday, March 28, 6 p.m.
  • Details: Free

New Media Gallery

Zooveillance uses research into artificial intelligence or social media to inform works by three international artists – Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Mat Collishaw and Marco Barotti.

  • Where: New Media Gallery in Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia St.
  • When: Until May 5. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a late opening until 8 p.m. on Thursdays.

New West Artists

New West Artists’ regularly host exhibitions and events in their I Heart New West space in downtown New West. Their Hello Spring! show spans four weekends, starting Sunday, March 24. The exhibition will be closed for the Easter weekend and will reopen on Friday, April 5.

  • When:  Sunday, March 24; April 5 to 7; April 12 to 14; and April 19 to 21. Open Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Where: IHeartNewWest, 78 10th St. in Columbia Square Plaza.

Plaskett Gallery

Framed/Through the Key Hole features Vytynanka, a Ukrainian traditional art of paper cutting. Curated by Iryna Mitnovych and featuring works by Olena Martynets, Tanya Znak, Evgenia Bushueva and Oleksandra Berdnyk, this exhibition showcases an art form that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries – using intricately cut fabric or paper to tell a story.

  • Where: Plaskett Gallery, 735 Eighth Ave. (in the Massey Theatre complex)
  • When: Until April 9. The gallery is open Tuesdays to Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m. during all performances at the Massey Theatre, or by appointment. To make an appointment, call 604-517-5900.

Other locations in New West where you can find art exhibitions:

  • Arrieta Art Studio, located in downtown New West, provides classes and hosts public events, including exhibitions.  Info at  www.arrietaart.ca
  • VanDop Gallery, operated by Trudy Van Dop, is an in-house gallery in Sapperton that exhibits a curated multi-collection of contemporary artworks by Canadian artists in house and online. Details at vandopgallery.com/
  • New West’s free little art gallery, 815 Edinburgh St., features an ever-changing array of art.
  • Arts New West features pop-up exhibitions at various locations. Details at artsnewwest.ca
  • River Market: The Best of New West Artists art exhibit runs until April 17 at the @Clubhouse Coworking, located upstairs at the River Market, 810 Quayside Dr. It’s open for viewing Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m.

Did we miss you? Let us know so we can include your exhibition in future art roundups. Email [email protected].