Exhibitions
The Library recognizes that the arts are a distinguishing characteristic of our community’s identity. To support our community’s creative talents, we offer spaces that showcase local artists in a setting that invites connection and reflection.
Our Art Gallery is a canvas for established and emerging artists who work in an exciting range of styles and media. Come experience this month’s exhibit and discover a new artist, perspective, and source of pleasure. Works are on display on the Main Floor.
In addition to our monthly exhibitions, over the years the Library has acquired a collection of fine art. Selected pieces are on display in the Library.
In the Art Gallery
BOARDWALKS AND BYWAYS
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 – Friday, January 12, 2024
Like many coastal communities, West Vancouver’s shoreline is dotted with piers that continue to stand the test of time. Once the destination of a bustling ferry service, these wooden jetties connected Vancouver’s southern shore to Ambleside, Hollyburn, Dundarave, Caulfeild, and Snug Cove. These points of entry at the bottom of 14th, 17th, and 25th streets allowed commerce to flourish and dreams to take shape. As this growth accelerated, West Vancouver eventually separated from North Vancouver in 1912. Both municipalities worked together to improve Keith Road and build what would become Marine Drive.
This exhibition showcases photographs of waterfront landmarks and thoroughfares from 1900 to 1920 that still exist today. Although the community has evolved significantly, the well-known adage, “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” rings true as roads created 100 years ago continue to be utilized and appreciated by residents.
For sales enquires, please contact Taren Urquhart, Arts and Special Events Programmer at turquhart@westvanlibrary.ca or 604.925.7446.
Above photo credit: Opening of Marine Drive, August 11, 1915. West Vancouver Archives, 0157.WVA.RAH.
Up Next: The Witness Blanket
Inspired by a woven blanket, the Witness Blanket is a large-scale work of art. It contains hundreds of items reclaimed from residential schools, churches, government buildings, and traditional and cultural structures from across the country. Each piece of the Blanket tells us about a specific experience from more than 130 residential schools that operated across Canada for over a century. From January 26 to March 10, we’re hosting the touring replica of the Witness Blanket in the Main Hall.
The effects of the residential schools live on. They can be seen in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, relationships, attitudes, and behaviours. By bearing witness to these stories, you carry their truth forward into a future that takes responsibility for the injustices of the past.
Plan your visit: Stop by during regular hours to take a self-guided tour of the Witness Blanket, explore our programs and resources, bear witness, and reflect. More details about the exhibit will be available on our Art Gallery page in December.
Content warning: the Witness Blanket and its stories address themes of racism and cruelty. If you are a Residential School Survivor or family member in need of support, a national crisis line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week: 1-866-925-4419.
Hosting this exhibition is possible thanks to the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and the West Vancouver Memorial Library Foundation.
Call for Artists - Ongoing
WVML invites visual artists to submit work for our 2024 exhibit space. Submissions are open to emerging and professional artists that work across the Lower Mainland. Selected artists will be scheduled for a 6 to 8 week group exhibition of several artists.
Request a Group Visit
Anyone is welcome to visit the exhibition during regular Library hours (10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday – Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday – Sunday).
If you have a group of 15 or more people interested in visiting, please fill out the Group Visit Request Form below.
PLEASE NOTE: Submitting a group booking request is only to ensure that there are no other large groups visiting at the same time. The Library does not provide a tour guide; your visit will be self-guided. Groups should consult the resources on this webpage for more information on preparing for and debriefing their visit.
Group Visit Request Form
We will review your group booking request and send you a confirmation email with your date/time within three business days.