Feature image credit: Phyllis Atkins, We Are All Connected to this Land on Bear Creek Bridge. Photo by Jessica Venturi
A day out in Surrey BC is always a day chock full of inspiration! Through repurposed firehalls, tucked away in old-growth forests, or on the walls of contemporary galleries, you can live out stories both local and global. Here, we present a self-guided tour, easily accessible by transit through some of Surrey’s most compelling creative spaces, where history, curiosity, and bold modern visions converge.
Mind & Matter Gallery
We’ll start our day in a zen frame of mind at Mind & Matter Gallery, a unique gallery in an A-frame house nestled among 100-year old cedars on the Mikelson estate. Admission is free to browse their beautiful collection of paint, wood, stone, fibre and clay creations.
Credit: Mind & Matter Art Gallery
Newton Cultural Centre Gallery
Next we’ll hop the #351 Bus to the headquarters for visual, performing and literary arts in all of Surrey at the Newton Cultural Centre Gallery. Housed in a restored historic firehall, this state-of-the-art gallery showcases works by emerging and established artists hosted by the Arts Council of Surrey. Scheduled for August is a show by Lynne Kelman and Carla Paterson, local artists, neighbours and friends collaborating on a mixed-media show.
Credit: artscouncilofsurrey.ca | Dancing Tower by Gail Stephan
Studio Seventy Three
We can walk to our next stop at Studio Seventy Three, home to a group of local artists who work primarily with glass to create stunning and unique decorative pieces as well as wearable art. Time it right and you may find one of these fine craftspeople in the very act of creation! See something you like, then take home a truly one-of-a-kind work of art and support local artists while you’re at it.
Credit: studioseventythree.ca
Surrey Art Gallery
A short 10-minute walk brings us to the Surrey Art Gallery. The flagship gallery of the Surrey arts scene is where rotating exhibitions feature contemporary art by local, national and international artists. The art begins before you even enter the building with a mural by Atheana Picha called Echoes, which celebrates the utilitarian and cultural significance of the mountain goat to Coast Salish people to remind us all of our absolute connection to the environment. Inside, for the month of August you’ll find a mixed-media show from Brittney Appleby and MV Williams, an interactive exhibit where you can turn yourself into a cloud, plus a very special 50-year celebration of the gallery itself.
Credit: surrey.ca | Photo by Dennis Ha
Museum of Surrey
Hop on the bus again, this time the #342 to the Museum of Surrey where you can explore the history of the city and follow all the creative directions it’s headed in. Stroll through three heritage buildings on site to relive the stories of one of BC’s first prominent cities. Get a sense of what the creative life was like once around here through interactive displays, indigenous textile samples and curious collections of former and current Surrey residents.
Credit: surrey.ca | The Rivers That Connect Us – kʼwyʼiʼyʼe Spring Salmon Studio
The Black Arts Centre
The #502 Bus takes us to the last stop of our day at the Black Arts Centre, an artist-run cultural hub for the support and celebration of Black art and artists across multiple disciplines, from right here in Surrey to all over the world. Right now, until October 17, you can catch Vibrant Visions: The Art of Black Girlhood in Canada, a new multi-artist exhibition of media and material objects that looks beyond media representations into the heart of Black girl joy and the vibrancy of black life in our shared history.
Credit: theblackartscentre.ca