Feature image credit: audainartmuseum.com | James Hart, The Dance Screen (The Scream Too) (detail), 2010-2013, red cedar panel with abalone, mica, acrylic, wire and yew wood, Audain Art Museum Collection, Gift of Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa
Beauty has always been synonymous with Whistler. Most times—and with good reason—most of that talk is about the stunning natural landscape it’s nestled in. But look inside its walls and there’s a thriving art scene that matches the brilliance of the outdoors, and often inspired by its magnificence. Join us as we take you on a walk through Whistler, and the art that tells stories as big as mountains.
1. Adele Campbell Fine Art Gallery
We’ll start our day right in the hub of it all, Whistler Village Central. After grabbing a morning coffee from Lift Coffee, we’ll head just down the road and around to the Westin Resort and the Adele Campbell Fine Art Gallery where we’ll take in some contemporary art that features the dramatic landscapes and unique wildlife of Canada, by emerging and established Canadian artists from as far away as Newfoundland, and as close to home as Whistler itself. Exhibitions change often, so there’s always something new to see.
Adele Campbell Fine Art Gallery. Credit: singulart.com
2. Suzanne Johnston Studio
We’ll stay in the Westin Resort for our next gallery visit, this one full of artwork from local-by-way-of-Montreal artist, Suzanne Johnston. Suzanne works mainly in acrylic to create large, colourful abstract paintings. Here you’ll find works featuring her signature take on still-lifes, as well as more ethereal works to get lost in, what the artist describes as her “dreams expressed in colour.” It’s a bright, expansive gallery as bold and inviting as the work it houses.
3. Whistler Contemporary Gallery – Hilton
To round out our morning, we’ll head to Whistler Contemporary Gallery in the Hilton Whistler Resort. Here we’ll find local and international contemporary art—with a bit of an edge to it. Upcoming events feature artists Judy Chang, whose landscape paintings capture the breathtaking nature found between Whistler and Vancouver, and Sarah Winkler, whose works blend geography and abstraction in a fusion of memory, emotion, and environmental storytelling.
Whistler Contemporary Gallery, HIlton Whistler Resort. Credit: whistlerart.com
4. Audain Art Museum
At our next stop, we’ll carve out a little more time, as there is so much to see at the Audain Art Museum, housed in a dramatic building that is a piece of art in itself. Definitely one of Whistler’s cultural highlights, its permanent collection features prominent BC art from First Nations carvers and Emily Carr. The current exhibit features the large-scale photographs of Edward Butynsky. The Coast Mountains captures the majestic beauty of BC’s glaciers while it challenges us to reckon with their rapid disappearance due to climate change.
Audain Art Museum. Credit: Jessica Venturi
4. Plaza Galleries
The Audain will give us much to think about as we walk back through the Village to the Plaza Galleries, where, fittingly, the mountain experience is celebrated through the lens of contemporary fine art. The gallery bridges the art world with the stunning nature just outside its windows in pieces that take inspiration from local wildlife, mountain scenery, winter sports, and the mountain life well lived. Their current exhibition is from 2Wild, a brother-sister collaboration that infuses the North American wilderness with narratives from television, film, and advertisement.
5. Whistler Museum
Just a few steps away takes us to the Whistler Museum where we can learn a little more about the history of the area, from its early settlers to development as one of the world’s top ski resort destinations to milestones from the 2010 Winter Olympics. Take a fascinating trip through historical photographs, multimedia presentations and displays that tell the story of Whistler’s natural environment, ski racing history and even the “hippie” movement that took prominence in the 1960s.
Whistler Museum. Credit: whistler.com
6. Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
We’ll stay on the learning curve as we head north to the Upper Village for a visit to the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre where the cultures of the Squamish Nation and Lil’wat Nation come to life through art, architecture, and storytelling. Here we have the tremendous opportunity to learn about deep-rooted traditions that continue to thrive today at Whistler’s only authentic Indigenous experience. Interactive exhibits, cultural performances, and traditional carvings and weaving will deepen our understanding of the land and the people who have stewarded it since time immemorial.
Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. Credit: @franklykathryn (via Instagram)
7. Mountain Galleries
We’ll head back down into the Village to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, home of Mountain Galleries, one of the largest commercial galleries in Western Canada and a showcase for major and mid-career artists. We’ll browse sculptures, paintings and photographs that capture Whistler’s vibrant blend of nature and culture. And hey, if something catches your eye, their museum-quality shipping service can send you the ultimate souvenir anywhere in the world.
8. Whistler Contemporary Gallery – Four Seasons
On our last stop we’ll take in the calm, quiet grandeur of the Whistler Contemporary Gallery, this time in the lobby of the Four Seasons Resort. The luxury hotel atmosphere is the perfect spot to unwind amidst contemporary paintings, glass work and sculpture, much of it sourced from top international art fairs in New York, Toronto and Miami.
Whistler Contemporary Gallery, Four Seasons. Credit: whistlerart.com
If you still haven’t got enough art, check out the WCG’s We Heart Local Art program that puts local artists on the walls of businesses around Whistler. The dedicated Whistler Culture Map can help you find which artists are featured where. Happy exploring!