Surrey Art Gallery is pleased to announce the exhibition In the Shadow of the Pavilions: Expo 86 and Contemporary Art that will run from April 18 to June 7, 2026. The public reception and launch will take place Saturday April 18 from 6-9pm. Admission to the exhibition and reception is free.

Across numerous pavilions, multiple outdoor plazas, and within various museums and public galleries around the Lower Mainland, Expo 86 brought together a wide variety of artists and artworks from across Canada and around the world. At the same time, the world’s fair attracted a wide range of parallel art exhibitions and initiatives. On Expo’s 40th anniversary, In the Shadow of the Pavilions: Expo 86 and Contemporary Art highlights some of the extraordinary art from around British Columbia’s Lower Mainland during Canada’s second world’s fair moment.