September is breezing in with all kinds of ways to keep your inspiration refreshed! This month we’re moving away from outdoor events and into more introspective and considered pieces that will challenge your perspectives about art. Pair a visit to one of these local gallery gems with a coffee date with a friend, or wander between shows with a toasty beverage in hand, the autumn vibes have arrived on the local art scene, so put on your favourite sweater and let’s go exploring!

 

Abbas Akhavan: One Hundred Years | Vancouver

Sept 5 – Dec 7, 2025

Examining how time is represented in narrative spaces, One Hundred Years uses site-specific installations, video and sculpture to explore meaning in various forms of reality. From stage to set to gallery, Abbas Akhavan finds a natural duality in each piece, whether it be hospitality and hostility, or institutional and domestic.

 

 

Distance Between Objects, Time Between Events | Vancouver

Until Sept 7, 2025

​​Lindsay McIntyre engages filmmaking as a material practice. For over two decades, she has experimented with manipulating the properties of celluloid, creating a diverse body of films grounded in labour, collaboration and process. Working between documentary, experimental film and expanded cinema performance, McIntyre’s oeuvre reflects on displacement from Inuit Nunangat, place- and land-based methodologies, Inuit community, and survivance, often in conversation with her family history.

 

 

The Coast Mountains: Recent Works by Edward Burtynsky | Whistler

Until Sept 15, 2025

A selection of large-scale photos of BC mountains, this exhibit from internationally acclaimed Toronto-based artist Edward Burtynsky, shows the beauty and fragility of nature in the modern age. Each gorgeous shot of the Coast Mountains will make you consider the human impact on these hulking giants, which often seem untouchable and immovable.

 

 

Potlatch Gifts | Vancouver

Sept 17 – Jan 25, 2026

Centred on the act of gift-giving within potlatch traditions, this exhibition explores how the concept of reciprocity has evolved over time. As the first solo curatorial show from the Bill Reid Gallery’s Assistant Curator, Amelia Rea (Haida), Potlatch Gifts features multiple artists and numerous thoughtfully crafted items which have been gifted to others. Shown within the context of historical photos, this is an excellent chance to learn about tradition, craftsmanship, and the art of creating a gesture.

 

 

Christos Dikeakos: The Collectors | Vancouver’s North Shore

Sept 20 – Dec 14, 2025

Showcasing portraits of art collectors from around BC and the world, this photo series presents a community whose love for art goes beyond passion. Sitting alongside their art collections, you can get a glimpse into the psyche of people on a journey of inspiration that can span a lifetime.

Opening reception: Friday, September 19, 2025, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

 

 

Bard on the Beach 2025 | Vancouver

Until Sept 20, 2025

One of Metro Vancouver’s most enduring summer traditions, Bard on the Beach, returns with four new stagings from the catalogue of Stratford’s most famous playwright. This year, you can catch Much Ado About Nothing, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again], and The Dark Lady. Just off the shore of False Creek, enter their famous big top tent for a local experience unlike any other!

 

 

Umami: Savouring Artistic Nikkei Identity (Part 2) | Burnaby

Until Sept 27, 2025

The next chapter of a two-part exhibition, this celebration of local artists of Japanese heritage showcases the diverse talent and skill of a vibrant community. Spanning traditional to contemporary art practices, each artist communicates their personal and cultural identity in unique and surprising ways

 

 

Star Witnesses | Vancouver’s North Shore

Until Sept 28, 2025

Taking inspiration from the night sky, this group exhibition shows the vastly different perspectives possible when looking into the cosmos. Twelve multimedia artists from across the globe show their creative takes on time, space, and infinity in a collection that will make you consider your place in a vast sea of stars.

 

 

Ongoing

Gathered Leaves: Discoveries from the Drawings Vault | Whistler

Until Oct 13, 2025

Showcasing rarely seen pieces from the National Gallery of Canada’s renowned prints and drawings collection, this landmark exhibition spans the 15th to 20th centuries. Marvel at the evolving artistry between generations in an extraordinary glimpse into the storied institution’s vault.

 

 

Vibrant Visions: The Art of Black Girlhood in Canada | Surrey

Until Oct 17, 2025

Vibrant Visions features a collection of artists exploring and expressing the being and belonging of Black girls in the Great White North. Using mixed media and materials, each voice recalibrates the sight lines of culture to illuminate obscured life, vibrancy and history.

 

 

Art in the Hall: John Clinock – Short Stories | Vancouver’s North Shore

Until Oct 20

A series of painted panels in a West Vancouver Municipal Hall, the artist describes each storied piece as a visual haiku or a dream fragment. “Vignettes of my life… They are images that appear daily in my mind.” Whether you view them in sequence or in random order, the collection challenges you to create a narrative from the fragments and see if you can relate to what naturally assembles.

 

 

Lay Me Down in Praise – UrbanScreen | Surrey

Until Oct 25, 2025

Growing up in Crenshaw, Los Angeles, a neighbourhood rich in cultural history and Black identities, Justen LeRoy’s artistic practice merged with a unique perspective on social narratives, resistance, and collective memory. Drawing from Crenshaw’s vibrant energy and layered histories, Leroy brings this unique sense of place to an incredible projection piece outside of Surrey’s City Centre Library. The piece begins just after sunset and is an incredible juxtaposition of spaces that bridge cultures and identities.

 

 

Feature image credit: griffinartprojects.ca | Christos Dikeakos, Uno Langmann (detailed view), 2019, inkjet print, 60 x 110 cm