Feature Image: 217.5 Arc x 13, Artist: Bernar Venet. Photo courtesy of Vancouver Biennale
By Marisa Chandler
There are so many beautiful things to see when you wander through Vancouver’s West End on foot, from earthy trails winding through the forest of Stanley Park to charming tree-lined streets of heritage buildings and a wealth of engaging public artworks. The West End has a rich history as one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city, as the heart of LGBTQ2+ community, and is home to a community of many cultures. To reflect this diversity the neighbourhood is filled with incredible and accessible public art.
Escape the busy parts of Downtown Vancouver and explore the West End on a self-guided art walk.
Artist: Jim Balakshin
In celebration of the area as a hub for the LGBTQ2+ community and inspired by Vancouver’s culture of neon signs in the 1950s (the city once had over 19,000 neon signs, since long gone) the neon light Heart of Davie Village sign installation by local artist Jim Balakshin sits 10 feet tall in the air, welcoming you to the community.
“My wish is that this piece will symbolize the collective spirit and diversity of this great community, and the vibrancy of the Davie Village.”
Follow Jim Balakshin on Instagram @jimbalakshin
Walk to: Davie and Burrard Street, by Davie Village Community Garden and the entrance to The Fountainhead Pub
Artist: Pearl Low
Hidden in the alley behind The Junction pub on Davie Street is a mural radiating pure joy and sunshine. Pearl Low is a non-binary Cantonese-Jamaican artist based in Vancouver. They are an Oscar-winning story artist, illustrator, and comics artist, and their work is rooted in themes of self-love, acceptance and Chinese-Canadian and Caribbean-Canadian experiences.
“Black joy is so important to see because not only is it revolutionary, it is extraordinary, and beautiful. I wanted to paint a Black woman exuding joy, in all her glory, in front of a deconstructed sun, surrounded by oranges on branches. Oranges have many meanings, but the ones that resonate with me are Joy, Happiness and Prosperity.“
Learn more about Pearl Low.
Walk to: Behind The Junction at 1138 Davie Street in Pantages Lane, between Bute Street and Thurlow Street.
Tour Tip– if you walk through Jim Deva Plaza at Davie and Bute Street to enter Pantages Lane, you can catch a glimpse another work of art on your way to the mural, the Drag Queen Crossing sign!
Proud Together (Mural)
Artist: Mandy Tsung
Behind Celebrities Nightclub is a colourful and energetic celebration of identities and love decorating the wall. Mandy Tsung’s artwork engages with themes of multi-racial identity, queerness, and neurodivergence.
“My painting is a celebration of the multitudes of identities that are a part of the LGBTQ2S+ community. The piece depicts a non-binary and trans-feminine couple, whose ethnicities are as complex as my own.”
Learn more about Mandy Tsung.
Walk to: Behind 1022 Davie, West/Back wall behind Celebrities Nightclub (Pantages Lane)
A-Maze-Ing Laughter (Sculpture)
Artist: Yue Minjun
In a series of 14 larger-than-life bronze statues scattered around Morton Park, Beijing-based artist Yue Minjun sculpture is made of several variations of his own laughing image, from a gaping grin to eyes closed in a state of hysterical laughter.
One of the most famous and photographed public artworks in Vancouver, attracting both locals and tourists who interact with the work, hanging off the arms, walking around them, and posing for selfies.
Walk to: Morton Park is located at the entrance to English Bay. Make your way to the corner of Davie Street and Denman Street and you can’t miss it–the statues are enormous!
Get a jolt of joy when you catch sight of the brightly-coloured electrical box at the corner of Denman and Davie Street. An illustrative piece that speaks to the well-loved landmarks and local spirit by an artist residing in the community.
This is one of many electrical boxes in Downtown Vancouver wrapped with the work of local artists, so watch out for more as you wander!
“This neighbourhood is close to my heart and I love so many things about it. From the super friendly neighbours, to the amazing greenery, cute doggos, awesome small businesses, the ocean, Stanley Park and everything in between.”
Learn more about Serena Chu.
Walk to: The corner of Barclay Street and Denman Street
West End Sex Workers Memorial (Monument)
Sitting outside the Jervis Street entrance to St. Paul’s Anglican Church is a unique streetlamp, noticeable for both its elegant Victorian styling and unusual glowing red orb as the light. This is the West End Sex Workers Memorial. Unveiled in 2016 the monument is a tribute to sex workers who lived and worked in the area from the mid 1960s – 1984, and were displaced over the course of the later years.
Walk to: 1130 Jervis Street, at the corner of Pendrell Street
Artist: John Clement
A Legacy Artwork from the 2005 – 2007 Vancouver Biennale by Brooklyn-based artist John Clement, the whimsical steel spirals with bold primary colours are an invitation for children (and those young at heart) to touch and play.
Walk to: Corner of Robson Street and Jervis Street
Artist: Dennis Oppenheim
A large-scale pop art sculpture where engagement rings, a small everyday domestic object, have been reconceptualized as a monumental sculpture. Engagement rises nearly 30 feet on the sweeping hills of Huntington Meadow, the park between Sunset Beach and English Bay.
It’s a favourite spot for people popping the big question, so watch out for proposals in action if you visit!
Walk to: Huntington Meadow, Sunset Beach Park near Jervis Street and Beach Avenue
Artist: Bernar Venet
By French Artist Bernar Venet, as a landmark this sculpture is often referred to as the “metal whale ribs” or the “Rusted ‘U’” by locals, but the name of this artwork is in fact a precise description of its mathematical composition. All of the beams in the sculpture are nested and curved to the same angle providing a sense of balance and grace.
Walk to: Sunset Beach (Beach Avenue and Jervis Street)
Blossoming Compassion (Mural)
Artist: Kirk Gower
Added to the neighbourhood in 2022, Gower’s mural shines a spotlight on Dr. Peter Jepson-Young, a Vancouver medical doctor diagnosed with AIDS who founded the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation and Dr. Peter Centre, a place where people with AIDS could receive compassionate care through to the end of their lives.
Learn more about Kirk Gower.
Walk to: Jepson-Young Lane at Denman Street, between Comox Street and Pendrell Street.
Tour Tip–To continue exploring murals on Denman, walk towards Ted Northe Lane and Denman and catch I am a human being by Matt Hanns Schroeter and Thank you, Miss Rosemary by Sade Alexis at 830 Denman Street.
Artist: Alvin Kanak
Located along the seawall at English Bay, Inukshuk by Alvin Kanak is a symbol of welcome. Built of stacked granite blocks in a human form, the sculpture weighs over 31,500 kg and stands six meters high.
Walk to: English Bay seawall, near Beach Avenue and Bidwell Street
To easily plan the route for your next artistic outing, you can use the TransLink Trip Planner.