If you’ve been sheltering in place and need a bit of a bit of art therapy, you’re in luck.
After months of being closed, galleries in the Lower Mainland are taking a break from virtual tours, to safely offering the real thing. Each gallery has outlined how they’ve altered their experience with physical distancing and reduced touchpoints in mind, so you can enjoy all things artistic with peace of mind. As hours and capacity have also been reduced, it’s a good idea to check when you’ll be able to visit and make a reservation if needed. Here’s a handful of galleries that are ready to welcome back your smiling (and masked) face.
Whistler
Audain Art Museum
Current Exhibit:
The Extended Moment: Fifty Years of Collecting Photographs (Feb 8 – Oct 18)
Hours:
11am – 6pm (Thurs – Sun)
Special Hours: Mon, Sept 7 (Labour Day) 11am – 6pm
Face Mask: Required
Reservation: Encouraged
Other Precautions Taken:
– Tickets may be purchased in advance online
– Reduced capacity and group size
– Visitors may be issued a scheduled admission time
– Clearly marked directional traffic flow
– Hand sanitization upon entry, and throughout the Museum
– Personal protective equipment for all staff including plexiglass barriers and/or masks
– Touchless check-in experience is encouraged
– High-touch areas sanitized regularly
– No public tours or events until further notice
4350 Blackcomb Way
Whistler, BC, V8E 1N3
https://audainartmuseum.com/
Burnaby
Burnaby Art Gallery
Current Exhibit:
Brad McMurray: Pedestrian (Jul 14 – Aug 21)
Upcoming:
Reading Art: An Exploration of Text-based and Literary Works of Art (Sept 25 – Jan 17)
Hours: 10am – 4:30pm (Tues – Fri)
Face Masks: Encouraged
Reservation: Required
Other Precautions Taken:
– Enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols with frequent cleaning of high touch points
– Reduced capacity to allow for physical distancing
– Hand sanitizer available on-site
6344 Deer Lake Ave
Burnaby, BC, V5G 2J3
https://www.burnaby.ca/Things-To-Do/Arts-and-Heritage/Burnaby-Art-Gallery.html
Langley
Fort Gallery
Current Exhibit:
Ancestral Ties to the Flood by Manuel Axel Strain (Aug 21 – Sept 27)
Hours:
12pm- 5pm (Fri + Sun)
10:30am – 4:30pm (Sat)
Face Mask: Encouraged
Reservation: Not Required (Max groups of 4)
Other Precautions Taken:
– Maximum visitors at once = 2 persons/party, maximum 4 people
– Arrows indicating walking path
– Artwork spaced at a minimum of 2m apart
– All information about the exhibit posted on the wall to avoid touching materials
– Doors left open to improve ventilation and avoid need to touch door
– No public use of washroom
– Credit cards or cheques only for gift shop purchases
– Gift shop prices clearly visible to avoid need to handle items
– Hand sanitizer provided in gift shop to use before touching anything
– Staff and volunteers supplied with masks
– Hand sanitizer near the front door and at the gift shop
9048 Glover Rd
Langley City, BC, V1M 2S1
http://www.fortgallery.ca/
North Vancouver
The Polygon Gallery
Current Exhibit:
Third Realm: Contemporary Art from Asia (Sept 4 – Nov 8)
Hours:
11am – 9pm (Thurs – Fri)
10am – 5pm (Sat – Sun)
Face Mask: Encouraged
Reservation: Not Required
Other Precautions Taken:
– Reduced capacity with a maximum of 30 visitors at once
– Doors propped open to ensure touchless flow through the space
– Plexiglass barriers in transaction areas
– Hand sanitizer provided throughout the gallery
– Staff are required to wear masks, wash and sanitize hands regularly
101 Carrie Cates Ct
North Vancouver, BC, V7M 3J4
https://thepolygon.ca/
Vancouver
The Vancouver Art Gallery
Current Exhibits:
Art Connects: A Series of Online Gatherings (Mar 31 – Sept 1)
Art at Home: A New Digital Family Program (Mar 16 – Sept 1)
Modern in the Making: Post-war Craft and Design in British Columbia (Jul 18 – Jan 3)
Hours:
12pm – 8pm (Tues + Fri)
10am – 5pm (All other days)
Face Mask: Required
Reservation: Required
Other Precautions Taken:
– Limited building capacity
– Floor markers and signage to ensure social distancing and prevent congestion
– Plexiglas barriers at service desks
– All frontline staff will wear masks and gloves unless behind a plexiglass barrier
– Systematic frequent cleaning practices in place throughout the Gallery
– Public washrooms limited to 2 persons in the exhibition spaces
– The general public washroom in the Gallery Lobby is closed
– Washrooms will be cleaned every hour or, if at capacity, every 30 minutes
– High-touch points, such as service counters, will be cleaned every 30 minutes
– Water fountains are not in service
– Elevator use is limited to one person or one group from the same social circle or “bubble” at a time
– Physical audio guides will not be available. Instead, visitors can scan QR Codes on labels within the exhibitions or visit select exhibition webpages to enjoy a self-guided audio tour
750 Hornby St
Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2H7
https://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/exhibitions/know-before-you-visit
Visual Space Gallery
Current Exhibit:
Stillness: Ceramic Sculpture Exhibition by Tam Irving (Aug 20 – Sept 8)
Upcoming:
Sky Cathedrals and Other Stories by Marion Webber (Sept 11-21)
Hours:
Stillness: Ceramic Sculpture Exhibition: 12pm – 5pm (Tues – Sat)
Sky Cathedrals and Other Stories: 12pm – 6pm (Every day)
Face Mask: Encouraged
Reservation: Not Required
Other Precautions Taken:
– Doors into the Gallery will be propped open to minimize touchpoints
– Enhanced cleaning measures have been implemented for all high touch areas
– Ventilation has been increased as much as possible
3352 Dunbar St
Vancouver, BC, V6S 2C1
https://www.visualspace.ca/
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
Current Exhibit:
Yahguudangang: To Pay Respect – The Repatriation Journey of the Haida Nation (Jul 16 – Oct 11)
Upcoming:
To Speak with a Golden Voice (Jul 16 – Apr 11, 2021)
Hours:
11am – 5pm (Wed – Sun)
*Every Thurs from 9:30am-11am is reserved for visits by seniors, vulnerable people and first responders.
Face Mask: Encouraged
Reservation: Required
Other Precautions Taken:
– Contactless admission by purchasing tickets online, however, admission on arrival is still available
– Signage and directional markers to ensure proper spacing
– Physical barriers at the admissions desk and in the Gallery Shop
– All staff have been provided with masks, gloves, and additional cleaning supplies.
– Restrictions have been implemented on personal items stored in the coat closet and baggage holding area
– Doors into the Exhibition Galleries will be propped open to minimize touchpoints
– Hand sanitizing stations have been installed in public areas.
– Exhibition tours are limited to 6 visitors
– Directional signage to mark separate entry and exit points
– Enhanced cleaning measures have been implemented for all high touch areas
– Ventilation rates have been increased as much as possible
639 Hornby St
Vancouver, BC, V6C 2G3
https://www.billreidgallery.ca/
Museum of Anthropology
Current Exhibit:
Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience by Kent Monkman (Aug 6 – Jan 3, 2021)
Hours:
10am – 5pm (Tues – Sun)
Face Mask: Encouraged
Reservation: Required
Other Precautions Taken:
– Admission now on a timed-entry basis
– Visible storage drawers in the Multiversity Galleries will not be available
– Cash and MOA gift cards will not be accepted
– No daily guided tours until further notice
– Entry times are every 30 minutes
– First entry time is 10 am, and the last at 4 pm
– Hand sanitizing stations available throughout the Museum
– Directional signage posted to ease congestion
6393 NW Marine Drive
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2
https://moa.ubc.ca/