Welcome from Kathleen Bartels, Director of the Vancouver Art Gallery

Photo: Alex Waterhouse-Hayward

Vancouver is one of the most vibrant, progressive cities in the world and I believe the Vancouver Art Gallery has a responsibility to reflect this wealth of creativity and dynamic energy. The Gallery stands in the centre of a city recognized as a nurturing ground for artistic talent. Through cutting-edge exhibitions, we feature the work of leaders in the field of contemporary art and Vancouver's own internationally renowned artists, including Jeff Wall, Robert Davidson, Stan Douglas, Rodney Graham, Gathie Falk, Roy Arden and Brian Jungen, serving as a portal for their remarkable achievements while furthering British Columbia's artistic legacy. The Gallery also houses the magnificent works of significant historical artists, including the most extensive collection of the work of Canada's beloved Emily Carr. Our permanent holdings number more than 10,000 artworks and rank among the most important collections in Canada.

The Vancouver Art Gallery’s 2013 exhibition schedule begins with Ian Wallace: At the Intersection of Painting and Photography and continues with two additional outstanding solo exhibitions featuring leading international artists: Art Spiegelman Co-Mix: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics and Scraps and Patrick Faigenbaum. This summer, the Gallery is proud to present Grand Hotel: Redesigning Modern Life, the first exhibition ever to examine the evolution of the hotel from an isolated and utilitarian structure to a cultural phenomenon that figures prominently around the world today. The year concludes with a major survey of the work of seminal First Nations artist Charles Edenshaw.

These and other exhibitions in our 2013 program exemplify the compelling blend of contemporary and historic presentations by established and emerging British Columbia artists, as well as leading artists from around the world, that have become the Vancouver Art Gallery’s signature. At the same time, our diverse range of educational and public programs serving adults, children and families provide meaningful encounters with art through lectures, tours, artist talks and special events.

I hope you will enjoy your visit to the Vancouver Art Gallery in our 82nd year of bringing the best of the world to Vancouver, and the best of Vancouver to the world.

Kathleen S. Bartels
Director