You've done the Stanley Park Seawall, watched the sunset over English Bay, shopped on Robson Street. But have you seen the real Vancouver?
Vancouverites who can't afford to drop $1-million on a cozy fixer-upper generally end up in East Vancouver – away from the beaches and the glass condo towers. It's a part of the city many visitors never get to see, and that's a shame. East Vancouver is rich with character, and this weekend it'll be bursting at the seams with art as some 300 artists take part in the 13th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl.
The three-day affair offers a chance to peer into artists' studios and meander through some fascinating neighbourhoods. The quality of the art may vary (this is not a curated event) but this is a chance to play voyeur in one of the less explored parts of the city. The area is divided into six sections, the hub of which is Strathcona. This is one of the oldest parts of the city, with shack-like houses standing next to restored heritage beauties. With its proximity to both Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside, the population is a dynamic mixture of elderly Chinese people, young hipsters, homeless people, moneyed yuppies.
It's a short walk from here to Chinatown, where you can check out exotic Chinese produce and other delicacies at bustling markets, sample high-end loose-leaf teas, and have an excellent meal.
But the best shopping you might do all weekend is in artists' studios, with pieces priced from about $10 to about $50,000. The Crawl's executive director, Valerie Arntzen, recommends doing some homework and choosing 30 artists to see over the weekend. “Think about it as the Louvre,” she suggests. “You think you're going to see the Louvre in three days?”
A detail from a work by Valerie Arntzen, on display in her studio, which is open for the Eastside Culture Crawl.
Inside the artist's studio
Arntzen, a mixed-media artist, has opened up her studio in Strathcona for the Crawl since the beginning. “One of my fondest [Crawl] memories is at one point I was standing on a tall stool, because there was no floor space in my studio,” says Arntzen, who creates assemblages with found objects – stuff she picks up on her travels, mostly. Recent works have incorporated bullets, beer caps, shredded pages from the Bible and a disco ball. 800 Keefer St.
Art in the Main
The building of live-work studios at 901 Main is being taken over by a developer. Among the artists still here are Stephanie Harper, who paints haunting images of figures floating in water. 901 Main St.
Search for the ARC
The ARC, an atmospheric building of 80 studios, is a must; it's home to many interesting artists, including Ban Wei. His ink-on-rice paper artworks are created with both hands simultaneously, as he works with two brushes attached to poles. 1701 Powell St.
A walk in the Parker
Parker Street Studios is one of the most efficient stops on the Crawl, with dozens of artists in one place. They include sculptor David Robinson, whose bronze, steel, copper and silver works – in particular his suspended sculptures – are big audience pleasers. He is easily one of the biggest names on the tour. 1000 Parker St.
