Vancouver Art Gallery
Vancouver Art Gallery
3.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Discover the power of art on your next trip to Vancouver with a visit to the Vancouver Art Gallery, one of North America’s most exciting and innovative visual arts institutions. Works by renowned Canadian Modernist painter Emily Carr are often on view as well as ground-breaking exhibitions and selections from the permanent collection. Open 7 days a week, a visit to the Gallery is an opportunity to meditate on more than a century's worth of Canadian and international art, from historical masters to contemporary visionaries. Enhance your experience by attending one of the Gallery’s engaging special events, educational tours or programs designed for families, youth and art enthusiasts of all ages. Weekly Family Programs are featured every Sunday and are free for children 12 and under. Spend time in the Gallery Store; a locals’ favorite or refuel in the Gallery Bistro (currently under renovation).
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Central
How to get there
- Vancouver City Centre • 2 min walk
- Granville • 4 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
- LauraScully124 contributionsA very small galleryI am used to the european galleries, so was expecting something much bigger with more classical art. It was a pleasant surprise to experience the more modern art that was on display, but strange that the gallery is so small. It was also a disappointment that none of the Emily Carr works were on display.Visited May 2023Written July 17, 2023
- deepakgupta5Vancouver, Canada601 contributionsDisappointing lack of depthUnlike the European and even the US museums, there is no permanent display of paintings or sculptures. The gallery seems to focus more on visual and modern art with no focus on classical. Furthermore, this is a very small gallery and can be covered in a maximum of 2 hours.Visited August 2023Travelled with familyWritten August 8, 2023
- 651MrsGSelby, United Kingdom169 contributionsSomewhat disappointed at the lack of local artistsThere were some interesting exhibits here, including the artist Parvaz Tanavoli and a fashion exhibit. Neither were to my particular taste. I was hoping to see some work by Canadian artists, such as Emily Carr. It was quite expensive at $29 each and it didn't take long to look round the gallery. My favourite artwork was by Marie Khouri, called 'I love' which was on the ground floor in the rotunda. Be aware that even small rucksacks are not allowed in the gallery and need to be left in the lockers near the ticket desk. The coffee shop was nice and we sat outside on the terrace.Visited August 2023Written August 18, 2023
- I9917TWbarbaram26 contributionsInterestingThere were only 2 exhibits open when we went which was a disappointment. None of the paintings were on display. The exhibit on 'Fashion Fictions' was great. I am always disappointed when a museum has so much of the site shut down at one time. I would have rated this higher if we were able to see more.Visited August 2023Written August 20, 2023
- Julie W1 contributionNot worth the moneySo...I don't usually like Modern Art, so I wasn't surprised that I didn't like the exhibits. This included the usual you bad white person slapping that nearly all museums and galleries include. My beef isn't the content of the exhibits but that was ALL of the exhibits. Surely the state museum could have art from different era's and styles. There is enough space for both... in fact the museum had hardly anything on display....and for this I paid $30!Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten September 25, 2023
- Heather RRichmond, Canada346 contributionsGift store was more impressive than the exhibits.I think that $29 is a tad bit expensive for admission. I loved the internal & external architecture of the building. Granted, it was formerly built as a Court House. It is an expansive space on four floors & hence free portable chairs (albeit camp stools, to be precise) are available . Because many of the escalators are out of commission & the elevator is difficult to find, it felt like trying to find oneself out of Ikea. No joke! 😉 However, the security people were quite helpful. 👍🏻 It was an experience but not one that I need to replicate anytime soon!Visited October 2023Travelled soloWritten October 7, 2023
- CannuckkLangley, Canada358 contributionsAlmost no permanent exhibitsIt's been a long time since I ventured into Vancouver to visit the Art Gallery. There was an Emily Carr exhibit I wanted to see and which got me motivated to go. While the Carr exhibit was good (only 25 ish works), I was pretty disappointed with the rest of the Gallery. The main floor was mainly given over to the Parviz Tanalovi,and the third floor was an exhibit on Whiteness. The 2nd floor is currently under construction ( I assume for the upcoming new temporary exhibits…?), but what really concerned me was there seemed to be few spaces for any permanent collections over the four floors on the gallery. Where is the space for the many excellent BC Artists the Gallery must have in its collections? We are a diverse province and I appreciate that the Gallery presents some of that diversity, but it seems to only be interested in temporary exhibits.Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten October 22, 2023
- RaviSt. Albans, United Kingdom97 contributionsWell worth a visit ... despite the negative reviews !!I don't understand the negative reviews... We thought the gallery was full of interesting works of art, and the exhibition was simply great and very challenging on issues of race and culture. Staff are helpful and facilities up to date although all lifts etc weren't working when we went. It's worth a visit when visiting vancoverVisited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten November 13, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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3.5
1,299 reviews
Excellent
315
Very good
411
Average
266
Poor
169
Terrible
138
Kimiro1756
Coquitlam, Canada24 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Couples
An obnoxious exhibit on whiteness by some Asian artist and a few other talentless racists. Emily Carr exhibit is the only decent thing in this gallery. Should be defunded.
Written November 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ravi
St. Albans, UK97 contributions
Nov. 2023 • Couples
I don't understand the negative reviews... We thought the gallery was full of interesting works of art, and the exhibition was simply great and very challenging on issues of race and culture.
Staff are helpful and facilities up to date although all lifts etc weren't working when we went.
It's worth a visit when visiting vancover
Staff are helpful and facilities up to date although all lifts etc weren't working when we went.
It's worth a visit when visiting vancover
Written November 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
luv2trav2017
New York City, NY18 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Couples
Almost nothing from the permanent collection is on view. Do not expect to see much Emily Carr or any other Canadian artist. While it is the purview of curators to introduce lesser known work, patrons have an expectation that some of the pieces for which a gallery is well-known will be displayed when they are being charged a full-price entry fee. The staff does nothing to clarify how limited the exhibits are. This was a waste of time and money when it could have represented some of the best of Canadian culture.
Written November 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cannuckk
Langley, Canada358 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Friends
It's been a long time since I ventured into Vancouver to visit the Art Gallery. There was an Emily Carr exhibit I wanted to see and which got me motivated to go. While the Carr exhibit was good (only 25 ish works), I was pretty disappointed with the rest of the Gallery. The main floor was mainly given over to the Parviz Tanalovi,and the third floor was an exhibit on Whiteness. The 2nd floor is currently under construction ( I assume for the upcoming new temporary exhibits…?), but what really concerned me was there seemed to be few spaces for any permanent collections over the four floors on the gallery. Where is the space for the many excellent BC Artists the Gallery must have in its collections? We are a diverse province and I appreciate that the Gallery presents some of that diversity, but it seems to only be interested in temporary exhibits.
Written October 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SuzanneCb
Vancouver, Canada86 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Family
It really pains me that Vancouver has such a lack of proper arts and culture and the VAG is no exception! Emily Carr was a tiny room and then the entire second floor was about how bad white people are!! What a joke this place is. And really offensive. Save your money.
Written October 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
he_man_o
Bellevue, WA57 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Couples
Wow that was an awful waste of time and money. For 30$ per person definitely not worth it. 2 small modern art exhibits and a white race commentary exhibit that didn't have any art... we feel very cheated.
Written October 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heather R
Richmond, Canada346 contributions
Oct. 2023 • Solo
I think that $29 is a tad bit expensive for admission. I loved the internal & external architecture of the building. Granted, it was formerly built as a Court House. It is an expansive space on four floors & hence free portable chairs (albeit camp stools, to be precise) are available . Because many of the escalators are out of commission & the elevator is difficult to find, it felt like trying to find oneself out of Ikea. No joke! 😉 However, the security people were quite helpful. 👍🏻
It was an experience but not one that I need to replicate anytime soon!
It was an experience but not one that I need to replicate anytime soon!
Written October 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cymry
Montreal202 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Friends
We decided to stop into the VAG and were surprised to find that none of the permanent exhibit objects were on display. My friends were disappointed not to be able to see any Emily Carr works. The three exhibits they were showing were very good.
Written October 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen M
7 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Solo
A very limited selection of Emily Carr's work is hung in one small room at the top of the gallery. Thinking that the largest holder of Carr's work would display a lot of it I paid my $30 . What a mistake. Exhibition should be titled "Emily Carr: A Very Small Room of her own. No comparison to the excellent Sophie Pemberton exhibition on show in Victoria. You have been warned !!!
Written October 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gerry C
Boston, MA19 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Family
I wish I had read Trip Advisor before heading to the Vancouver Art Gallery. I did review the website. Nowhere did it say there were no Emily Carr or Group of 7 paintings on exhibit. Why would anyone go to this gallery if not to see the Canadian Masters?
After paying my $30, I went through three exhibits. Yes, that’s all there was, three. And all were unimpressive. Even the art students seemed bored doing their mandatory drawings. The exhibit “Conceptions of White” seemed thrown together and conceived by first year high school students as a project in an Intro to Soc class.
The most troublesome aspect of the visit was the behavior of the staff at the ticket desk. Instead of an empathetic I am sorry, no Emily Carr etc. they proceeded to tell me I didn’t read the website correctly.
This visit was nothing like the ones I had made in previous years.
After paying my $30, I went through three exhibits. Yes, that’s all there was, three. And all were unimpressive. Even the art students seemed bored doing their mandatory drawings. The exhibit “Conceptions of White” seemed thrown together and conceived by first year high school students as a project in an Intro to Soc class.
The most troublesome aspect of the visit was the behavior of the staff at the ticket desk. Instead of an empathetic I am sorry, no Emily Carr etc. they proceeded to tell me I didn’t read the website correctly.
This visit was nothing like the ones I had made in previous years.
Written September 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can I buy the tickets on the venue instead of buying it online?
Chelsea42
Northern California575 contributions
yes
Patrick G
Longueuil, Canada1 contribution
Is photography allowed inside the Gallery?
VanArtGallery
1 contribution
Hello PatGi2015,
Generally photography is allowed but it does depend on the exhibitions. There will be signs posted if it is not allowed.
Flash, tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed.
enjoy your visit,
Sherry
Lori V
Victoria, Canada169 contributions
Why is so little of the gallery open to the public? For $24, I expected more than half a floor of cartoons and a few Emily Carr sketches and paintings. According to reviews I have been reading, the second floor has been closed for a long time, as it was today. If you have less than half your building open, at least reduce your admission. Worst gallery visit ever.
Lori V
Victoria, Canada169 contributions
As a visitor to Vancouver, who has toured literally hundreds of galleries all over the world, and is a supporter of my local galleries and museums. I have to answer those of you critics of my query.
As you can see, many others agree with me. Some have even stopped supporting VAG, because apparently the problems are chronic.
The current exhibits are meagre, overpriced and not worth the pirce of admission.
Add to that, a bad attitude from gallery staff, some of whom, I suspect, are the negators in these answers. Must be hard to work in such a place, but that is no excuse to visit your deep unhappiness and condescension on people who pay your wages.
Is there a cafe or restaurant at the gallery?
VancouverArtGallery
Vancouver, Canada2 contributions
Yes, there is a Gallery Cafe with a wonderful patio, one of the best kept secrets in Vancouver.
Is there a cafe or restaurant at the gallery?
Lois W
Vancouver, Canada11 contributions
The cafeteria at the Vancouver Art Gallery is an undiscovered jewel. The food is consistently good and the desserts always appealing. A nice selection of wine and decent coffee. The setting is lovely. The prices are reasonable. I usually have the soup and salad combo and can't recall ever being disappointed.
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