Contemporary Art Gallery (Vancouver) facts for kids
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| Established | 1971 |
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| Location | Yaletown in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Type | Art gallery |
The Contemporary Art Gallery (CAG) is a special art space in downtown Vancouver, Canada. It's a non-profit gallery, which means it doesn't aim to make money. Instead, it focuses on showing amazing contemporary art. The CAG features art from local, national, and international artists. It often highlights new and exciting artists from Vancouver.
Many famous Vancouver artists have shown their work here. These include Stan Douglas and Rodney Graham. The gallery also shows art by international artists like Dan Graham. You can visit the gallery for free!
History of the Gallery
The Contemporary Art Gallery started in 1971. It was first called the Greater Vancouver Artist's Gallery. It began as a project by the City of Vancouver. Artists were hired to create art for shows and for the city's own art collection.
In 1976, the CAG became a registered charity. This meant it was a non-profit group. In 1984, it became an artist-run centre. This means artists helped manage and guide the gallery. It became known for giving many Vancouver artists their first big solo shows. By the early 1990s, the gallery started showing art from artists across Canada and around the world.
In 1996, the CAG changed again. It became an independent public art gallery. This helped fill a need for a modern art space in Vancouver. It offered a place for art that was both experimental and popular. In May 2001, the gallery moved to a brand new building. This building was made just for the gallery.
In 2006, a Vancouver artist named Christian Kliegel had an exhibit. It was called "Production Postings." He showed hundreds of signs. These were signs that film crews use to guide people to movie sets. These bright signs are very common in Vancouver. Kliegel wanted to show how movies often film in Vancouver but pretend it's another city. Some film companies thought the signs were theirs. Gallery officials had to change some of the signs. But the gallery director supported the artist's idea. She said it was "sad and disappointing" that they didn't appreciate Kliegel's unique view of Vancouver.
The Gallery Building
The Contemporary Art Gallery is located in Yaletown, Vancouver. It's on the ground floor of a residential building. The address is 555 Nelson Street. The building was designed in 2001 by Martin Lewis and Noel Best.
The gallery has two main exhibition spaces. The B.C. Binning Gallery is about 1040 square feet. The Alvin Balkind Gallery is about 676 square feet. There are also special window displays on the outside. These windows offer another way to show art.
Near the entrance, there's a reception area. It connects to a reading room. Here, visitors can find information about past and current shows. The Abraham Rogatnick Library is on the second floor. It's open to the public by appointment. The building won an award in 2002 for its design. The gallery is on the traditional lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Programs and Activities
The gallery has exciting programs. In 2018, it started a five-year project. It curates art for the London Canada Gallery. This gallery is in the Canadian High Commission in the United Kingdom.
In 2019, the CAG launched a program called How far do you travel?. This program puts contemporary art on the side of Vancouver Translink buses. This lets many more people see art every day!
See also
In Spanish: Galería de Arte Contemporáneo (Vancouver) para niños
- Canadian contemporary art
- Vancouver School
- Centre A
- Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
- Vancouver Art Gallery
- Western Front Society
