Tomorrow is the last day of the week-long Harmony Arts Festival in West Vancouver. This annual August festival has been going on for 25 years, but this year marked my first.
The Ferry Building Gallery
What a fun time it is! Good food, good art, good vibe (and not overly crowded, either!) I went last Sunday and it was a beautiful day to be strolling the art market where local artists (many West and North Van ones, but also ones from Surrey and Victoria) were set up with their white tents, selling all sizes and styles of paintings, jewellery, handmade wood flutes, pottery, glassware, and many other items. They were all incredibly friendly and it was neat to run into some that I’ve encountered through working at an art gallery.
The white tents of the Art Market
Here are some of my favourites:
dconstruct (jewellery)
Anouk Jonker (visual art)
Nicoletta Baumeister (visual art)
Haejin Lee (ceramics)
Leanne Christie (visual art)
Heather Johnston (photography)
Ambleside Pier
This flamboyant display of silver and magenta balloons in the distance is not just party decoration—it’s a public artwork by Matthew Soules called Intense the Heat. (I actually couldn’t tell it was a public artwork from far away so I didn’t go under it (oops) but now I wished I had!) This temporary installation on Ambleside Pier “offers shade from the August sun while transforming the experience of strolling the pier or gazing from the shore. The balloons sway in the wind as a subtle reminder of the dynamic energetic systems that make up our surroundings. The result is a magical and celebratory space for all to enjoy.” (from the festival website)
Other things to do include taking in the live music acts on stage, live artist demonstrations, viewing the group exhibition under the white tent and community art in the Ferry Building Gallery, enjoying food from one of the food trucks, and getting cozy on the grass for a movie in the park. Check the schedule on their website to see what’s on the last day.
Eating my poutine from Raglan’s Soul Surfer food truck and watching the cruise ships go by!
The lovely Lions Gate Bridge that the cruise ship just slipped under.
If you have some time tomorrow and enjoy community art festivals, it’s definitely worth checking out!
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