The Art Lover's Guide to Collecting Fine Art in CANADA
With a coastline that touches three oceans, Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories encompass forest, tundra and mountain. Within those landscapes are countless destinations for art lovers to find inspiration. In the east, Toronto is just a quick trip from New York City, while in the west, Vancouver sits just above the northern border of Washington state. Between the coasts, the cities and towns of Canada are plentiful with galleries, museums and annual art events, and attract artists and patrons together from across the globe.
Toronto’s Distillery District, founded in 2003, hosts many galleries and artists. In September and May, Artfest Toronto brings together 75 artists for a juried show of works in multiple mediums. The Entertainment District, concentrated around King Street West, hosts theaters, performing arts centers and galleries for tourists to immerse themself in the local arts scene.
In the French-speaking province of Quebec, the Old Port district, Île d’Orléans, Côte-de-Beaupré and Jacque-Cartier National Park all provide compelling scenic views. In Quebec City, La Nuit des Galeries occurs every September, and combines art, cocktails, music and more.
Calgary, in south-central Canada, is renowned for its annual Calgary Stampede, which includes a Western art show. The 2019 edition takes place July 5 through 14. For visitors with more modern interests is Contemporary Calgary, which began as a collaboration between Institute of Modern and Contemporary Art, Art Gallery of Calgary and Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Also in the city is Glenbow Museum, home to a collection of more than 1.3 million artifacts and works of art.
For those seeking fresh air outside the city, Banff National Park is Canada’s oldest national park, nestled within the Alberta stretch of the Rocky Mountains. Beyond the scenic vistas, Banff is also home to the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies and the Willock & Sax Gallery, which hold historic works from iconic Canadian artists.
Vancouver and its suburbs encompass many art destinations. Granville Island is a peninsula and shopping district within Vancouver where visitors can engage in artist demonstrations as they tour studios. South Granville has nearly 20 art-related storefronts, and in June, galleries host the South Granville ArtWalk. Vancouver is also home to the annual juried Art Vancouver, next taking place April 25 to 28, 2019, at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
In this destination guide, readers will learn about artists and organizations from across Canada, including Lisa J Levasseur, who runs the Terracana Ranch Resort, Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, Lynne Saunders and Rashmi Rekha.