“Famille Frescobaldi, Florence” by Patrick Faigenbaum.
Find artfully composed photographs in Patrick Faigenbaum’s self-titled exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery (to Jun. 2). The Paris-born artist’s early training as a painter is evident in sculptural snaps that use light, shadow and meticulous framing to achieve his desired effect. Photos of Italian aristocratic families were among the first to bring him acclaim (pictured). Our opinion? Picture perfection.—Jill Von Sprecken
Portland’s Ace Hotel. Photo by Jeremy Pelley © Ace Hotel Group
Whether a backpacker or a five-star fan, every world traveller needs a place to rest and recharge. Explore the evolution of hotels, hostels and inns as social spaces during the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Grand Hotel (Apr. 13 to Sep. 15). The exhibition, which shares its name with the iconic 1932 Hollywood film, highlights the architecture, design and culture of travel lodgings from Portland to Berlin.—Kristina Urquhart
Charles John Collings’ “Niagara, Above the Falls.” Exhibition at Uno Langmann Limited
If Hope at Dawn: Watercolours by Emily Carr and Charles John Collings at the Vancouver Art Gallery (to May 26) leaves you yearning for more, stop by Uno Langmann Limited to view additional pieces by the British-born Charles John Collings in a complementary self-titled exhibition (to Mar 31). The Canadian artist lent an ethereal quality to his landscapes by mixing the paint directly onto water-soaked paper (“Niagara, Above the Falls,” pictured). Dreamy, indeed.—Kristina Urquhart
“Self-Portrait with Maus Mask” by Art Spiegelman
To June 9
You won’t find the usual superheroes and villains in Art Spiegelman’s comic art, but his work still packs a punch. Best known for his Pulitzer Prize–winning graphic novel Maus, Spiegelman often creates a stir with his genre-defying artwork. Visit the Vancouver Art Gallery’s CO-MIX: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics and Scraps to see work that spans his extraordinary career. From his first cover art for The New Yorker to panels from his early underground comics, there is plenty to marvel at.—Jill Von Sprecken
Photo by Blaine Campbell, Vancouver Art Gallery, of “Home in Trees, Canada” by Charles John Collings, collection of Vancouver Art Gallery, promised gift of Uno Langmann
To May 26
It’s water, water everywhere at the Vancouver Art Gallery this season. Hope at Dawn: Watercolours by Emily Carr and Charles John Collings highlights the ethereal efforts by two major British Columbia artists with differing styles. Carr used her watercolours primarily as an intermediary before an oil painting, whereas Collings was a trained watercolourist with a subtle hand (“Home in Trees, Canada,” pictured).—Kristina Urquhart
Photo by Tomas Svab of Ian Wallace’s “Lookout,” 1979 (detail), collection of Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver Art Gallery Acquisition Fund
Get yourself to Vancouver Art Gallery to see the works of a Canadian contemporary master in Ian Wallace: At the Intersection of Painting and Photography (to Feb. 24). Wallace, who lives in Vancouver, was among the first artists to explore large-scale photography in the 1970s. Since colour printing wasn’t yet available for such big pictures, he hand-painted his black-and-white gelatin prints, emphasizing minimalistic details. Wallace’s cinematic panorama “Lookout” (pictured in detail), composed of 12 prints totalling 14.5 m (47.5 ft) in length, is an arresting example of this technique.—Kristina Urquhart
“Vancouver Art Gallery” photo collage by Ross C. Kelly
July 20 to September 14.
Forget the kitschy Vancouver postcards. Instead, check out Ross C. Kelly’s large-scale photo montages during his self-titled exhibition at Art Beatus. The local artist shoots the photos from a single vantage point over a period of days or weeks, then reduces the images and arranges them in a collage. The result? You’ll see subtle to drastic changes in texture, depth, light, weather and urban use. Stand farther away to see a cohesive whole; peer closer to see the tiny fragments that make a city unique. —Kristina Urquhart
"Interior, Flowers and Parakeets" by Henri Matisse. Photo courtesy The Baltimore Museum of Art: The Cone Collection, formed by Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone of Baltimore, Maryland, BMA
Paris was the place where artists convened in the early 1900s. European modernists Henri Matisse (“Interior, Flowers and Parakeets,” pictured), Pablo Picasso and their contemporaries were in the city, establishing their prolific portfolios. It’s also where they met art patrons Claribel and Etta Cone, who later acquired hundreds of their works. Nearly 50 of those pieces are in Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore at Vancouver Art Gallery (to Sep. 30).—Kristina Urquhart
Trombone Shorty plays the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival in 2012
Sweet sounds fill the city Jun. 22 to Jul. 1, during the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival. The fest has been going strong for more than a quarter of a century, attracting musical luminaries such as George Benson (Jun. 23), Janelle Monáe (Jun. 29) and Wayne Shorter (Jun. 26). For some jazzy family festivities, head downtown Jun. 23 and 24 to the arts and music village taking over Robson Square and the grounds of the Vancouver Art Gallery; three performance stages, a community fair and dance classes are just a few of the activities planned for this weekend of free fun.—Sheri Radford
Stéphane Mouttet, Chef Concierge of the Shangri-La Hotel and current director of Les Clefs d'Or, BC region
Stéphane Mouttet is the Chef Concierge of the Shangri-La Hotel and also the director of Les Clefs d’Or, BC region. Having spent his childhood and youth in Grenoble, France, and his adult life in Canada, Stéphane is the perfect embodiment of “old world meets the new world.” While he possesses the easy charm and warmth of North American hospitality, he was trained in the true traditional European sensibilities.
What do you recommend for a visitor who has just one day to sightsee in Vancouver?
Take a quick tour of the city to have a great overview, and explore local neighbourhoods such as Gastown (tourist area with a local vibe), Main Street (hipster) and Commercial Drive (Italian/European).
Or one afternoon?
Granville Island and Stanley Park or Grouse Mountain. (more…)
"Striped Robe, Fruit, and Anemones," by Henri Matisse. Photo courtesy The Baltimore Museum of Art: The Cone Collection, formed by Dr. Claribel Cone and Miss Etta Cone of Baltimore, Maryland, BMA
To September 30
Take a trip to 27 Rue de Fleurus in Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore at Vancouver Art Gallery. Gertrude Stein’s Paris salon was where European modernists Henri Matisse (“Striped Robe, Fruit, and Anemones,” pictured), Pablo Picasso and their contemporaries congregated in the early 20th century. Hundreds of their works were later acquired by Stein’s American friends and art patrons the Cone sisters, and nearly 50 of those paintings, drawings and sculptures are on display in this exhibition.—Kristina Urquhart
"Master of Ceremony" by Shawn Hunt, courtesy Vancouver Art Gallery
More than 20 artists reinterpret traditional Native motifs using modern mediums in Beat Nation: Art, Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture at Vancouver Art Gallery (to Jun. 3). The innovative installations show how urban culture shapes aboriginal identity.—Kristina Urquhart