On the southeast False Creek seawall, just east of the Cambie Bridge, is the strangest, coolest art…read moreinstallation around. (It's actually visible from the Cambie Bridge if you are walking across it. It's practically right below the bridge, just off a bit to the side, if you're looking toward the Science Center, close to the VPD parking lot site). In truth, I had passed this structure many times before really noticing it, as it's comprised of large neon letters that spell out "SHOULD I BE WORRIED?" atop of a wooden support beam, and these wooden planks blend in with the craggy site at the shoreline here below the bridge (and of course the neon letters aren't illuminated during the daytime hours). So it's easy to miss during the day. Then, one day, I noticed the sentence atop the beams and now I am fixated on this piece whenever I pass it, when I walk on the seawall in this area between Athlete's Village and Spyglass Place, or when I cross the Cambie Bridge on foot. I keep on wondering, SHOULD I be worried? Should I? And, if so, about WHAT, exactly? There are so many possible stressors to worry about. Should I worry about them all? Prioritize them? Just deal with a few? Or perhaps not worry at all? To me, this work is both whimsical and provocative and it really makes me wonder what exactly should I be worrying about. It's simultaneously humorous and serious. It both blends in to its environment (by way of the rough, unfinished wooden support structure) and it also stands out (by way of the neon letters). In so many ways, it embodies dichotomies and contrasts. One can appreciate it at face value or one can ruminate on its possible deeper meanings. This piece was installed here fairly recently, in 2017, and the artist, Justin Langlois, is a professor and associate dean at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. He was/is concerned with many of Vancouver's social and economic issues, and his art reflects that. Should we be worried? Check out this art piece, and you tell me! *NOTE: FYI I did not take the awesome photo of this art installation; rather, it is a stock photo, found online on multiple sites (including the City of Vancouver's official site, under its public art tab, and also online in every article about this art piece). So don't think I'm such a great photographer! My photos are usually blurred, or of my hands obscuring the lens...

One of the many aspects I like about Vancouver is how art is all around us, at all times. Sometimes…read moreit's hidden in plain sight. Such is the case of the "Balloon Dogs" sculpture, by Ron Simmons. I'm sure, like me, most of you have passed the Queen Elizabeth Theater, or have even attended shows or concerts here, never noticing the contemporary pipe-like dog sculptures outside, overhead, on top of the eave of the theater (on the side of the ticket window, by the bus stop and benches). This pack of sculptural balloon dogs is whimsical public art at its best. Very reminiscent of the works of famous pop art sculptor Jeff Koons, Vancouver artist Simms created bright red and silver shiny dog sculptures that resemble the kind of dogs that balloon artists make, except Simms's are made of metal and are life-size (well, each is about the size of medium terrier). If you don't look up at the entrance to the Theater, you'd never see these dog sculptures on high. But once you notice them, you will always look for them, as they are riveting! I love these dogs. I love that they are semi-hidden. Once you see them, you feel like you're a treasure hunter who's found some real gems on the beach where most others are simply walking around and playing in the sand, oblivious to the treasures at their feet. I love how these dogs are so bright, so shiny, so childish in their purity. What can be more childish than balloon dogs? They're just happy art pieces. Next time you walk by the Queen E, look up!

This is probably my favorite sculpture in all of Vancouver (although it's hard to say, since I love…read moreso many pieces!). I've always been partial to kinetic sculptures due to the fact that they are so fluid and ever-changing, one never knows exactly how they'll look at any given moment. They are dynamic and organic in nature in that way, and that excites me. This piece embodies everything cool about kinetic artwork. It is wind-driven, so depending on the breeze (or lack thereof), this piece appears to fly, with its huge wings moving up and down on the wind, soaring. Or, on a still day, it simply appears to be suspended in mid-air, motionless - perhaps gliding still, or in a freeze-frame moment. There are propeller-like blades that capture the wind and rotate, and gears that then move the heron's wings up and down. It's both pretty basic and simultaneously quite complex, really. I love the reference to Coast Salish people and, too, the history of the heron to the False Creek area. And I appreciate the subtle nod to folk art by way of including a small metal fish in the heron's belly! (I just noticed this a few months ago! It's clever and nuanced). This large installation is located along the False Creek seawall at the South corner of George Wainborn Park. Check it out!

Peaceable Kingdom is a public work of art by Tom Dean located at King Edward Village, just outside…read moreof the Kensignton branch of the public library. Peaceable Kingdom consists of several bronze statues of various animals, and they can be quite strange, such as a snake wrapped around a sow, or a goat lying on the back of a leopard. While odd, I think the statues are pretty neat, and if you're in the area, definitely take a few minutes out of your day to take a look. For more information: http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/public-art-brochure-peaceable-kingdom.PDF [Yelp collections: Public Art]

The spinning chandelier by Rodney Graham should be added to the points of interest for Vancouver…read more If you are into the arts, this is a cool thing to see. The spinning chandelier is situated under the Grandville Street bridge. From downtown it's convenient to get here by foot or public transportation. Three times during the day there is a chandelier show where it lights up and spins. The times are 12 PM, 4 PM, and 9 PM.

I realize that what constitutes "good art" from "bad art" is totally subjective, and that beauty is…read moreindeed in the eye of the beholder. I also understand how and why this particular art piece is so very controversial. After all, it DID cost nearly 5 million dollars and, in essence, it IS a fancy chandelier installed under a bridge where, often, homeless people sleep, in a city ridden with housing issues and homeless people who've fallen through the cracks of society. This art installation has received a ton of flak, deemed "tone deaf" in a world and a place rife with serious issues. All that said, I LOVED this piece, and I will tell you why: -this piece does what "good art" should: it elicits a dialogue about contemporary and/or significant social issues. The very fact that this piece is controversial and has elicited such strong reactions, both positive and negative, tells me that it has done a great service by bringing attention to issues like the homeless, affordable housing, and public art. The worst thing any art could do would be to be ignorable and inconsequential, and have people walk by it and either not notice it or not care. Love it or hate it, you can't say that about this spinning chandelier! People have very strong, visceral opinions about it, either way. But everyone DOES have an opinion about it! -people who take umbrage with this piece often bemoan its high cost and say this money could've been put to better use by feeding and housing the homeless. It's important to note that this art piece was commissioned and purchased by Westbank, the developer of the adjacent Vancouver House. It was not bought by the City. As such, it was privately purchased. I have art in my own home that I've bought - and some I've made myself - and I know that not all of it is liked (or even understood) by others, and I'm okay with that. No-one should criticize me for my taste in art, that I purchased myself. If I was allowed to put it in a public space for others to enjoy, perhaps most would love it and appreciate the fact that they get to enjoy contemporary art without having to pay admission price to a gallery; others may dislike the art, or resent that it is there. But they can't complain that they funded it when they did not, and it would be presumptuous for them to say I should have given my personal money to other charitable causes than fund art. After all, who's to say I don't also give to charitable causes, too? It's my money and I can do with it as I want. -for those who say they "hate" this piece and it shouldn't be on display, I counter, hey, I might hate rap music, but I'd never argue that it should never be made or played. Who am I to tell others what music they should listen to? This piece is really amazing. It is a huge chandelier, comprised of many dangling crystal-like pendants. They've added a third "spinning" time, so now it drops and spins three times a day: at 12 noon, 4pm and 9pm. When it drops, the chandelier lights up, and it spins for about 5 minutes before ascending back to its original position under the bridge. I visited it the other day at 4 pm and videotaped the whole performance. I can see how this would be way more dramatic at night, but the daytime performance was super cool, too. It's quite the feat in engineering, and it garnered a lot of attention from passers-by - many of whom stopped to film the show like I did. The only extra feature I can think of that would make this super-duper cool would be to have some music playing during the spinning performance. That would elevate the drama! But still, it's truly a spectacle, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole whimsy of it! A short hop from the seawall at Howe, and right beside the New Vancouver House and Fresh St. Market and London Drugs between Beach and Pacific. It's truly a sight to behold! Check it out!

I liked the orca statue, it's a cool thing to check out if you're near the convention center or…read morewalking along the water front. Not that I need to compare but it's a lot cooler looking than the Olympic sticks statue in the same area. The orca made up for the lackluster impression the Olympic structure left me with.

This is a sculpture of a killer whale made in 2009 by Douglas Coupland. It is installed next to the…read moreVancouver's convention center. It is an aluminum sculpture on a stainless steel frame and it kind of looks like legos or a pixelated image. It's located along the waterfront area near to Vancouver downtown. It's definitely worth taking a walk along the seawall here for great views, and why not stop at the Digital Orca for a fun photo while there!

"Gate to the Northwest Passage" is a large sculpture by Chung Hung located at Vanier Park in…read moreKitsilano and close to English Bay. It is shaped like a gate or arch. But given its locale, it could also be taken to be a clear mirror looking at the beauty of Vancouver. Although the art piece caused some initial controversy after its unveiling, I think it is a cool piece of art that stands out from its park surroundings.

Spanning the 600 block of Beatty Street between Georgia and Dunsmuir is a brightly colored mural…read more Commissioned in 2017 to celebrate Canada 150+, "Spirits of the Realms" is by Indigenous artists (Haisla Collins, Sharifah Marsden, Richard Shorty, Jerry Whitehead, Mehren Razmpoosh, and Vanessa Walterson) and depicts First Nations culture. Over the years there have been various murals -- some of which I have liked, some of which I haven't -- and Spirits of the Realms is one of the better ones. I love the bright colors! [Yelp collections: Public Art]

Highly recommended…read more Street Art Works Around Vancouver, British Columbia A trip to Vancouver is incomplete absent an effort to gad about town to view the various street artworks. One way to do this is to take one of the city bus tours to get a sense of the different neighborhoods and then taxis later to the areas you prefer. Another way to figure out where to go is to research areas on the Internet and then walk or take a cab to those areas. Yes, to be sure, the City of Vancouver holds an annual street mural project and pays artists to fly into town and paint their creations in various sections of the city during a specific period. But this city-sponsored mural effort is only part of the street art story. Vancouver is chock full of works produced by local artists, some of renown and some not so well known. If you don't know what else to do after reading this review, get yourself over to the Mount Pleasant area of Vancouver and start your exploration there. If you plan to shoot photos, you'll need a wide-angle lens -- some works are expansive. You'll consume an entire day walking from block to block in the Mount Pleasant area alone. After that, if you have time, explore each section of the city for unique and different works. If you love street art, Vancouver is resplendent with various offerings. We took hundreds of photos during our stay. A few samples are below. Go and enjoy!