Located in the courtyard in front of the Station Square shopping center that and opposite Metrotown…read moreStation, this is a collection of five (now four) cast aluminum sculptures that were commissioned by the City of Burnaby for the Station Mall. According to the artist's statement, they were inspired by the original Monopoly game tokens and are to "playfully explore the dynamics of trade and game-playing." If you look about, you'll find the octopus, the dog, a melon, and a ladies shoe. There was also a gentleman Dandy but he is no longer present. As art goes, it's art. It will make sense to some and not to others. Put me in the "not making sense" column here. [Round number review 20900 overall - 76 in British Columbia - 1884 of 2023.]

In 2012, Station Square, a small, run-down shopping complex located beside Metrotown Mall, closed…read moredown for redevelopment. There are now expensive (I assume) condos and several new businesses, as well as an art installation in the main square. Cordials is by Canadian artist Myfanwy MacLeod and was installed in 2018. It consists of five steel and aluminum sculptures: a shoe, a melon, a dandy, an octopus, and a dog. The shoe, melon, and dandy are clearly visible in the main square, and despite walking past the sculptures several times, I hadn't noticed the octopus, which is on the end of a bench in the main square. The dog, which is not located in the main square with the other sculptures, can easily be missed, as it's tucked around the corner beside the Dollarama. Perhaps there are more sculptures, but as far as I can tell, there are only those five. I admit, I don't quite understand these sculptures; these five items seem so unconnected, and why is the dog so far away from the other sculptures? (Also, why isn't it beside the Pet Smart store?) But it's better than no artwork (and the octopus is pretty neat), and they're fun for the kids to climb on. [Yelp collections: Public Art]

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...

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!

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!

Fun stop to breakup the drive Free activity Enjoy A little…read morestretch and enjoy the fresh air

We thought this place was going to be cheesy and dumb. But we were MISTAKEN, it was cool. You can…read morepick trails, you can walk it all, you can find birds, you can sit and talk, you have tons of photo ops. We loved it!!! We walked and talked. Enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Such an interesting, fun and interactive public art installation. Would definitely recommend making…read morea quick stop here!

Oh, how I love this sculpture!…read more It is both whimsical and serious, literal and abstracted, colorful yet depicting water which is known to be clear.... in other words, it presents a dichotomy or two, spanning categories and allegories, and to me, this is what makes this piece successful. It caters to the sensibilities of people who have vastly differing tastes in art: it appeals to people who prefer more literal depictions of subject matters and to those who prefer more modern, contemporary and even more minimalist abstractions. Furthermore, it is well-suited and grounded in its element, paying homage to Vancouver's rainy season(s), its reliance and location by the ocean, and the city's historical dependence on marine industries and water-dependent agricultural industries (not to mention, the human need for water). The site chosen for this piece's installation could not be more perfect: right along the waterfront, across from the "sails" of Canada Place, with the inlet beside it and the glorious Stanley Park forests just east and the mountains just north providing picturesque backdrops. As a humorous aside, whenever I see this tall, slender, blue raindrop, I personally also see a teardrop, as I tend to be sad when the rains come, and the skies are grey and it's so...dreary. So this raindrop can also be interpreted as a teardrop for those of us who have SAD (seasonal affective disorder) lol.

Installed in 2009, The Drop is a 65 foot tall bright blue sculpture resembling a raindrop, which is…read morevery appropriate for Vancouver, a city known for its rainy weather. It's by the German group Inges Idee, which is composed of four artists, Hans Hemmert, Axel Lieber, Thomas Schmidt, and George Zey. It's located in Coal Harbour beside the Convention Centre at the Bon Voyage Plaza (I had no idea that there was a specific name for the plaza!), where one can watch the cruise ships arrive and depart. [Yelp collections: Public Art]

Came across this lone girl while bicycle riding around Stanley Park. It was low tide, so you could…read moresee the entire boulder that she is on. And you could also walk/jump amongst the rocks to get a closer look. I find her gaze to be quiet and contemplative. I find the setting serene and peaceful. Nice :)

This was one of those landmarks in Stanley park that either you completely understand and love or…read more... like me, admire for the given moment and then look for the next. I'm not saying it's not worth your time but this is a 'your mileage may vary' situation. I've seen the Little Mermaid in the Copenhagen harbour. It's crowded as it's surrounded by a never ending mountain of tourists. Girl in a Wetsuit is MUCH further out from the shoreline and you could miss it if you're not paying attention. When I was here.. she was alone and if anything, I would say the sombre weather was mimicked in her too. I could have approached her since it was low tide and she perched on top of her rock. For me, the only interesting tidbit I found about her was a simple plaque on the side of the path. It mentioned she was placed in 1972 and her meaning is Vancouver's dependence on the water. A simple sculpture with a simple meaning. Perhaps it'll resonate with you but to me, her solitude was one of longing and poise. Perhaps that's Vancouver but I dont see it quite represent the current Vancouver.

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!