The City of Vancouver, as part of its every-other-year Biennale, commissions artists to bring their…read morecreativity to the city. Installed in March 2015 in eastern Vancouver, the Trans-Am Totem has quickly become the great BC city's must-sees. I won't get into all the possible interpretations and grad-schooleque "merging of consumerism and nature" or "metaphor of recurring consumerism" or "throwaway consumer culture" talk and just give a run-down. Located near the Georgia Viaduct, Vancouver artist Marcus Bowcott has given us a 33-foot (10 m)-high, 25,000-pound (11,340 kg) sculpture. Simply put, it's a stump of an old-growth cedar tree topped with five cars. At the top is the car that gives this sculpture its name: a 1981 Pontiac Trans Am. Then there's a BMW 7 Series, a Honda Civic, a Volkswagen Golf Mk1 Cabriolet, and a Mercedes-Benz ... all donated by a local scrapyard. While the Trans Am Totem is perfectly viewable while driving down the road, I highly recommend parking and viewing it up close and personal ... it really accentuates the experience. Its location on a grassy median where Pacific Boulevard turns into Quebec Street does not make up-close viewing ideal, but well worth the extra effort. One of great things about modern art is the capability of grand scope ... it took gigantic moving trucks to get everything here and cranes with a construction crew to get it all in place. It's a real site to see!

I pass this sculpture regularly and, like Seattle's "Freemont Troll" or "Gum Alley", this towering…read moretotem pole is definitely a whimsical oddity of sorts, one that people either love or detest. Personally, I love it. I think it funky and odd and comical. Until fairly recently, the headlights on the uppermost vehicle lit up at night. I'm not sure why they no longer do so, but I hope the City fixes this minor issue, as this feature truly enhances the novelty of the work when viewed at nighttime. I've read a few articles about this piece in the past year. I had no idea how controversial this totem pole was; many people take offense at the use of an indigenous people's symbol (the totem pole), used in a contemporary, artsy, funky way. I guess it's not PC to use indigenous symbols in art in this way. I guess this work is polarizing (emphasis on "pole" - get it? My weak attempt at humor here!). In my opinion, any artwork worth its weight in salt elicits dialogue and conversation and debate. In this way, I think this work is successful. Another note to pass on: I read that this totem pole is going to be moved this year to another location (as yet to be decided). So if you're interested in checking this eclectic piece out, I'd recommend doing so soon before it's moved to God-knows-where.

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...

Having watched the 2010 Winter Olympics on television, I hoped then to someday get the chance to…read morevisit Vancouver to see it in person. Today was that day of a wish coming true. While it seemed more impressive on the tv screen back then, I nevertheless appreciated the moment.

This history with the 2010 Winter Olympics makes this thing seem cooler than it is. I saw some…read morepictures from back when it was lit up with flames and it is in fact pretty spectacular looking. Now it's only lit for special occasions. But besides that as a "landmark" it's just meh. Since I was in this part of Vancouver it was somewhat worth it to stop by just to see it. The big black LEGO dolphin nearby is much cooler.

Okay, I don't know why I like this art so much, but I really do!!…read more The statue was presented to Vancouver by the city of Olympia, Greece to commemorate the 2010 Olympics. It is made of bronze and was installed in 2014. It's located at the intersection of Cordova and Thurlow Street, in the median.

In Greek mythology, Nike (Greek: , "Victory", pronounced [nk]) was a goddess who personified…read morevictory, also known as the Winged Goddess of Victory. The Roman equivalent was Victoria. Depending upon the time of various myths, she was described as the daughter of the Titan Pallas and the goddess Styx, and the sister of Kratos (Strength), Bia (Force), and Zelus (Zeal). Nike and her siblings were close companions of Zeus, the dominant deity of the Greek pantheon. According to classical (later) myth, Styx brought them to Zeus when the god was assembling allies for the Titan War against the older deities. Nike assumed the role of the divine charioteer, a role in which she often is portrayed in Classical Greek art. Nike flew around battlefields rewarding the victors with glory and fame, symbolized by a wreath of Laurel leaves. Nike is seen with wings in most statues and paintings. Most other winged deities in the Greek pantheon had shed their wings by Classical times. Nike is the goddess of strength, speed, and victory. Nike was a very close acquaintance of Athena, and is thought to have stood in Athena's outstretched hand in the statue of Athena located in the Parthenon. Nike is one of the most commonly portrayed figures on Greek coins. Names stemming from Nike include among others: Nikolaos, Nicholas, Nicola, Nick, Nicolai, Nikolai, Nicolae, Nils, Klaas, Nicole, Ike, Niki, Nikita, Nika, Niketas, Nikki, Nico, and Veronica.

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]

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.

Looking for something cool to check out while you're in Vancouver, stop by A-maze-ing Laughter…read more I went after Canada beat Qatar during the World Cup, so the whole area had such a fun atmosphere. Great time to be in Vancouver period! There were visitors everywhere, people celebrating, and you could really feel the energy around the city. The sculptures themselves are a sight to see, very large. You can't help but smile walking through them and they're perfect for taking pictures. They even had soccer jerseys on some of the statues for the World Cup, which was a fun little touch. It's a quick stop but definitely worth it if you're already exploring the waterfront. I had a great time, got some fun photos, and left with a smile. Sometimes it's the simple attractions that end up being the most memorable.

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

Lots of artwork and sculptures throughout Vancouver and this piece is easy to spot on the north…read moreside of the road at the eastern entrance to Stanley Park. Created by artist Rodney Graham from Abbotsford Canada and working in Vancouver. The sculpture is a nod to model gliders though it looks like the assembler wasn't following the instructions. That's intentional and the artist's statement points out, "I put the models together not with a view to having them fly correctly, but with an eye to their aesthetic value as purely abstract sculptural forms." [Review 20879 overall - 56 in British Columbia - 1863 of 2023.]

Located between Georgia Street (at the entrance to Stanley Park) and the seawall just east of Lost…read moreLagoon (by the Georgia Street overpass), and visible by the road (in case you're driving north on Georgia, entering the Park or going to the Lion's Gate bridge), is this imposing, contemporary sculpture that resembles a mangled glider of sorts. Created by Rodney Graham in 2010, the work was inspired by components of toy glider kits that were incorrectly assembled by the artist for their quirky aesthetic appeal. To me, the work has a 1960's meant-to-be-futuristic Jetson's vibe that is humorous and whimsical and simultaneously serious in a semi-scientific, engineering-esque retro way. To me, it is enigmatic in this way. Whenever I pass this work (which is often!), I keep expecting the propeller at the top to rotate with the wind. I personally love kinetic sculptures, so I am biased: for me, I wish this work was kinetic and the top propellor moved. This work seems to call for actual movement and the piece would be more successful (to me, anyhow) if it engaged with the environment in this way. I love how the base of this piece is modeled after a toy model airplane base, complete with its cheap looking plaque that resembles a plastic sticker plastered on the base with the work's title. I also like the sculptures' toy-like components: red button wheels on high, green and white checkered plane tail, plastic-looking red propeller, blue "rubber bank" holding the various pieces together, etc. Very childish and toy-like and fun.

Located in Queen Elizabeth Park, Love in the Rain by Bruce Voyce was installed in 2016. Love in…read morethe Rain is comprised of four stainless steel sculptures of couples holding umbrellas. The sculpture is a place for people to attach "love locks" without ruining city infrastructure, and there are hundreds of locks attached to the sculptures, as well as a receptacle where one can dispose of the key. My friends and I enjoyed looking at and photographing all the interesting locks. [Yelp collections: Public Art]