Audain Art Museum

Audain Art Museum

This is where you can immerse yourself in the unique art of British Columbia. From the traditional work of the First Nations people, through to the province’s contemporary masters, and international giants, the museum’s goal is to showcase works that inspire, surprise, and enthrall you. These are all housed in an incredible 56,000 square foot building that is described by award-winning architect John Patkau as, “…a quiet intervention in the forest.”

The permanent collection, comprised of over 200 B.C. works, is spread throughout seven galleries. Included in these galleries are two dozen Emily Carr works, a collection of Northwest Coast masks that pre-date European contact, the largest collection of E.J. Hughes paintings in B.C, modernist paintings and sculptures, photo-conceptualism lightboxes, and thought-provoking contemporary First Nations artists like Sonny Assu. In addition, the museum hosts a range of temporary exhibitions each year.

Must See

“The Dance Screen” is an enormous, cedar piece by Haida master carver, James Hart, which can be found dominating the first gallery. Weighing in at 5.5 tons, it’s the largest self-standing dance screen in the world. It pays homage to the salmon, which gives life to the other animal elements depicted in the carving. Spot the unusual Lawrence Harris modernism painting, see a perspective master at work in Takao Tanabe’s piece and marvel at the contemporary human to eagle transformation mask and totem poles made out of unusual materials.

Did You Know?

The museum was built by Vancouver home builder and philanthropist, Michael Audain. The original plans were to build a 25,000 square foot museum, but after Audain and his wife, Yoshiko Karasawa, decided it would house their B.C. art collection it was expanded to 56,000. After four years of planning and development, it opened to the public on March 12, 2016. You’ll cross a bridge to get to the entrance, this is because it’s sitting on stilts to keep it above the floodplain of the Fitzsimmons Creek.

Our Tips

If you’re visiting over the weekend Saturdays and Sundays jump on their free (with admission) guided tours. Keep an eye out on for special events throughout the year, as they run workshops, meet the artist and speaker events – take a look at the calendar below.

Cost

$18 admission for adults, and children/youth aged 18 and under are free. There are also membership options available, which are worth looking into if you’re planning on going more than once a year.

Upcoming Events

For all upcoming arts and culture, events check out our What’s On page, below is what’s happening at the Audain Art Museum…

[ai1ec tag_id=”audain art museum” display_filters=”false”]

 

 

 

Events at the Library:

No event to show

Get Directions:

4350 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC V0N 1B4, Canada Open in Google map