Just when Burnaby’s arts community hit what is typically a busy time of year, it all changed with COVID-19.
Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby Art Gallery, Deer Lake Gallery and Michael J. Fox Theatre are among the normally busy local facilities to close their doors in the face of the pandemic.
Fortunately for arts lovers in the city, there are still some artistic offerings you can enjoy at a safe distance – while self-isolating in your own home.
BURNABY ART GALLERY
While you can’t physically visit the gallery at the historic Ceperley House on Deer Lake for the indeterminate future, you can check out some of its past exhibitions online.
Among them: Arts Alive 2018, featuring the work of Burnaby students; Takao Tanabe’s Chronicles of Form and Place; A Life in Layers, featuring work by J.C. Heywood; An Exhibition Series by Lynda Cuddy; and Deborah Koenker’s The Mexican Night.
You can also continue to support the arts in the city by making a donation online. Check out www.burnabyartgallery.ca.
BURNABY ARTISTS GUILD
The Burnaby Artists Guild cancelled its spring show, which was set for Shadbolt Centre for the Arts April 3 and 4, in the face of COVID-19.
But you can still check out the work of its members online. Visit www.burnabyartistsguild.com to find links to members’ pages. (To name just one highlight, Jacelyn Lao’s calming acrylics are just the ticket for those feeling the stress and anxiety of the current situation.)
PUBLIC ART
If you’re out and about the city – maintaining proper social distance, of course, and only as necessary – then why not check out the city’s public art offerings while you’re at it? Swing by the corner of Edmonds and Kingsway to visit Ken Lum’s new sculpture of the retired draft horse, or check out the city’s online map to find an art treasure in your own neighbourhood. View all the info at https://www.burnaby.ca/Things-To-Do/Arts-and-Heritage/Burnaby-Art-Gallery/Collections---Research/Public-Art.html.
FEDERATION OF CANADIAN ARTISTS
The national artists’ federation has an online gallery where you can browse to your heart’s content and escape for awhile into a variety of other worlds. See https://federationgallery.com/show for links to a host of exhibitions that are sure to satisfy your love of visual art.
Got other local art to share? Send ideas to Julie, [email protected].
