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State of the art

By Angela Murrills

In Vancouver’s gallery district, we uncover five reasons to turn collecting into a passion.

Still searching for that gorgeous abstract to hang in the dining room? We deconstruct South Granville’s “Gallery Row” to bring you five essential showrooms that will inspire the novice and the seasoned collector alike. From contemporary to historical, find your next conversation piece here.

Equinox Gallery

This 34-year-old gallery is a landmark in the contemporary arts scene, having featured the works of legends like Roy Lichenstein and Takao Tanabe. Other shows include historical and modern works from the Pacific Northwest and rotating exhibits by gallery artists.

2321 Granville Street, 604-736-2405, www.equinoxgallery.com

Douglas Reynolds Gallery

Northwest Coast native wood carvings, prints and jewelry are more than just eye-candy, they’re history. Take home a piece of the past with a traditional sea lion mask, hand carved in 1870. For a luxe contemporary souvenir, snag an 18-carat-gold Haida Frog Ring or a gold-and-ivory thunderbird pendant.

2335 Granville Street, 604-731-9292, www.douglasreynoldsgallery.com

Atelier Gallery

The art at Atelier Gallery is irreverent, humorous and energetic. Catch mid-career names and rising stars, from Michael Dowad’s colorful paintings of smug-faced dolls to the haunted ink drawings of The Royal Art Lodge’s Marcel Dzama: this is art that defies.

2421 Granville Street, 604-732-3021, www.ateliergallery.ca

Jennifer Kostuik Gallery

Pinhole photos of French rooms, shifting landscapes, airy sculptures. The common denominators are modernity and “Oh wow, that’s beautiful!” Look for Colleen Flynn-Lawson’s acrylic studies of the transformation of nature and Kevin O’Connell’s dramatically lit nature photographs.

2928 Granville Street, 604-737-3969, www.kostuikgallery.com

Bau-Xi Gallery

Pronounced “boe she” – Chinese for “great gift” – the city’s oldest contemporary gallery houses work by the country’s most influential artists, including abstract painter Jack Shadbolt. Jamie Evrard’s sumptuous florals and still lifes, and Karen Yurkovich’s inventive oil paintings of fruit and flora are among the exhibitions scheduled for 2006. Overheard: “That piece that was in the window? Halle Berry bought it.”

3045 Granville Street, 604-733-7011, www.bau-xi.com

Getting here

Tourism British Columbia, 1-800 HELLO BC®, helloBC.com

Photo credit: Bau-Xi Gallery