15 Art works in Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC, Canada
A lot of people don't realize that there is a bunch of art in Stanley Park.
Some of the art, e.g. Killer Whale, is done by world reknown artists and other art, e.g. Two Spirits, by anonymous artists.
There is also some unique Environmental and Ephemeral art that was done in the park. These environmental and ephemeral artworks are meant to disintegrate over time and return to nature!
There are some Artists that produce and sell their artwork in and nearby to Stanley Park. You can find them on the English Bay Seawall, at the Painter's Circle and outside the Vancouver Aquarium .
We recommend that you explore Stanley Park and enjoy all the art that you find!
Killer Whale - Chief of the Undersea World
Chief of the Undersea World is a large bronze statue of a Killer Whale at the Vancouver Aquarium created by the legendary Haida artist Bill Reid.
Two Spirits Artwork
Two Spirits artwork is a piece of guerilla art in the forest.
Someone carved two faces into a large stump. Nobody, that we know of, has claimed responsibility for making this art.
It is nestled in the forest near Second Beach.
We have some of the only photos of this artwork on our website and will tell you how to find it !
Portuguese Joe Statue
The Portuguese Joe Statue is the newest statue in Stanley Park commemorating Portuguese Joe, an interesting guy, who once lived in Stanley Park.
Raven: Spirit of Transformation
The Raven Sculpture is a little-known artwork made from trees that fell during a windstorm.
This statue was carved by artist Richard Krentz out of a Douglas Fir stump that was a casualty of the 2006 Windstorm that caused severe damage to Stanley Park.
There is no plaque associated with the statue and it is out of the way so most people don't realize the Raven is a significant statue.
Over the years, it has gathered spider webs and has aged with the weather.
It is located in the Stanley Park Junction behind the pond at the main plaza.
Portal Murals
The Portal Murals were 3 circular murals that represent interesting British Columbia historical architecture.
Surprisingly, none of the subjects of these murals is located in Stanley Park.
Unfortunately, during the COVID lockdown these artworks disappeared! Nobody knows what happened to them.
The Portal Murals were affixed to the wall(left-front) of the Second Beach Concession Stand.
The plaque says:
PORTAL
Drawing upon Vancouver's architectural history Portal transports the viewer from one iconic Vancouver space into another - a domestic view of the Graham House (1963) by Arthur Erickson, the interior of the Bloedel Conservatory (1969) and the interior of the BC Binning House (1941).
Christina Gray & Jon Reed
125 Mural Program, September 2011
Canada City of Vancouver 125
Artists
There are a few artists that display their work in and around Stanley Park.
There should be more, but the Parks Board has onerous restrictions on where artists can sell their work and fees that actually prevent artists!
Here are a few artists and places that you can see artists in and near Stanley Park.
Peter Berg's Pencil Art
Peter Berg is an artist who displays his pencil art on the English Bay Seawall in front of the Sylvia Hotel.
Peter spent many years working in Gastown before moving to Brazil, then onto Key West, Florida.
His work includes drawings of the Sylvia Hotel, Gastown Steam Clock, the Seawall, tropical themes from Key West and Brazil. There is usually a bicycle somewhere in his drawings!
Painters Circle
The Painters Circle is an area just north of the Stanley Park Information Booth and is a place where artist produce and sell paintings.
Environmental and Ephemeral Art in Stanley Park
In 2008-2009, an Environmental art project was undertaken that 'honours the park and its significance to our city, and on a greater lever, comments on sustainability and climate change'.
Six artists created environmental art works in collaboration with ecologists, park stewards, and environmental educators.
The goals of the project were to: inform and interpret our natural surroundings, help us re-envisions our relationship with nature and find new ways to co-exist within the environment, and to engage us through discusion and hands-on workshops.
Out of this project, there were 10 environmental art works: Cedar, Xapayay'/Cedar, Uprooted, Fringe, Hibernators, Birth, Listen, K'ayaacht'n! (We hold our hands up to you!), Cozy, and Entwined.
Over the years, some of these works have disappeared, but there are still traces of most of them that still exist. We discuss each more below.
Cozy Environmental Art
Cozy is a piece of "environmental" art that was created in 2009 by artist Shirley Wiebe.
It was a tree stump covered with woodend disks that were woven together.
Listen Environmental Art
Listen is a piece of environmental art in Stanley Park by artists John Hemsworth and Peter von Tiesehausen.
It is about 'taking the time to hear what the forest has to offer'.
Listen is located on the east side of Lover's Walk trail just south of the junction with Squirrel trail.
K'Ayacht'n! (We hold our hands up to you!) Environmental Art
K'Ayacht'n! is a piece of environmental art in Stanley Park
It is meant to 'honour the land and all that provides'.
K'Ayacht'n! Environmental Art is located on the east side of the service road just east of the Totem Poles and Portuguese Joe Statue on Brockton Point.
Davide Pan and T'Uy'Tanat Cease Wyss
K'aycht'n (We Hold Our hands Up to You!), 2009
This work honours the land and all that it provides. Huy Chexw A, Siyam and Siya! We have taken materials from throughout the island and we hold our hands up, we honour what the earth has to share with us! Huy Chexw A!
This work is part of the Stanley Park Environmental Art Project. Six artists have created works of art employing environmental art practices, using only natural materials and with consideration for the plants and animals of the park. Please respect the ecological sensitivity of this area by enjoying the art work from the path.
More information on the Stanley Park Environmental Project is available at: vancouver.ca/spea
Project Partners: Vancouver board of Parks and Recreation, Stanley Park Ecology Society, Community Arts Council of Vancouver
Project Funders: Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, Vancouver Foundation, City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia and 2010 Legacies Now, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian Visual and Expressive Arts Programs.
Entwined Environmental Art
Entwined is a piece of "environmental" art that was created in 2009 by artist Tania Williard.
It explores the 'interconnectedness of Stanley Park's ecology and how the different uses, experiences and perspectives of both indigenous and non-indigenous people'.
Entwined is located on the trail that starts behind the Lumbermens Arch Concession Stand and heads west running next to the Stanley Park Seawall. The tree where Entwined is on the north side of the trail not that far in.
Cedar Ephemeral Art
We haven't made it to this artwork yet.
Cross Bridal path staying on Lake Trail, and you will find “Cedar” in the triangle formed by Lake Trail, Squirrel and Lovers Walk.
Xapayay Ephemeral Art
Xapayay is a piece of ephemeral art in Stanley Park
Xapayay Ephemeral Art is located just east of the Portuguese Joe Statue at Brockton Point. It is located in the bush area just on the other side of the service road.
Uprooted Ephemeral Art
We haven't found this artwork yet. The only clue from the artist is that it was north of Lost Lagoon.
Fringe Ephemeral Art
Fringe was a piece of ephemeral art in Stanley Park.
Hibernators Ephemeral Art
Hibernators was a piece of ephemeral art created in 2009 in the old Polar Bear Enclosure.
There isn't much left of the Hibernators Ephemeral art work at this time.
Birth Ephemeral Art
Birth Ephemeral Art was created in 2009 by Tania Willard.
It is meant to show that there is a weaving of symbiotic relationships through every part of our world from mother and child down to micro-organisms in the earth.
Birth Ephemeral Art is located on Cathedral Trail just north of North Lagoon Drive.