Make it an Inspiring (and low-cost) Day by Riding Transit to Metro Vancouver Art Galleries

September 7, 2022
DV
ByDestination Vancouver
5 min read

The Anvil Centre in New Westminster

TransLink’s Ride & Shine rolls on through September with special offers and discounts to top Metro Vancouver art galleries. There are also plenty of galleries all over Metro Vancouver on SkyTrain, bus routes and right by the SeaBus that offer free admission so you can make it a full day of high culture/low cost.

Admission to the following galleries is free except where noted.

Along Route 144 through Burnaby you can jump out at Deer Lake and visit the Burnaby Art Gallery, Deer Lake Gallery and the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts all at one stop.

The Anvil Centre in New Westminster

Just off the New Westminster Station stop along the Expo Line you’ll find the Anvil Centre and its community art gallery, the avant-garde works at New Media Gallery as well as the New Westminster Museum and Archives.

Still in New West, along Route 128 you can enjoy the unique viewing experience at Van Dop Gallery, a unique location in a home setting.

The Surrey Art Gallery and its contemporary works is accessible along Route R1.

The Anvil Centre in New Westminster

Walking distance from the Lonsdale Quay end of the SeaBus route on Vancouver’s North Shore is Polygon Gallery, BC’s preeminent photography gallery. Polygon accepts admission by donation.

Further north in Deep Cove at the end of Route 211 is the Seymour Art Gallery showcasing works by new and emerging artists.

Heading downtown Vancouver, near the Yaletown-Roundhouse Station is Kostiuk Gallery and Contemporary Art Gallery which is offering 10% off at their bookstore to transit riders.

Down the Canada Line to Vancouver City Centre Station will put you within walking distance to a number of galleries including the Bill Reid Gallery where transit riders can currently enjoy 2-for-1 admission.

The Anvil Centre in New Westminster

Further east along Route 16 will bring you to the Chinatown Storytelling Centre where transit riders can take $5 off their admission price. Further along Hastings Street, there’s the contemporary art of Mónica Reyes Gallery and Fazakas Gallery, as well as Outsiders and Others and their focus on non-traditional artists. Curators Catriona Jeffries and Wil Abelle also have spaces in the area also accessed by Route 210. Slice of Life Art Gallery is just off Route 5 in Strathcona and features a unique gift shop with works by local artists.

Galleries on Granville Island are accessible by Route 50. Here you’ll find Dundarave Print Workshop Gallery and Eagle Spirit Gallery and their impressive collection of Northwest Coast Native and Inuit art.

The Anvil Centre in New Westminster

Just up from Granville Island, a two-block stretch along Granville Street has long been a one-stop destination for art lovers. Ian Tan Gallery and Kurbatoff Gallery feature modern, contemporary Canadian art, while neighbours Marion Scott Gallery and Douglas Reynolds Gallery showcase Indigenous artists. All are accessible by Route 14. Keep on that line to visit Bau-Xi Gallery, the oldest commercial gallery in the city.

The Anvil Centre in New Westminster

Venturing further out into Vancouver, Route 2 will bring you to Mónica Reyes’ second gallery location in Mackenzie Heights and Route 4 will take you out to UBC to check out the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, the university’s fine arts gallery.

There are many more deals to be had when you ride transit to some of Metro Vancouver’s hottest attractions, dining and shopping. To see them all, check out the interactive map at https://www.translink.ca/rider-guide/ride-and-shine.

Metro Vancouver art galleries
TransLink Ride & Shine
free admission galleries
SkyTrain
bus routes
SeaBus
low-cost day
high culture