After 50 years of meaningful discussions with community members and Indigenous leaders, the newly opened Museum of North Vancouver (MONOVA) presents a collection of more than 9,000 artefacts that will engage, strengthen, and inspire the community by exploring the stories of North Vancouver’s past, present and future.
MONOVA showcases the rich culture and history in today’s modern and dynamic community through interactive displays, education programs, as well as moving tributes to the past, including a section dedicated to Residential School survivors and their families.
The museum is a treasure trove of fascinating gems – from stories about the role played by women during wartime, to belongings and artwork of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Səl̓ílwətaɬ Nations, who have lived and thrived on the North Shore for generations.
But perhaps the most prominent piece of art that can be found at the museum is Streetcar 153, where visitors can transport themselves back to 1912 by listening to recorded conversations in what was then called as the “Lonsdale Line”. Another stunning piece that can be seen front and centre is the Sch’ich’iyuy (The Two Sisters) wall panel which signifies the extensive work and collaboration between the MONOVA staff and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Səl̓ílwətaɬ Nations, evidence of which visitors will see throughout the museum.
Located in the heart of the vibrant Shipyards District, MONOVA is close to the Lonsdale Quay, the SeaBus Terminal, and the Polygon Gallery where visitors can also visit their new exhibit, the Cloud Album.
The Cloud Album at the Polygon Gallery looks skyward at a subject that has captured the imagination of photographers, artists, and scientists since the advent of camera. On until May 1, the exhibition celebrates the breadth and beauty of clouds, featuring more than 250 historically and culturally significant works drawn from the collection of the London-based Archive of Modern Conflict. Works in the exhibition span some of photography’s earliest images, including snapshots of cataclysmic mushroom clouds from atomic bomb tests, and views from Apollo 9 of a large storm system.
Initiated by Belgian meteorologist Jean Vincent in 1894, the title Cloud Album refers to a scientific document that reflects the efforts of more than a century of successive generations of meteorologists, each fascinated as the next by the ephemeral phenomenon of clouds.
Cloud Album is also a featured exhibition of the 2022 Capture Photography Festival, which runs from April 1 to 29.
