Art for Sale, Canada
This article provides a summary of where you can find art for sale, Canada. Links to more detailed regional articles are provided. Further information about the history of the Canadian art scene, and prominent artists is also provided.
Where to find Art for Sale, Canada
Yorkville is where the rich go to spend their money. You can find some museum quality pieces of art for sale here. The Distillery Historic District is a pedestrianized area dedicated to the arts with over 40 galleries set out over 13 acres. On West Queen Street West in the Art and Design District, nearly every building is either a gallery, bar or nightclub - sometimes they are all three.
Vancouver
There is a host of boutique galleries in Granville Island just near the Vancouver Museum. The area is buzzing with activity from street performers, food markets, and other cultural events. There are also plenty of galleries dotted around downtown.
Montreal
Rue Saint Paul, which runs alongside the Bassin King-Edward, has many galleries along its street or nearby. It offers a romantic setting for enjoying what the Montreal art scene has to offer.
Ottawa
Most of the galleries in Ottawa are situated in the downtown area on or near Sussex Drive. There are also some notable landmarks including the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the ByWard Market.
Calgary
There are a number of galleries situated in downtown Calgary; many of them can be found on Stephen Avenue and 17 Avenue.
Famous Art Galleries in Canada
The Vancouver Art Gallery holds over 9,000 pieces of art. Its permanent exhibitions include the Emily Carr collection and a large amount of photographs. It also hosts numerous touring exhibits throughout the year. The institution offers free admission to the public.
The Art Gallery of Ontario is the 10th largest art museum in North America. Over 40,000 pieces of art are held in the collection including many items of Inuit Art, which serves as a good representation of the Canadian heritage. On display are also many masterworks from 100 AD to the present.
The Royal Ontario Museum is Canada’s largest museum. There are many educational programs for kids and adults held all year. Admission is free.
The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA), Toronto, showcases work from emerging and established artists from around the world. The main aim of the gallery is to exhibit work that is considered ground-breaking and engages topical issues of the current times.
Significant Artists from Canada
Emily Carr (1871-1945) is known for her paintings of totem poles in the beautiful Canadian landscape. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes her as a Canadian Icon, and many see here as a key player in the woman’s art movement of the 1930’s.
Floyd Kuptana, an Inuit sculptor and apprentice of David Ruben Piqtoukun, paints gruesome depictions of the Inuit shamanic beliefs and his experiences with drug abuse.
William Ronald (1926-1998), founder of the abstract art group Painters Eleven, had an important impact on Canadian modern art. He often went against the grain and during most of his life continually shunned the then-popular art of realism.
A Short History of the Canadian Art Scene
The Canadian art scene is historically diverse, influenced by a combination of the indigenous population and European immigrants. Although Canadian art is continually evolving, you will still find roots back to the artists’ heritage – the work has simply been adapted to fit their modern lives. The Canadian government is dedicated to preserving Canada’s multicultural arts legacy.
For thousands of years, Canada's indigenous population created art, most often either for practical or ritualistic reasons. During the 19th and first half of the 20th century, the government strongly pushed for Inuit artists to move away from their cultural traditions. This stance has effectively reversed, with artists such as Edward Poitras and Rebecca Belmore being incentivised.
The Distillery Historic District art scene tends to take a more provocative line when compared to the art on sale at Yorkville. The area comprises 13 acres and over 40 buildings, and is dedicated to the arts. The area is pedestrian-only, which makes it ideal for relaxed browsing.
At the start of French colonization’s, the Catholic Church commissioned many religious paintings. During the English colonization, British soldiers would paint the stunning Canadian landscape.
In the early 20th century, a Canadian group of painters called the Group of Seven (Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A. Y. Jackson, Frank Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J. E. H. MacDonald, and Frederick Varley) were the first to develop a distinctively Canadian style of painting. Their work focused on the beautiful Canadian landscape by using large, tremendous colors.
Other groups rejected, and some even resented the Group of Seven. They started to look at symbolism and mysticism, whilst others looked at Abstract expressionism - a trend influenced by the New York art scene of the time.
The Canadian government, and country as a whole, is very proud of its artistic talents. Canadian art is promoted significantly in education and there are many government support grants. The result is some fantastic Canadian art for sale being produced, both by home-grown locals and immigrants who have been enticed by the Canadian art scene.