Vancouver Art Gallery
750 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H7
Info Line: 604.662.4719
Administration: 604.662.4700
http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca

Location:
The Vancouver Art Gallery is located at 750 Hornby St. You can enter the Gallery from Hornby Street or Robson Street Plaza (adjacent to Howe Street). Both entrances are wheelchair accessible.

General Information:
The Vancouver Art Gallery provides a touch of culture to a day's outing with kids. This Gallery is relatively small as compared to some others in major centres, but it houses an interesting collection of BC and contemporary works, and has a number of travelling exhibitions. Check their website for details. The Gallery is in a restored, 1910 heritage building that was the provincial courthouse.

Age Group:
Babies: Babies won't mind a trip to the Gallery as there are lots of new and bright things to see. So, if you haven't been to the Gallery in a while, or want to see a specific exhibition, pack up your baby and head out...before he or she is old enough to get bored and complain!

Toddlers: The Gallery is a borderline recommended activity for toddlers. It's not a place for running around and burning off energy so if your kids don't tolerate low key activities, you're best to wait until they do before coming here. If you do come, the best section for kids of this age is Contemporary Art. Modern paintings with bright colours will likely be of more interest than the turn of the century and European works. You can point out what's going on in the pictures or, if your toddler is old enough or has the verbal skills, ask him or her what's going on in the picture. Ask them to make up a story about it.

For example, there's a painting of a cafe table. What's going on here? A tea party? Who's coming? What will be served? Or the painting of a woman taking a bath. Why is she taking a bath - is she dirty? What did she do to get dirty? What will she do after her bath? Does she have bubbles in the bath? Let your imaginations run! It can be lots of fun. Another idea is to talk about the colours in the picture. Ask your child what colours he sees in a painting. And, don't forget to ask your child if he likes the painting and why or if it reminds him of anything. Supersunday is for kids 5 and up, but they will let toddlers in. Use your judgement as to whether your child will enjoy this type of art activity.

Older children: Older children, depending on their interests and temperaments, will probably tolerate a visit to the Art Gallery more than younger ones. Follow the same ideas for discussion as highlighted in the toddler section and add to them based on your own kids' interests. Some other ideas include looking for paintings with subjects similar to activities and hobbies your child enjoys (sports, dancing, etc.) or talking about how artists lived in their times and how they often sacrifice comforts of life to pursue their art. And, check out Supersundays for sure with kids over age 5. There are plenty of creative outlets for kids with varying interests. Click here for some tips on visiting an art gallery with 5-8 year olds, provided by a docent tour guide from the National Gallery in Ottawa!

Hours of Operation:
Daily 10 am to 5:30 pm
Tuesday and Thursday until 9 pm

Cost: (Currently)
Admission (plus applicable tax)
Adult $15
Senior (65+) $11
Student (with valid ID) $10
Children (5 - 12) $6
Children (4 and under) Free
Family (maximum 2 parents and 2 children) $40
Members Free

Super Sunday: Art for families
Rates: Complimentary Gallery admission for children age 12 and under on supersunday. Admission is free for Members.
Suggested donation for materials: $2

Parking
The Vancouver Art Gallery occupies an entire city block in the heart of downtown Vancouver, bounded by Georgia Street, Hornby Street, Robson Street and Howe Street.

No parking is available on Gallery premises, but there is plenty of paid public parking nearby: Hotel Vancouver parkade (enter from Hornby Street), Pacific Centre Mall parkade (enter from Howe Street) and Robson Square Complex (enter from Howe Street).

What is there to Do and See?
Kidstops and Family Guides
Family Guides offer activities and information for school-aged children who want to learn about the art and artists they meet in the Gallery.

The Vancouver Art Gallery's Family Programs spark curiosity and creativity, inviting children and adults to explore art and the people who create it. Through hands-on activities, games, exercises in 'close looking,' as well as age-appropriate information and questions, Family Programs open up the world of art and artists by providing opportunities to engage, discover and debate.

Super Sunday: Art for families
On the third Sunday of each month, the Gallery is transformed into a fun-filled space for families (children age 12 and under) to learn about art together. Artists, staff and volunteers engage families in hands-on activity areas, where children and adults draw, paint, create, watch and participate in performances, and learn about art together.

Hours & Rates
Dates: On the third Sunday of each month.
Hours: Noon - 5 pm
Rates: Complimentary Gallery admission for children age 12 and under on supersunday. Admission is free for Members.
Suggested donation for materials: $2

2007 Super Sunday Dates
January 21
February 18
March 18
April 15
May 20
June 17
July 15
August 19
September 16
October 21
November 18
December 16

Tips:
1. Read below for some great tips on visiting an art gallery with 5-8 year olds (although lots is also relevant for younger kids), provided by a docent tour guide from the National Gallery in Ottawa!

b) If you have been to the particular gallery before, pick up a couple of postcards of works on permanent display, with lots of colour, recognizable shapes, interesting lines, and/or children/family scenes as subjects. Or just go to the Gallery shop ahead of time and ask the taff to show you cards of works on display. Abstract designs can be quite a turn-on for young children (just think of your refrigerator door! ).

c) When you go to the Gallery, give these to the children in the appropriate room to "find the matching picture/sculpture". They will have fun and be amazed, especially where the original is very large, or is painted or sculpted with a lot of texture. Then invite them to tell you how the painting or sculpture makes them feel (happy, sad, excited, etc.). If it is dark they may come up with sad/scary, if it is bright the response may be different.

d) At home collect or cut out shapes(triangles, squares, circles) in primary colours ( red, blue and yellow), and black and white. Have children choose their favorite colours in pictures or magazines or calendars that are around the house. Take the coloured shapes with you and play matching games as you go about the gallery spaces. If you have more than one child, perhaps let each choose a colour to "be" for the outing, and find the painting with a lot of that colour, where they "belong".

e) Before you go, during story time at home, reinforce that storybooks have pictures on nearly every page. Instead of reading the text, try asking the child to tell what is happening in the illustration. In the Gallery, find a painting with a simple "story" which a child could likely discover and relate. In some works they may like the characters and be quite interested in making up a story about them. With a couple of five to eight year olds, each can suggest some of the imagined action, and you can contribute too. Anything goes, there is no right or wrong!

f) Ask them what would happen if they could jump into the painting. What would they hear? smell? What clothes would they wear? What would they be doing? Would it be fun to be there? If not, why not?

g) If you have photos of family pets ,calendars or magazines with animal pictures, and better still, the real thing, take some time to look at these and talk about fur, hair, and smooth and rough texture. Pieces of lace, leather, and satin are also good textures to observe and feel. At the Gallery take some of this stuff along with you and look for their counterparts. Children will be quick to see the brushstroke or chiselling that brings out the idea of texture and makes animals look "alive", lace collars or bicycle helmets look "real".

h) An hour tops for this activity. As you arrive don't forget to reinforce no-touching, no running, no loud voices rules. Explain that the Gallery has a collection of precious things, as they may have at home too, and that we have to help look after them so that everyone can enjoy them. Make time for a café visit in the Gallery or close by, as you leave and ask what they liked best, what they want to see next time etc. At home they can do a drawing or painting of something they remember of their visit - even the café cake display!

2. Kids are generally unlikely to last more than an hour (if that) in any art gallery so keep this in mind when planning your visit. You might want to couple your visit to the Gallery with other fun things in the downtown area like a trip on the Seabus or the Skytrain, or pop over to check out the cruise ships in the port at Canada Place (where there's also an IMAX theatre).

There's also Robson Street which is fun for the shopping-inclined. For those not interested in the shops, you'll probably have no trouble "dragging" them into the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory where they can actually see some goodies being made (not to mention enjoy the wonderful smells). The Virgin Megastore is big, has lots of different kinds of music, much of which kids can listen to on the spot with earphones, not to mention videos. But, if you're not planning on spending money in there, set limits before going in.

3. There is a cafe which has a lovely outdoor terrace on the second floor. They have a variety of hot and cold food available. If you don't find anything of appeal in the cafe, you can try the food court across the street at the Pacific Centre shopping mall. There's also Planet Hollywood on Robson St where it's always fun to check out the movie props and assorted paraphernalia.