The classic arts festival boasts an increasing number of participating artists, buildings, and events for its 27th edition

Rediscover the thrill of exploring the Eastside Arts District’s abundance of artists, studios, and workshops at the 27th annual Eastside Culture Crawl Visual Arts, Design & Craft Festival, held from November 16-19, 2023. With a lineup of nearly 450 registered artists – in which more than 60 artists are participating for the very first time – visitors from Metro Vancouver and beyond will uncover a treasure trove of artistic offerings on display throughout the festival’s full slate of events and activities, including a multi-gallery, juried preview exhibition, artist talks, demos and workshops, and open studio visits.

“There is a great deal of optimism in the air this year,” says Esther Rausenberg, Artistic & Executive Director of the Eastside Arts Society. “We’ve witnessed a great transformation taking place for many of our artists, who are changing directions and exploring new themes and mediums. We welcome the public to dive back into the Culture Crawl this fall to experience and be inspired by our artists’ growth and discovery. It has been a time of change for many of us and I believe art is a conduit for moving forward together.”

One of the biggest cultural events of the fall season, the Eastside Culture Crawl open studios attracts and inspires tens of thousands of visitors. Encompassing the region bounded by Columbia Street, 1st Avenue, Victoria Drive, and the Waterfront, the Eastside Arts District is the most concentrated area of artists, designers, performers, craftspeople and culture producers in Vancouver and is known nationally as an area rich with creativity and inspiration. The festival offers visitors a window into the artistic practices of artists living and/or working in Vancouver’s Eastside Arts District, representing creators specializing in painting, jewelry, sculpture, furniture, leather goods, photography, glass works, textiles, and more.

Art lovers are encouraged to explore these artistic discoveries all month long, most notably through the Culture Crawl’s 2023 feature preview exhibition, “Out of Control,” which encourages artists to submit artworks for juried selection along the themes of breaking rules, being reckless, and feeling unrestricted. The exhibition represents a broad and diverse range of mediums from 80 selected artists at four galleries and venues from October 24 to November 26, 2023. Jury members include Paul De Guzman, Eri Ishii, and Hugh Kearney who represent a diversity of art practices and representation in the community.

“At a time when we start to celebrate our freedom from pandemic restrictions, it’s an opportunity to reclaim experiences that were denied for so long, a chance to think outside of the box and just let go,” adds Rausenberg.

Culture Crawl goers are invited to interact with artists and their work through a variety of feature presentations and exhibitions.

27th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl
Dates:  November 16-19, 2023
Thursday & Friday, 5–10pm
Saturday & Sunday, 11am–6pm
Address: In-person at Various Eastside Locations Between
Columbia St., 2nd Ave., Victoria Drive, and the Waterfront
 Website: culturecrawl.ca
 Social Media: facebook.com/eastsideculturecrawl
twitter.com/culturecrawl
instagram.com/culturecrawl
#eastsideculturecrawl
 

PREVIEW EXHIBITION

October 24-November 26, 2023 (Dates vary depending on venue)

Pendulum Gallery (885 W Georgia St)
Alternative Creations Gallery (1659 Venables St)
The Cultch (1895 Venables St)

Charles Clark Gallery (Strange Fellows Brewing, 1345 Clark Dr)

This year’s multi-venue preview exhibition is informed by the theme Out of Control, which explores the notion of breaking rules, being reckless, wild, and unrestricted. How does being “Out of Control” impact our daily lives and the world at large? The exhibition will feature 80+ Eastside Arts District visual artists, selected by a jury. Full details at culturecrawl.ca/events

TAKE FLIGHT FUNDRAISER

October 26 - November 4, 2023

This year’s silent auction will feature an array of items and experiences to bid on, in support of the 27th annual Eastside Culture Crawl. Participants are encouraged to visit https://culturecrawl.ca/events/takeflight2023 for more details, when the auction opens on Oct. 26.

This year’s Art Roulette fundraiser includes in-person viewing at the Georgia Art Studios. Come and join us for a glass of wine and view this year’s art roulette offerings on Saturday, October 21 from 2-5pm; Thursday, October 26 from 5:30-7:30pm; Saturday, October 28 from 2-5pm and Saturday, November 4 from 2-5pm. Each ticket holder will go home with one of 30 original pieces of artwork, donated by Eastside artists. Preview the artworks and purchase your tickets at https://culturecrawl.ca/events/takeflight2023

MOVING ART

November 2-5, 2023

The 10th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl Film and Video Exhibition, Transmission: Message and Metamorphosis, will be projected outdoors in partnership with Lumière at the West End Community Centre (870 Denman) on November 2-5 daily from dark until 10pm and will premiere online at culturecrawl.ca at 6pm on November 6, 2023. Nine short films from Eastside Arts District have been selected, curated by Esther Rausenberg and Kate MacDonald. Full details at culturecrawl.ca/events

TALKING ART

November 6-8, 2023

This year’s series of Talking Art panels unveils the artistic expression and emotional connections behind the work of 10 very different artists. Through medium and message, trial and error, and visible and invisible constraints, Crawl artists share the stories that shape their work across three distinct mediums. Curated and moderated by Kate MacDonald.

Full details of Eastside Culture Crawl events, artists, talks, and locations can be found at culturecrawl.ca/events. 

About the Eastside Arts Society (eastsideartssociety.ca)

The Eastside Arts Society (EAS) is a visual and performance arts organization dedicated to connecting the public with the arts. EAS produces the annual Culture Crawl Visual Arts, Design and Craft Festival held in November that involves artists on Vancouver’s Eastside opening their studio to the public. The event involves painters, jewellers, sculptors, furniture makers, weavers, potters, printmakers, photographers, and glassblowers; from emerging artists to those internationally established. EAS produces additional programming including Talking Art, juried exhibits, Studio 101 arts programming for  children in the DTES, and the Moving Art Film and Video series.

In 2021, EAS began a pioneering new initiative: developing an Eastside Arts District (EAD). The EAD will transform the arts and cultural assets in the Eastside from an informal and grassroots network of stakeholders, into a formalized organization with stable funding and secure, long-term facilities for artists and cultural venues. The EAS also produces the CREATE! Arts Festival.

ART HAPPENS HERE!