Galleries, Symphony & Philanthropy in West Vancouver & Vancouver

Beyond the clubs, much of the community life here runs through the arts and through charity: an exhibition opening at a gallery on the North Shore, an evening at the symphony, or a hospital foundation’s gala. For newcomers, these are often the easiest ways in. You don’t need a sponsor, just interest. Here’s where to start, using each organization’s own published information.

On the North Shore

The Polygon Gallery, North Vancouver

The Polygon is a public gallery grounded in photography. It sits at the Shipyards on the Lower Lonsdale waterfront (101 Carrie Cates Court). For forty years it was Presentation House Gallery before moving to its current building. Admission is by donation every day. Supporters can choose from membership, leadership giving, corporate giving, and endowment and legacy gifts.

Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver

The District of West Vancouver runs this gallery in the 1913 Ferry Building at Ambleside Landing, a municipal heritage property. The gallery has been there since 1989 and puts on up to eleven exhibitions a year, along with talks and tours. The building’s restoration finished in 2023 and included raising it to protect it from rising water levels.

West Vancouver Art Museum

Also run by the District, the Art Museum is in a house Gertrude Lawson built in 1940. Its focus is art, architecture, cultural history and design, which matters in a municipality known for its West Coast modern houses. The District has described plans for a new arts and culture centre that would include a new art museum.

In Vancouver

Vancouver Art Gallery

The Vancouver Art Gallery has a tiered giving program, its Circles of Giving. These start with a Young Artist Circle for supporters aged 20 to 40 and rise through the Artist, Patrons, Collectors and Directors Circles to Visionary Partners. Benefits grow with each level and include reciprocal access to other museums. The Gallery also has a Curator’s Council, an invitation-only group of donors who fund purchases of work by women artists.

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

The Orpheum has been the VSO’s home since 1977. Donors join its Patrons Circle, whose benefits include:

invitations to open rehearsals
a season-premiere luncheon
a Concertmaster’s dinner
a vote at the Vancouver Symphony Society’s annual general meeting

The annual Symphony Gala at the Orpheum is one of the city’s main philanthropic evenings.

Philanthropy

Hospital and health foundations are at the centre of the charity calendar. On the North Shore, the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation raises money for the region’s hospital. Its galas have been held at Capilano Golf and Country Club, and its smaller events, like its Lunar New Year celebration, are held around the North Shore. Supporting the local hospital is a natural way to meet neighbours who care about the same things.

Beyond the city

Audain Art Museum, Whistler

For families with a place in Whistler, the Audain is worth knowing. Founded by philanthropists Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa and opened in March 2016, it holds a permanent collection of British Columbia’s most celebrated artists, at 4350 Blackcomb Way. Members get unlimited access and invitations to events.

Where to start

Go to an opening. Many gallery openings are open to the public, and they’re where the people who support the gallery meet.
Become a member. Membership costs little, and it’s how a gallery gets to know you.
Choose one cause. Lasting connections come from steady support of one organization over years, not from a single gala ticket.

Thinking about where to live, or a second home? The private clubs of West Vancouver and Vancouver · Neighbourhood guides

General information, current as of publication, from each organization’s own published material. Programs and benefits change; contact each organization for current details.

Galleries, music and philanthropy in Vancouver