Art knows no boundaries, and is used to express humanity’s deepest emotions in the most creative ways. Some of these expressions are found not inside art galleries, but right out on the streets. Some of the instances of public art around West Vancouver are:

1. Aquascapes

Imagine a wall made entirely of moveable sunshades. Now stop imagining it, and go see the actual, award winning south wall of the aquatic center.

2. Beach Tangle

This piece of art takes the shape of a 12 by 20 foot sculpture composed of driftwood pieces and objects combed from the beaches of West Vancouver.

3. Big Chairs

This is art that is also of practical use! Not only can you admire the craftsmanship, but you can also rest in these giant chairs located at the foot of the 18th street on the beach by the Seawalk.

4. Chimney Mural

Here you can find art programs, concerts and workshops. The music box is a piece of art itself. A variety of art forms are depicted on the Chimney Mural which are painted on cinder blocks that start from the ground and go all the way up to the roof.

5. Community Faces

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games were hosted by West Vancouver, and during that time many celebrations took place at the community center. Community faces contains many portraits of the people who took part in the festivities.

6. Eye of the Mountain Bear

This artistic endeavor takes the shape of a fountain with a sculpture that has been carved from the side of a boulder composed entirely of jade, which had its origins in the Cry Lake Jade Mine.

7. German Friendship Globe

An unearthly sight, this globe, which contains precise engravings of the continents, floats on a cushion of pressurized water over a granite basin. The globe was donated by the German Community of Greater Vancouver members, which was led by Harald Lincke, a long time resident of West Vancouver.

8. Granite Assemblage

Here you will find a tide pool formed artificially by fifty granite cubes as well as rectangles which are set at the harbor’s edge. The extended landscape at the waterfront invites many visitors to gaze more deeply into this work of environmental art.

9. Harmony

Another instance of public art around West Vancouver is a stained glass window of exquisite beauty, created to honor Gordon Stone, the Lieutenant in Command during the first world war who died while on duty in 1918.

10. Squamish Nation Welcome Figure

A famous West Vancouver landmark located in Ambleside Park, the Welcome Figure can be seen from Lions Gate Bridge, the Waterfront of West Vancouver and Stanley Park.

11. Spirit of the Mountain

Located at the entrance to Ambleside Park, this famed sculpture is another popular Vancouver landmark.

12. Spirit House Post: Gathering of Nations

Often the center of celebrations for popular community events, the Spirit House Post is located on the Great Lawn on the Community Center. The faces of the post represent water, land, sky and the Eagle deity.

13. Passages

Brightly colored wood panels on Lawson Creek Studios at the west end of the park can be viewed when passing through John Lawson Park.

14. Lucky: Mona’s Harbor Seal

Originally from Stinson Beach, the sculpture, made of bronze in the image of a cute, friendly seal, is often rubbed by visitors who believe it brings them luck.

15. Kwakiutl Bear Pole

This totem pole, made in the Haida style and carved out of Western red cedar, is another example of public art around West Vancouver which is a popular landmark.