A spectacular overview of one of the most highly acclaimed art
collections on the West Coast, which greets travelers at Vancouver
International Airport (YVR) as they journey between land, sea, and sky.
The airport which is known for its modern design and expansive
topography, offers an impressive visual display of award-winning art and
architecture. Each terminal building represents the culture heritage,
natural beauty, and iconic experiences that embody British Columbia, and
the artwork exhibited throughout plays an integral role in telling those
stories. Revered in particular for its focus on Pacific Coast Native
art, the collection is presented in the thematic groupings of land, sea,
and sky--three realms that intersect at YVR.
In A Sense of Place, art historian and critic Robin Laurence will
examine the commissioning of dozens of striking artworks as a response
to the airport's overall architectural and design plan, and particularly
as a reflection of the cultural heritage and natural environment
identified with the province of British Columbia. Among the highlights
of the collection are monumental sculptures by leading Northwest Coast
First Nations artists including Susan A. Point (Coast Salish), Robert
Davidson (Haida), Dempsey Bob (Tahltan-Tlingit), Richard Hunt
(Kwakwaka'wakw), Lyle Wilson (Haisla), Joe David (Nuu-chah-nulth),
Connie Watts (Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw and Gitxsan), and the late
Bill Reid, famed for The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe. Their
art both welcomes and bids farewell to the millions of travellers who
make their way through YVR each year.
