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The Art Downtown Summer Program gives Vancouver artists the chance to showcase their works out in the public with live painting and demonstrations.
In 2026 Art Downtown takes place on the Thursdays of June 18th and July 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd.
Visit the Vancouver Visual Arts Foundation website or continue reading to learn about this event.
Note: The Vancouver Visual Arts Foundation is the same organization that puts on the big Art Vancouver art fair at the Vancouver Convention Centre in the spring. Vancouver’s Best Places is a proud sponsor of both Art Downtown and Art Vancouver.
This article contains the following information about Art Downtown:
When and Where is Art Downtown? | What Can You Expect? | Does it Cost Anything? | Tips & Advice | Other Information
The Vancouver Art Downtown Summer Program began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Vancouver Visual Art Foundation teamed up with the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association to strategize a way to stimulate activity in the city’s downtown area while maintaining social distancing.
Art Downtown was the result, and is an event where local artists create and then display their works outdoors. With positive public reception, the program has run during the summer each year since.
When & Where is Art Downtown?
The event happens at Lot 19 which is located at 855 West Hastings Street at the corner with Hornby Street. This year it takes place in the plaza on the Thursdays of June 18th, July 2nd, July 9th, July 16th and July 23rd, between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm.
At the event on July 23rd there’s an Art Masters competition. It takes place between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm. The artists only find out what the theme for the piece is (and the materials they have to work with) right before the timer starts! The audience then votes on the winner.
Lot 19 is just a short walk from Canada Place and the Vancouver Convention Centre. It’s also just a five-minute stroll from Waterfront Station.
Continue reading or visit the Vancouver Visual Art Foundation‘s website to learn more about this event and where it takes place.
What Can You Expect?
At Art Downtown everything is outdoors. There’s live painting, art displays and live music throughout each event.
The aim of the program is to give artists the opportunity to connect with each other as well as with art-lovers in the community. Creating art out in public gives people from all over Vancouver the chance to see how these artists work. Another objective is to encourage people to go downtown (and to support local businesses while they’re there).
Does it Cost Anything?
All the dates for the Art Downtown program are free for the public to attend. There is no need to buy a ticket or register anywhere before you go. Just show up whenever you want and enjoy the art. Take your credit card or cash, though, in case you want to buy something.
Tips & Advice
Below are some suggestions to help you make the most of your art experience.
TIP #1: The seawall between the Vancouver Convention Centre and Stanley Park is a great place to walk and ride a bike. Consider going for a stroll either before or after checking out the art.
TIP #2: Downtown Vancouver has some great hotels. Check out the deals with StayVancouverHotels.com if you want to make a holiday out of your art experience. The website offers bonus perks when you make a reservation through it.
TIP #3: There are lots of great restaurants in downtown Vancouver too. The P2B Bistro at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel and Showcase at the Pinnacle Marriott, for example, are both just a short walk from Lot 19 where Art Downtown takes place, and both have Happy Hours on Thursday afternoons. The H Tasting Lounge and H2 Kitchen at the Westin Bayshore Hotel are also just a few blocks away, about halfway between Lot 19 and Stanley Park.
Other Information
Visit the Vancouver Visual Art Foundation website for more information about this event.
The organization behind the summer program is the same one behind Art Vancouver which is a large international art fair at the Vancouver Convention Centre. In 2026 Art Vancouver ran from May 28th to 31st. It’s an amazing event, especially for people who love art.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
Other websites you might also find of interest are VancouverMuseums.ca and VancouversBestRestaurants.ca.
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